Cariya Pitaka

Buddhist text

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June 22, 2026

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The Cariya Pitaka is a Buddhist text that forms the final book of the Khuddaka Nikaya, which is part of the Sutta Pitaka. It is a collection of 35 Jataka tales, which are stories about the former lives of the Buddha. These stories are presented in verse and emphasize the perfections (paramitas) that the Buddha cultivated in his past lives to achieve enlightenment. Each tale begins by explaining the circumstances under which it was told and concludes with the Buddha identifying the past lives of the individuals involved in the story. The Jataka tales, including those in the Cariya Pitaka, are known for their humor, variety, and the moral virtues they aim to teach. These stories have parallels in other Indian literature and have been frequently depicted in Buddhist art.123

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Jataka
…constitute the last book, the Cariya Pitaka (“Basket of Conduct”), of the Khuddaka Nikaya (“Short Collection”). Beyond this, a Sinhalese commentary of the 5th century that is questionably attributed to a Buddhist scholar named Buddhagosa and called the Jatakatthavannana, or Jatakatthakatha, gathers together about 550 Jataka stories, some of which…
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…constitute the last book, the Cariya Pitaka (“Basket of Conduct”), of the Khuddaka Nikaya (“Short Collection”). Beyond this, a Sinhalese commentary of the 5th century that is questionably attributed to a Buddhist scholar named Buddhagosa and called the Jatakatthavannana, or Jatakatthakatha, gathers together about 550 Jataka stories, some of which…
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Khuddaka Nikaya
Cariya Pitaka (“Basket of Conduct”), 35 Jataka stories told in verse and emphasizing the paramitas (“perfections”) requisite to buddhahood that the Buddha acquired in former lives.
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Cariya Pitaka (“Basket of Conduct”), 35 Jataka stories told in verse and emphasizing the paramitas (“perfections”) requisite to buddhahood that the Buddha acquired in former lives.
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