Spanish
Buddhist Books for Children

La leyenda de Mahaduta: un cuento sobre el bien y el mal
The Legend of Mahadutta: A Tale of Cause and Effect
by members of the Buddist Text Translation Society

            In ancient India, youth learned about morality from Jataka tales, engaging stories about right and wrong and the consequences of one’s actions.The bilingual Spanish/English book La Leyenda de Mahaduta is the story of a rich jewelry merchant and his slave who encounter a wise Buddhist monk. The tale teaches the lessons of cause and effect, kindness and compassion, greed and hatred.

Copy of Review from Críticas

2007. 96p. ISBN 978-0-88139-762-8. pap. $9.95.
Reviewed by Betsy Duarte Shepard, Wakefield Middle School, Tucson, AZ

Gr 3+–Mahaduta is the evil and unkind slave of a rich jeweler, who is himself evil, unkind, and greedy. Little do they know that their lives will be changed forever when the jeweler offers a ride to a wise Buddhist monk. As they travel to their destination, the monk speaks to the jeweler about cause and effect, and how every action has a consequence. Not more than an hour into the journey, they meet a farmer on the road. This encounter unleashes a chain of events that changes the lives of everyone involved. Based on Buddhist folklore, this legend teaches lessons about cause and effect, good and evil, greed and generosity, as well as kindness and compassion. The brief traditional Buddhist verses intertwined in the tale connect the book with the teachings of the Bodhisattva and anchor the lesson. The story reads smoothly in both languages, and the Spanish translation is excellent. The large, computer-generated illustrations, with their bight color palette, are reminiscent of Walt Disney’s animated films. The book includes an introduction to the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) and a list of agencies associated to the DRBA. Even though the illustrations are aimed at the younger reader, this story will appeal to young and old alike. A good addition to the legend section in school and public libraries, this book is also an excellent support resource for the study of religions in middle grade classrooms.