also: ほんしょうたん
Jataka tales; stories of Buddha's previous lives
Buddhist term referring to the ancient Indian collection of stories about the former lives of the Buddha. Often encountered in religious or academic contexts.
See also: ジャータカ
The Jataka tales are an important part of Buddhist literature.
この寺院の壁画には本生譚の一場面が描かれている。
A scene from the Jataka tales is depicted on the wall paintings of this temple.
Standard kanji spelling for the Jataka tales in Buddhist contexts.
Alternate reading; less common but recognized in Buddhist scholarship.
From Chinese 本生 (běnshēng, 'original birth') and 譚 (tán, 'tale'), a translation of the Sanskrit Jātaka. The reading ほんじょうたん reflects the go-on reading of 生, while ほんしょうたん uses the kan-on reading.