jataka

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The Jataka is the tenth book. It is widelystudied by the students of the history of religion. ProfessorFausboll edited the Jataka for the first time in sixvolumes and he prepared a volume on Index. TheEnglish translation of this work by various scholarsunder the editorship of Cowell has no doubt made thestudy of the Jatakas very easy, especially for thosewho do not know the original language in which theJatakas were written. Professor Rhys Davids undertookto translate the Jatakas but he was obligedto give it up after the appearance of one volume.It is interesting to note that each story openswith a preface which describes the circumstancesin the life of the Buddha which led him to tell thebirth story and thus reveal some events in the longseries of his previous existences as a Bodhisatta.At the end there is always given a brief summarywhere the Buddha identifies the different personsin the story in their present births. The stories arevery interesting as they throw a flood of light onthe social, political, and religious life of the peoplein ancient India.The Jataka was composed in North India inthe so-called ' middle country'(Madhyadesa) (RhysDavids, Buddhist India, p. 172). It consists ofgathas or stanzas only, and is divided into twentytwosections (iiipatas), which are arranged accordingto the number of stanzas belonging to or forminga Jataka. The first section is supposed to contain150 Jatakas, each verse belongs to a separatestory ; the second, 100 Jatakas, with two verseseach ; the third, 50 Jatakas, with three verses each,and so on. Each successive section (nipata) contains a larger number of stanzas and a smallernumber of Jatakas. These gathas are in manyoases poetic tales or ballads or epic poems. Versesare attached to all the Jatakas. They are, in a fewinstances, in the framework and not in the storiesthemselves. The stories without the verses may besaid to have preserved the original form of Indianfolklore. Some of the stories are noticed also inthe Pancatantra, Kathasaritsagara, etc. Some haveparallels in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, thePuranas, and the Jain literature. It would notperhaps be unreasonable to hold that most ofthe stories were derived from existing folklore ofNorth India (Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, pp. 207-208). The Jatakas are frequently quoted in thelater books of the Milinda Pafiha. Many Jatakasoccur in the Mahavastu 1 in prose as well as in versein mixed Sanskrit. Some of them are variants ofPali Jatakas while others are not found in the Palicollection.It would not be out of place to give here gistsof some of the Jataka stories which are remarkablefor their variety. A young man finding a dead mouse sold it.He got some money with which he carried on tradeand became rich (Cullakasetthi Jataka, Jat., Vol. I).There were incompetent valuers (TandulanaliJataka, Jat. I) and there was a strong belief in beingseized by an ogre (Devadhamma Jataka, Vol. I). Aking finding a grey hair in his head forsook hisfamily life ((Makhadeva Jataka, cf. Nimi Jataka,Vol. I). A king of the deer not only saved his ownlife but also the life of all creatures at the risk ofhis own life (Nigrodhamiga Jataka, Vol. I). Abrahmin desiring to give food to the dead was aboutto sacrifice a goat which showed signs of greatjoy and of great sorrow. The goat explained thereason for each emotion (Matakabhatta Jataka).True release does not lie in offering sacrifice (Ayacita-bhatta Jataka, Vol. I). There was a pool hauntedby ogre (Nalapana Jataka, Vol. I). The KulavakaJataka relates as to how a man through the practiceof goodness went to heaven and how his threewives were reborn in heaven as a reward of theirdoing good deeds. A tree caught fire, the wisebirds flew, the foolish ones remained and were burntto ashes (Sakuna Jataka, Vol. I). A treasurer gavealms to a Paccekabuddha though Mara tried toprevent him from doing so (Khadirangara Jataka,Vol. I). A king put a stop to sacrifices of livingcreatures (Dummedha Jataka, Vol. I). TheAndabhuta Jataka (Vol. I) relates the innatewickedness of women. The Surapana Jataka (Vol.I) deals with the effects of strong drinks onhermits. The Asatarupa Jataka (Vol. I) relateshow a city was captured by stopping the supplyof water and firewood. A slave forging his master'sname married a rich wife. The master did not takeany revenge but he taught the slave's wife torestrain her husband's arrogance (KatahakaJataka, Vol. I). A wicked prince is reformed bythe analogy of poisonous seedling (Ekapanna Jataka,Vol. I). Some shipwrecked mariners escaped froma city of goblins by the aid of a flying horse (ValahassaJataka, Vol. II). A king of Benares wasmost tyrannical. At his death the porter of theroyal palace mourned fearing that the king shouldprove too much for the King of Death and should besent back again to earth (Mahapingala Jataka,Vol. II). Some men won a treasure by digging, butthey dug too much and lost it again (JarudapanaJataka, Vol. II). A brave man saved a caravan fromrobbers (Khurappa Jataka, Vol. II). A king wastaken captive and suffered much at the hands of hisenemy, but by his patience and suffering he won overhis enemy through repentance (Ekaraja Jataka,Vol. III). A king killed his own son out of jealousyas his queen showed much affection for the son.The king was punished by being thrown into hell(Culladhammapala Jataka, Vol. III). A foolish mendicant mistook the butting of a ram for arespectful salutation. He met with his death owingto his foolishness (Cammasataka Jataka, Vol. III). A wicked king cruelly maltreated an ascetic whopatiently endured the maltreatment. The king wasthrown into hell (Khantivadi Jataka, Vol. III). Sakkawas pleased with an ascetic and offered him boons.The ascetic made a wise choice of boons (KanhaJataka, Vol. IV). Two princes with then: sister wentto a forest. They came to know of their father's death.The eldest prince sent his slippers to take his ownplace on the throne. They were displeased whenthe news of wrong judgment came to their ears(Dasaratha Jataka, Vol. IV). Jealous of a holyascetic, Sakka approached the king of a countryand said that the drought from which the landwas suffering, was due to the ascetic. The kingadvised by Sakka sent his daughter to beguile theascetic. The ascetic fell a victim to the temptation.But the ascetic's father who was away, returned tohis son and cautioned him against the wiles ofwomankind (Nalinika Jataka, Vol. V). A kingdeveloped a taste for human flesh. In order tosupply himself with favourite food he used to murderhis own subjects. His action became known to alland he was driven out of his kingdom. Once hecaptured a king who had been his friend and teacher.The king was released on condition that he shouldreturn as soon as he fulfilled his promise. The kingkept his words. The man-eater being pleased withthe king desired to give him four boons. At therequest of the king the man-eater gave up cannibalism(Mahasutasoma Jataka, Vol. V). A kingquestioned an ascetic as to the various moral duties.He himself indulged in pleasures but his daughterwas virtuous. She tried to save him from hereticalbeliefs. At last the Buddha converted him (MahanaradaKassapa Jataka, Vol. VI). Four kings includingSakka disputed as to who was the mostvirtuous. For the solution they came to a wiseman who decided that they were all equal. The wife of the Naga king desired the heart of that wiseman. The Naga king sent a yakkha to kill thewise man who won over the yakkha to his side(Vidhurapandita Jataka, Vol. VI).The gists of some of the Jatakas given abovemay lead one to believe that the Jatakas arebut amusing tales, having no serious lessons toimpart. But the fact is otherwise. A carefulperusal of the Jataka stories will not fail to convincea thoughtful reader that these stories have variouspurposes to serve.We read in the Saddharmapundarika, V (S.B.E.,xxi, 1884, 120), that the Buddhaknowing the differences in facultiesand energy of his numerous hearers,preaches in many different ways, tells many tales,amusing, agreeable, both instructive and pleasant,tales by means of which all beings not only becomepleased with the law in this present life, but alsoafter death will reach happy states ; and in thesame book it is stated (ii. 44, S.B.E., xxi. 44 f.)that the Buddha teaches both by sutras andstanzas and by legends and Jatakas. It is,indeed, likely enough that Gautama Buddha himselfmade use of popular tales in preaching to the people.It is certain that the Buddhist monks and preachersdid so. In his numerous existences before he cameto be born as Sakyamuni who was to be the Buddha,the Bodhisattva had been born according to hiskarma, sometimes as a god, sometimes as a king,or a merchant, or a nobleman, or an outcaste, oran elephant, or some other man or animal. It wasthus only necessary to identify the hero or anyother character of a story with the Bodhisattva inorder to turn any tale, however secular or evenfrivolous, into a Jataka. Some of the stories whichwere afterwards turned into Jatakas are told in thesuttas as simple tales, without any reference to theBodhisattva (cf. Cullavagga, vi. 3, with the TittiraJataka, No. 37 ; or Mahavagga, x. 2, 3, with theDlghiti Kosala Jataka, No. 37 1). On the other hand there are some real Jatakas included in the suttase.g., the Kutadanta Sutta and Mahasudassana Suttain the Digha Nikaya. That the Jatakas form anessential part of the Buddhist Canon is shown bythe fact that they ar... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]