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Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part A

I tend to enjoy the tales that are more dialogue heavy. A lot of the authors rewriting these ancient stories are really able to convey the attitudes of the characters through dialogue. These tales have the main purpose of conveying a lesson, and the attitudes of the key players especially are crucial for the reader to understand the intended lesson. For example, in The Hare that Ran Away, one of the lessons learned from the story is the danger of unchecked rumors, and the panic they can cause. In the end of the tale, the Lion leads the Hare to the original source of her fear, and it is crucial that she is the one at the end of the story telling all of the other animals she raised a false alarm.

I also read an alternate version of The Monkey and the Crocodile, in which the Monkey outwitted the Crocodile trying to get to his heart by saying Monkeys kept their hearts on trees to keep them from being harmed while swinging between trees. In the version I first heard, the Crocodile had tried to pretend it was a rock the monkey normally used to get across the river, and there was much less interaction between the two characters. This version, the Monkey agreed to ride across the river on the Crocodile's back, so there was more interaction and an actual betrayal of trust rather than poorly attempted trickery. Because I enjoy the interactions of these tales so much, I enjoyed this version much more. I also appreciate the poem included at the end of this tale - it does a good job of tying up the story and creating something more memorable for the readers.
This is a depiction of the Monkey and the Crocodile, right when the Monkey realizes the devious intent of the Croc. I chose this piece because it is not in the normal style of the Jataka/Indian art surrounding their mythical characters, and the artist has information about the process he used to get to this final form of the piece on his website, here. 
In The Spirit that Lived in a Tree, there was not a lot of dialogue, but what was there did convey the character of the Tree Spirit. This was the first of this week's stories whose main character was not an animal, but it serves to show the respect that ancient and modern Indian tradition pays to all living things, including both flora and fauna. Also unique was the story of The Hare that Was Not Afraid to Die. In most Western folklore, the hare is not seen as a favorable character. In The Tortoise and the Hare, his pride and laziness beat him. And in countless other tales, his skittishness is his downfall, and he is not seen as an animal to emulate. Even in the Indian tale The Hare that Ran Away, the hare is portrayed with his characteristic foolishness. But in The Hare that Was Not Afraid to Die, the Hare is seen as a virtuous, wise, and courageous animal.

I also like that in these tales, the main character (who is often an incarnation of the most powerful gods), is not shown to be unaffected by things around him. In The Parrot that Fed His Parents, the king of the parrots was shown to be hurt by what he saw as the betrayal of his kin, and he was filled with fear when captured, even though he was an incarnation of a very powerful being. Granted, the incarnations most often do not know in full what they are, but they are often still aware of their increased power. In The Man Who Works to Give Alms, the incarnation was blessed because of his consistency of character, not necessarily his immense strength.

In The King Who Saw the Truth, Sakka (a god) once again makes an appearance, again to test the resolve of an incarnation to follow through with an oath they made. I find it interesting that this character keeps popping up to test the Wisdom Child, or he who would one day be the Buddha.



Bibliography:

  • The Hare that Ran Away: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Hare That Ran Away. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=hare
  • The Hare that was not Afraid to Die: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Hare That Was Not Afraid To Die. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=afraid
  • The King Who Saw the Truth: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The King Who Saw the Truth. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=king&PHPSESSID=1d58ea2ed9d8a41b833a2087b24a5a8a
  • The Man Who Worked to Give Alms: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Man Who Worked To Give Alms. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=alms
  • The Monkey and the Crocodile: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Monkey and the Crocodile. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=crocodile
  • The Parrot that Fed His Parents: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Parrot That Fed His Parents. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=parrot
  • The Spirit that Lived in a Tree: Shedlock, M. L. (n.d.). The Spirit That Lived in a Tree. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=shedlock&book=eastern&story=spirit
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