本生故事

Every canonical Jātaka in the Pali tradition follows an exact, three-part liturgical formula documented in the Jātakaṭṭhavaṇṇanā:

1. 1
   Paccuppannavatthu (Story of the Present): Sets the contemporary historical occasion in Sāvatthī (Jetavana Monastery) or Rājagaha where a dispute, dilemma, or question among the disciples prompts the Buddha to teach.
2. 2
   Atītavatthu (Story of the Past): The core narrative where the Buddha declares: 'In the ancient past, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Varanasi...' unfolding the Bodhisatta’s past birth and the perfection cultivated.
3. 3
   Samodhāna (The Identification / Connection): The solemn conclusion where the Buddha links past and present: revealing who the antagonists, companions, and teachers were in today’s Sangha, confirming the Bodhisatta was none other than the Buddha himself.