JATAKAS

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JATAKAS

• Buddhist Rebirth Narratives of Siddhartha in
  former lives

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Stories from the previous life memories of
Siddh?rtha

• Standard structure
• Frame narrative in the present of the Buddhas
  life
• 2. Story from a previous lifetime
• 3. Identification of the story characters with
  individuals in current life

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TYPES OF JATAKAS

• Future buddha (bodhisattva) as animal, human,
  spirit
• Characters most often drawn from famous monks and
  people encountered
• Tales highlight the trans-life nature of karma
  cause and effect
• Examples.

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Animal Stories
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Rabbit Jataka
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Loquacious Turtle
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Golden Deer
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Elephant Kings Wife Jataka
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Great Ape Jataka
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Dead Ox Jataka
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II. The Buddhist Narrative Tradition in the
Kathmandu Valley

• Some stories have been connected with regional
  geography and local ritual traditions (Ma?icuda
  Jataka Mahasattva Raj Kumar Jataka) one has
  been connected to trans-regional trade between
  Kathmandu and Tibet (Si?halasarthabahu Avadana)
  another has been connected with Buddhist widow
  mourning rites at a major stupa (Sr?gabheri
  Avadana) and another, the most popular jataka
  narrative in the Buddhist world, the Vishvantara
  Jataka, though often depicted in local public
  art, has not been linked at all to the regions
  religious landscape.

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Ma?icuda Jataka
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Manichuda pilgrimage on Shivapuri Mountain
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Mahasattva Raj Kumar Jataka
Ends in popular devotional offerings at stupas.
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localized in the regional religious geography
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finding expression and re-expression in
vernacular artistic renderings with translations,
as well as publication in comic book form.
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Si?halasarthabahu Avadana
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Part II
Part III
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Domestication of Story Caitya veneration, local
festival, and
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being read in terms of Newar-Tibetan trade,
especially the problem of marriage ties between
Newar merchants and Tibetan women.
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Vessantara/Vishvantara Jataka
The bodhisattvas LAST LIFE before birth as
Siddhartha... But not very prominent in the
Kathmandu Valley
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Vessantara/Vishvantara Jataka
The bodhisattvas LAST LIFE before birth as
Siddhartha
Gift of State Elephant
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Vessantara condemned to exile, stages donation
festival before departure
Citizens protest Vessantaras excessive giving?
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(No Transcript)
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Vessantaras Gift of Children. and Wife
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Kingdom restored by popular acclaim giving of
family revealed to be just a test by the god Indra
Vessantara becomes great king. THE END
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S??gabheri Avadana
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Husbands death, wifes sati
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Part 2 Next Lifetimes
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Karmic fruition and bodhisattva-revealed
reconciliation
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Ritual restoration of couple and caitya worship
tradition.
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Domestication of the Avadana in vernacular
distillations in art
connected with Buddhist widow mourning rites at
a major stupa (Svayambhu)
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and published in local publications, like many
for earning merit at the death of an elder in the
family.
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Consider the family votive stupa in the Jana Baha
courtyard, where the main Avalokiteshvara temple
of Kathmandu is located
Vishvantara Manicuda Mahasattva Raj Kumar
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Pagan, Burma
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Public Display was always the means of
enculturation long hanging scrolls displayed
during festivals or, more recently, festivals in
which families display their sacred images,
including modern lithographs
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Conclusion

• The lure of ethnic identification with Shakyamuni
  and his earlier incarnations was a potent force
  in Buddhist history.
• These Stories reached the masses, a
  specialization among monks and artists