Toh 343The Hundred Exemplary Tales, Beginning with That of Pūrṇa

The Hundred Accounts of Wondrous Joy — Beginning with Pūrṇa

Background

Pūrṇapramukhāvadānaśataka (The Hundred Accounts of Wondrous Joy — Beginning with Pūrṇa) is an important work of Buddhist history in the Mahāyāna tradition, preserved in the Northern Tibetan canon. This work belongs to the avadāna genre: instructive narratives that recount the past and present lives of the Buddha’s disciples in order to illustrate the results of karma and the merit of spiritual practice.

The choice of Pūrṇa as the opening figure of this collection is not accidental. Pūrṇa was an outstanding disciple of Buddha Śākyamuni, renowned for his ability to teach the Dharma and for his compassionate conduct. He was praised by the Buddha as “foremost among those who teach the Dharma” and stands as a symbol of dedication to spreading the Buddha’s teaching. This choice reflects the Mahāyāna pedagogical approach, in which bodhisattvas are regarded as lucid models for beings to follow and learn from.

Main Contents

This sūtra gathers one hundred avadāna stories, each with a clear instructional structure: it often begins with an event in the Buddha’s time, then turns back to past lives to explain the origin of present merit or evil karma.

The story of Pūrṇa, told first, describes his journey from former lives, in which he practiced the bodhisattva vows and conduct, until he became one of the Buddha’s most eminent disciples. The following stories concern other bodhisattvas, arhats, and practitioners, each story containing a profound lesson on the results of action.

These stories not only illustrate the principle of cause and effect, or karma, but also emphasize the power of aspiration, faith in the Three Jewels, and single-minded practice.