The Sacred Texts of Buddhism
In the monotheistic religions, the Bible, Koran and other sacred books are considered the revealed truth of God. Buddhist sacred texts, on the other hand, are thought of as guides on the path to truth, not truth itself. That said, there are many sacred texts in Buddhism, but not all texts are accepted by all schools.
Buddhist Scriptures: An Overview
Buddhist scriptures comprise an enormous and complicated variety of texts, not one of which is considered authentic and authoritative in all schools. This article provides a basic explanation of "what's what" in Buddhist scriptures.
The Jataka Tales
The Jataka Tales are stories and fables about the previous lives of the Buddha. Where did these stories come from?
The Jataka Tale of the Selfless Hare
The Jataka Tales are ancient stories of the Buddha's previous lives. In this story, the Buddha is a selfless hare who surpasses all of this friends in the perfection of generosity.
The Golden Deer
The Jataka Tales are stories of the Buddha's previous lives. This story of the Golden Deer, also sometimes called the Ruru Deer, is a story about compassion.
The Golden Mallard
The story of the golden mallard is from Jataka 136, which also is called the Suvannahamsa jataka. It bears an unmistakable similarity to one of Aesop's fables, the story of the goose that laid golden eggs.
Favorite Jataka Tales - What Is Your Favorite Jataka?
The Jataka Tales are stories of the Buddha's past lives. Which story is your favorite?