Description
Book Synopsis"Kindness is packed with excellent tales that will surprise and delight readers while introducing them to the diversity of religious traditions." ―John Green, Booklist
Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Over and over this marvelous book tells us, "let go of your anger, your fear, your greedy desire. Embrace gladness. Follow the path." And the stories themselves, simply as stories, form a wondrous pageant of elephants, monkeys, monks, and men working through foolishness toward wisdom and delight. This collection of traditional Buddhist tales leads us to the kind of implicit understanding of ourselves and others that only stories can provide.
Trade Review"Many American children know the parable of the mustard seed told in the New Testament. Few, however, have been exposed to the equally compelling Buddhist story of the mustard seed. In this parable, the Buddha tells a woman who has lost her child to seek out mustard seeds from families that have not been exposed to death. In doing so, the woman learns the universality of grief. Thirty-one such stories have been masterfully adapted and translated by Conover to transmit the soft, lyrical voice of the originals. These include Jataka tales, stories of the Buddha in past incarnations, which are widely read and retold to Buddhist children throughout the world. Populated with sticky-haired dragons, verbose monkeys, and strange-looking monks, and illustrated in pleasant, sepia-tone pictures contributed by Valerie Wahl, Kindness is packed with excellent tales that will surprise and delight readers while introducing them to the diversity of religious traditions." ―John Green, Booklist
Table of ContentsTo The Young Reader
Preface
Stories and Sayings
Birdsnest
The Mustard Seed
The Elephant and the Wind: A Jataka Tale
The Monk’s Heavy Load
When the Horse Runs Off
The Noble Ibex: A Jataka Tale
Heaven and Hell
Many Elephants
The Worth of Cherry Blossoms
The Span of Life
Teaching a Thief
Anger
Gifts for the Robber
The Quarrelsome Quails: A Jataka Tale
Two Teachers and Tea
The Buddha and the Brahmins
The Broom Master
The Old Teacher’s Test: A Jataka Tale
Prince Dighavu
A Man, Two Tigers, and a Strawberry
The Dung Beetle: A Jataka Tale
Castles of Sand
The Mice Who Taught the Monk to Smile
The Monkey King: A Jataka Tale
Mr. Kitagaki
Great Joy the Ox: A Jataka Tale
The Thief Within
The Prince and the Monster: A Jataka Tale
Perfecting Patience
The Party
The Art of Attention
The Scared Little Rabbit: A Jataka Tale
Sources of Sayings
Story Sources
Further Resources for Children
