From the Fifty Jātaka

For over two thousand years, jātaka—tales of the Buddha’s previous lives—have been popular as teaching and entertainment. Apart from the classical Indian jātaka, many others in Southeast Asia were assembled in collections known as the “Fifty Jātaka” (Paññāsa Jātaka). They are now acclaimed as the lifeblood of the region’s literature. This book offers the first published English translations of twenty-one stories from the Thailand collection, including some of the best-known Thai stories: Sudhana-Manoharā, the Golden Conch, and Rathasena, among other quests, moral tales, strings of riddles, and story cycles. Here the tales are translated fully and faithfully with notes and accompanying information on the Thailand collection.

Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit have written on Thailand’s history, economy, politics, and culture, and have translated academic and literary works including The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen and Yuan Phai. In 2017 they were jointly awarded the Fukuoka Grand Prize.