Jataka tales & females

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
Post Reply
User avatar
rekoW
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:50 am

Jataka tales & females

Post by rekoW »

I saw Jataka tales on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jataka_tales, about Buddha was once a buffalo, a woody woodpecker and a quail bird. Was Buddha ever a woman or female in a past life?
TRobinson465
Posts: 1783
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 5:29 pm
Location: United States

Re: Jataka tales & females

Post by TRobinson465 »

The Buddha was surely a female in a past life at some point, but there doesn't seem to be any jatakas that have him as a female anything. Although I do recall a non-theravada Sanskrit jatakas that had him as a princess or something like that.

https://www.timsthailand.com/jataka-tales-born-as/
"Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism" - the 14th Dalai Lama

"The Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahmins, devas, Maras, Brahmas or anyone in the cosmos." -Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
User avatar
Bhikkhu Pesala
Posts: 4646
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:17 pm

Re: Jataka tales & females

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

As far as I know, from the time of the firm assurance at the feet to the Buddha Dipaṅkara, 91 aeons ago, the Bodhisatta was always reborn as male.

Index of Jātakas.
BlogPāli FontsIn This Very LifeBuddhist ChroniclesSoftware (Upasampadā: 24th June, 1979)
Post Reply