Budhun Vadala Keti Katha

Sri Lankan literary circles have been entertaining an interesting discourse on whether the Jataka tales (the stories of the Buddha’s previous births) contain elements of modern short story. The Jataka book has been an invaluable repository for scholars in the orient as well as the occident studying the earliest roots of oriental literature. This could be primarily because the Jataka book introduces a wide range of characters such as labourers farmers and kings. However the ancient writing style of the Jataka book creates a certain distance from the modern readers. H M Moratuwagama a former university don specializing in Buddhist studies has taken an attempt to adjust a number of major Jataka tales to suit the modern audience. In simple prose filled with interesting dialogues these short stories are a must for anyone keen on Buddhist literature.