Once the Buddha Was a Monkey: Arya Sura's "Jatakamala"

Written most probably in the fourth century AD, the "Jatakamala" is generally considered the masterpiece of Buddhist literature in Sanskrit. In elegant, courtly style, Arya Sura retells thirty-four traditional stories about the Buddha in his previous incarnations, both human and animal. Whether a king, a Brahmin, a monkey, or a hare, the Great One is shown in assiduous pursuit of virtue and compassion. Though primarily intended as exemplary tales illustrating the Buddhist virtues, these stories also paint a vivid picture of life at a high point in ancient Indian culture - city life in ordinary households or at the royal court, and country life against a backdrop of mountain, desert, and jungle. Peter Khoroche's translation, based on a fresh study of the original Sanskrit manuscripts, conveys the tone as well as the content of the original. Accompanying explanatory notes will assist student and general reader alike in appreciating this classic from an ancient and exotic civilization.