Jataka Tales : Stories of the Buddha's Many Births

The Jataka Tales are an ancient collection of stories, narrating the past lives of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama.

The stories exist in different forms across the Buddhist world. In this edition, Misha Glenny and his guests explore the Pali collection of around 550 Jataka Tales.

On the night of his Enlightenment, before he became the Buddha, Siddharta Gautama is believed to have gained the ability to recall each of his past lives. In the Jataka collection, he uses the stories of these past lives to relay his teachings. Each rebirth saw him take a different form, he could be an animal like a monkey or a fish, he could be a Prince or even a God.

Jatakas have existed for thousands of years, and they are a cornerstone of Buddhist literature, art and religious teachings. The stories contain a multitude of recurring characters in the community around the Buddha, and their influence exists beyond Buddhism into other cultures around the world.

With

Naomi Appleton
Professor of Buddhist Studies and Indian Religions at the University of Edinburgh

Mahinda Deegalle
Bye-Fellow at St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge

and

Alexandra Green,
SP Shaw Curator for Southeast Asia at the British Museum.

Producer: Sam Peach

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Production

A world-class seminar every week. Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.