Toh 32Account of the Previous Lives of the Buddha

Commentary on the Jātakanidāna Sutra

The Previous Lives of the Buddha

Background

The Jātakanidāna Sutra (The Previous Lives of the Buddha) is the opening section of the Jātaka collection - a gathering of stories about the previous births of Shakyamuni Buddha. In the Northern Transmission Mahayana tradition, this sutra was compiled to present the long course of practice undertaken by Prince Siddhartha (the Bodhisattva) before he became a Buddha.

The foundation of the sutra is the teaching on the “bodhisattva path” - the path of liberation extending through many lifetimes (asaṅkheyya kalpas). Unlike the Hinayana understanding, the Mahayana affirms that the Buddha did not attain nirvana in a single lifetime, but had to cultivate the pāramitās, the virtues of perfection, through countless previous births. The recounting of these previous lives is not merely entertaining stories, but a guide to practice for bodhisattvas and Buddhists who wish to follow the path of awakening.

The Jātakanidāna Sutra is regarded as the introduction and doctrinal foundation for the entire Jātaka collection, providing the basic framework for understanding the intention of the stories that follow.

Main Content

This sutra presents the appearance of ancient Buddhas and the stages of Siddhartha’s practice in the past. Its focus lies in explaining why the previous births must be recounted: to inspire the faith of practitioners and to demonstrate that the Buddha also passed through hardships and trials like all sentient beings, yet through meditative stability and compassion he ultimately attained buddhahood.

The sutra describes the occasion when the Buddha was in the city of Śrāvastī, and Ananda and the monks asked about his past lives. In response, the Buddha recounted that he had passed through countless former births under different names, practicing the pāramitās: generosity (dāna), discipline (śīla), patience (kṣānti), diligence (vīrya), meditation (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajñapti). Through each previous life, the Buddha learned and perfected his virtues, step by step drawing nearer to the path of buddhahood.