Week 9 Reading Continued: Twenty Jataka Tales

This week I will be covering Twenty Jataka Tales by Noor Inayat, link. This post will cover Part B, and will also be the end of this reading.

• Most of these stories are taking place in Benares, I wonder if the stories originated there or if the author is connected to that location somehow. 

Modern image of Benares, now known as Varanasi. From Varanasi Tourism.

• I don't know why the original authors made the animals have superior morals, after all I would rather aspire to be like a village leader or king than a pig, even if that pig ends up wearing silk and advising a king. 
• I feel like reptiles are underrepresented in these stories. Most of the stories focus on mammals because of their obvious connections to humans. But, I wonder if reptiles do not appear because of culture or a lack of reptiles in India.  
• Many of these stories end with humans agreeing to stop hunting, but I feel like Indian society is not vegetarian. I wonder what impact, if any, stories like these had on people who had to hunt for food. 
• The last few stories have been about accepting help when it is offered, even if it hurts the person offering it. I guess the message is to not ignore the sacrifices of others, and to give them the respect they deserve. 
• I feel bad for the innocent quails that got killed with the two that argued. It seems unfair, they were still heeding the kings words. 
• The story of the great goose finally explains why animals are moral superior in these stories. As the goose explains, humans may not always be honest but the words of animals can be trusted because they have simpler wishes.

That's the end of this book, thanks for reading.