The jātaka and avadāna constitute one of the most widely disseminated and vibrant genres within the Buddhist literary tradition. As narrative tales—ranging from concise to lengthy and elaborate—they communicate the teachings of the Buddha to a broader audience in an accessible and appealing manner. These stories have been transmitted across diverse regions of Buddhist Asia in a variety of languages, and they have significantly influenced the development of visual art forms unique to each cultural context.

This volume comprises ten scholarly contributions that investigate various dimensions of these literary traditions. The articles are based on presentations originally delivered at the international symposium “Variety of Jātaka and Avadāna Transmission,” held on 27–28 November 2023 at the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies in Tokyo. The keynote address by Peter Skilling offers a critical reassessment of the history of research on these genres and provides foundational reflections on their role as vehicles for the transmission of Buddhism. The subsequent four chapters explore key aspects of jātaka and avadāna transmission, focusing respectively on their visual representations; textual styles and variant versions; linguistic features and issues of translation; and their literary classifications and geographical distribution.

Hiromi Habata is Professor at the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies. Her research focuses on the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, as well as the Tocharian Buddhist texts. Her recentpublicationsinclude: Aufbau und Umstrukturierung des Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra. Untersuchungen zum Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra unter Berücksichtigung der Sanskrit-Fragmente (2019); Tocharische Texte zur Buddhalegende (2019).

Satomi Hiyama is Assistant Professor of Buddhist Art History at the Department of Eastern Philosophy and Culture on the Facutly of Letters of Toyo University, as well as External Researcher of the research centre ‘Buddhist Wall Paintings of Kucha on the Northern Silk Road’ at the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities / Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures at Ryukoku University. Her research focuses on the wall paintings of Buddhist rock-cut monasteries along the Silk Road. Her recent publications include Traces of the Sarvāstivādins in the Buddhist Monasteries of Kucha (2022).