Among the oldest story-telling traditions, we find the Jataka tales, which were told by Buddhists to inspire people with moral values. The Jataka tales go back to the 3rd century B.C. Because of the limited literacy of the times, travelling storytellers known as Jataka bhanakas were selected and given the task of reaching the stories to every corner of the land and beyond. The Jataka Tales carried strong and inspiring messages of kindness, compassion, generosity, non-violence, self-sacrifice, charity and the need to abjure greed. The Jataka stories explain the concepts of karma and rebirth, and teach moral values.