Sutta Spotlight

The Dog-Birth
Kukkura Jataka

The Buddha Goes to Great Lengths
to Assure Compassion for all Living Beings

Source Material and References

King of the Strays

How does one learn about Buddhism, the Buddha, and the practice of Buddhist morality? Well, as we know, the traditional scriptures, the suttas, are an important place to start. These, after all, are the original teachings of the Buddha. And, just in time for summer, we’ve found the perfect beach reads for you: The Jataka Tales! Many find the apparent whimsy of the Jataka tales to be the perfect bedtime story for children the world over. But within these tales are deep teachings of the Buddha.

We first look at a story that questions the role of justice in society. Here, the Buddha takes on a life of a dog, King of the Dogs, in fact, to teach the importance of ascribng justic in a fair and impartial way.

We intend these readings to be fun, entertaining, and instructive. Join us, as we explore the Buddha’s curious past incarnations!