The Story of Buddhist Scriptures

Author: Qing Zhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Buddhist stories are a form used by the Buddha to propagate his teachings. To express his ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand, and vivid manner, the Buddha adopted the form of popular and lively allegories. Using simple colloquial language and vivid parables, he explained the teachings in an accessible way, which is the origin of Buddhist stories. This book, The Stories of Buddhist Scriptures, tells the story of how the Buddha was born, how he renounced his princely status to become a monk, how he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, how he traveled to various places to teach people, and finally passed away upon the request of the demon Māra. There are stories of the Buddha's long years of practice before his enlightenment, known as Jātaka stories (Buddha's previous lives); there are stories that introduce Buddhist doctrines and teachings; and there are allegorical stories that convey ideals such as peace, sacrifice, equality, love, and self-restraint. These stories recount the virtuous deeds of the Buddha and are rich in philosophical wisdom.