All kinds of stories…
Jataka
The Jataka are teaching stories from the Buddhist tradition. Jataka means "birth-story" in Pali. These are tales of the previous lives of the Buddha. Born as a monkey, an elephant, a crow, a renunciant or a king, the Buddha-to be is seen developing wisdom and kindness and all the qualities of heart and mind that led to his full awakening as the Buddha of our era.
Coastal Tales
Through oral history interviews and archival research, Margo has developed a repertoire of stories about life on the BC coast.
World Tales
The story is the original teaching tool. Through narrative we learn our earliest lessons about friendship, leadership, and what it means to live in community. Generosity is one of those qualities that is central to the survival of every culture. In 2003, I began gathering world tales of generosity for a project initiated by the Fetzer Institute.
Listen
Three tales of Generosity
The guitar interludes in these versions of the stories were composed and performed by Victoria musician Alan Hume.
Album For Purchase
JATAKA: Stories & Music of Buddhist India
Released in 2006, this CD features four stories from the Buddhist tradition, translated and adapted by Margo, with musical accompaniment (guitar, mrdangam and other percussion instruments) by Doug MacKenzie:
1. The Antelope Birth (Kurunga-miga Jataka) – A story of friendship.
2. The Crow Birth (Kaka-Jataka) – What makes a true leader?
3. The Story of the Mango (Amba-Jataka) – Generosity repaid.
4. The Legend of Nalagiri – A raging elephant is tamed by the power of the Buddha’s loving-kindness.
"Margo McLoughlin was our special guest for Family Sunday, at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria on February 18, 2018. The way she engaged learners of all ages with her storytelling was truly captivating. I was touched by how she mindfully invited the audience to feel into the story with multiple senses, which made the experience all the more alive and heart-opening. Her stories were grounded in the theme of generosity, and her telling of them was an embodiment of generous ways of being."
— Jennifer Van de Pol
Educator, School and Family Programs
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria