Jatakamala 本生鬘
Jatakamala (Wyl. skyes rabs 'phreng ba) - 'The Garland of Birth Stories' by the master Arya Shura describes 34 of Buddha Shakyamuni's previous lives.
- The Tigress
- Shibhi
- The dumpling
- The Merchant
- Avishahya, the Merchant
- The hare/rabbit
- Agastya
- Maitribala
- Vishvamtara
- The sacrifice
- Shakra
- The brahmin
- Unmadayanti
- Suparaga
- The lord of the fish
- The young quail
- The jar full of spirits
- The man without an heir
- The lotus stalks
- The royal treasurer
- Kuddhabodhi
- The king of geese
- Bodhi, the wandering ascetic
- The great ape
- The ibex
- The antelope
- The king of monkeys
- Kshantivadin
- The inhabitant of highest heaven
- The elephant
- Sutosama
- Ayogriha, the prince in the iron house
- Buffalo
- Woodpecker
It is said that Arya Shura planned to write 100 stories, ten to illustrate each of the ten paramitas. This project was later taken on by the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, who wrote several works on the text, including an expansion to 100 tales.
Translations
- Ārya Śūra, Once the Buddha Was a Monkey, translated by Peter Khoroche, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989
- Āryaśūra, The Marvelous Companion: Life Stories of the Buddha, Dharma Publishing, 1983
- Āryaśūra, Garland of the Buddha’s Past Lives, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, translated by Justin Meiland, (Clay Sanskrit Library), NYU Press 2009