Category Archives: Buddhist texts

New book: Narrative Visions and Visual Narratives

Posted on April 26, 2022 by naomiappleton

I am delighted to learn that the book Narrative Visions and Visual Narratives in Indian Buddhism, which I edited with contributions from a range of fabulous scholars, is now out! It emerges from a symposium that I hosted in Edinburgh … Continue reading →

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Chinese Jātakas

Posted on April 20, 2022 by naomiappleton

I learnt something last week that rather amazed me. Perhaps you will just be amazed by my prior ignorance, but hey ho, I’ll risk that: Jātaka stories reached China before vinaya, and before anything like a set of āgama scriptures. … Continue reading →

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Narrative Buddhology – new project and CFP

Posted on October 8, 2021 by naomiappleton

I have been working on a new research project for a full year, and realised recently that I haven’t yet blogged about it. Mind you, I haven’t exactly been regular with my blogging. The past year or two have been, … Continue reading →

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Jataka Database version 2

Posted on November 7, 2020 by naomiappleton

I’ve really enjoyed using the jataka database over the past year, and have also been delighted to have so many people get in touch to say they find it useful. However, it has also been on my mind that there … Continue reading →

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Launching the Jātaka Database

Posted on December 9, 2019 by naomiappleton

I’m delighted to announce that today we are launching phase 1 of the Jātaka database: you can now view the site at https://jatakastories.div.ed.ac.uk – there you can explore a range of stories and story-features, and also read our rationale for … Continue reading →

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Jātaka stories and boundary-making

Posted on November 15, 2019 by naomiappleton

This week I have been in Austin Texas, hanging out with lovely colleagues at the South Asia Institute and making a contribution to their Fall Seminar Series, which this year is themed on “Religious Boundary-Making in South Asia.” This is, … Continue reading →

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Digitised manuscripts vs the real thing

Posted on October 10, 2019 by naomiappleton

I’m in Dublin this week, giving a lecture at the Chester Beatty Library, as part of a series accompanying their “Thai Buddhist Tales” exhibition. It’s my first time in Ireland, and my visit to the Chester Beatty in particular feels … Continue reading →

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Is a buddha a human?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by naomiappleton

I have been pondering this question for a very specific reason: When entering a “character” in our jātaka database, we assign to it certain “character descriptors” such as male, monkey, merchant, and so on. This is partly to differentiate several … Continue reading →

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Research-led teaching, or jātakas jātakas jātakas

Posted on April 11, 2019 by naomiappleton

We’ve all heard the phrase “research-led teaching”, but what does it mean? Well, this semester I have been reflecting on that question, as I have been teaching a course on jātakas for the first time ever. Alongside the class, which … Continue reading →

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What is a jātaka and how many are there?

Posted on January 14, 2019 by naomiappleton

My brother is a high school librarian, and he sometimes sets his pupils a library quiz, to test their ability to find certain books and information within them. Recently, presumably out of a desire to entertain his younger sister, he … Continue reading →

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