The Jataka Tales are Buddhist teachings on ethics in the form of a story. They’re quite numerous, and have been retold over the centuries in different cultures. Judy told the story of the Elephant King (except she renamed the main character “The Elephant Queen”). In this story, the insatiable quality of greed was contrasted with the total surrender to compassion and generosity on the part of the Elephant Queen.
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by Tommy Harrison
‘Tis the season. The season for generosity. A time of year that brings great joy for some, suffering for others, and a mix of both for many. All around us are examples of both wholesome generosity as well as actions fueled by greed. We get to see some of the best and worst of our fellow human beings and perhaps ourselves. This end of year holiday season has been a cause of personal suffering over the years. Nothing too major, but suffering all the same. It’s only been by turning into this suffering and investigating it that has allowed for a better understanding of what was arising and how to release it. It’s presented wonderful opportunities to pause and reflect on some of the Buddha’s teachings to guide us through the holiday season.