A type of Buddhist biographical tale, typically including a story of the present and a story of a past life and the karmic connection between them. It is listed as one of the twelve types of Buddhist literature.

As one of the twelve aspects of Dharma, it means stories of previous lives of beings.

See also “twelve wheels of the Dharma.”

A popular genre of Buddhist literature; the Sanskrit has been translated as “heroic action” by Léon Feer. With regard to structure, avadānas are similar to the jātakas, with the difference that the protagonist of an avadāna usually is not the Buddha (with the exception of Kṣemendra’s Bodhisattvāvadānamālā). They often present moral tales or illustrations of the law of karma.

See “Exemplary Tale.”

One of the twelve genres or types of teaching (dvādaśāṅga) given by the Buddha. The Sanskrit avadāna means “exceptional feat” or “illustrious deed.” However, in the context of the twelve types of teachings, it came to refer to the narrative accounts of such deeds. In the Yogācārabhūmi (Śbh I 230; Toh 4036, F.56.a), Asaṅga defines the term avadāna as “that which is illustrated with an example, an example by which the relevant meaning becomes completely clear” (yat sadṛṣṭāntakam udāhṛtam, yena dṛṣṭāntena yasya pra­kṛtasyārthasya vyavadānaṃ bhavati). This definition is echoed in the Abhi­dharma­samuccaya­bhāṣya (ed. Tatia, p. 96; Toh 4053, F.69.a) and Vasubandhu’s Gāthāsaṃ­graha­śāstrārtha (Toh 4103, F.228.a).

One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.

One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.

Ninth of the twelve branches of the scriptures.

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

One of the “twelve branches of excellent speech.”