Jātaka Kathā and Personality Development: Bridging Narrative Tradition with Psychological and Educational Perspectives

Abstract

Jātaka Kathā, narratives recounting the Buddha’s previous lives, have historically been used to convey moral lessons and ethical principles. This paper examines their psychological and educational relevance for fostering personality development. Using a secondary data approach, canonical texts, scholarly analyses, and research in narrative psychology and moral education were synthesized. The study highlights how these narratives, through creative exaggeration, symbolic representation, and repeated modeling of virtues (Pāramitās), support moral reasoning, empathy, self-regulation, and prosocial behavior. Addressing criticisms that Jātaka Kathā are unscientific, the paper demonstrates that their imaginative and exaggerated elements are pedagogically and psychologically purposeful, enhancing engagement and moral internalization. Implications for education suggest that integrating these narratives can cultivate ethical, reflective, and socially responsible individuals, providing a culturally grounded framework for contemporary character development.