Divine Stories: Divyāvadāna, Part 2

Explore the second of two volumes of translations, in vivid prose, of one of the most celebrated collections of classical Buddhist legends.
Actions never come to naught,
even after hundreds of millions of years.
When the right conditions gather and the time is right,
then they will have their effect on embodied beings.
Ancient Buddhist literature is filled with tales of past lives. The Buddha, surrounded by his followers, is asked how it came to be that a certain person has met a particular fate. With his omniscience, the Buddha looks into eons past and uncovers the events that led to the present outcome. With stories of wicked wives, patricidal princes, and shape-shifting serpents, Divine Stories is a fascinating expression of how Buddhists have illustrated the law of karma—the truth that the power of good and ill deeds, once created, is never lost. These are some of the oldest Buddhist tales ever committed to writing,...