Reading Notes: Jakata Anthology
Reading Notes: Jakata Anthology
Jakata Anthology - as told by Buddha
The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
This story is definitely interesting, especially as a predecessor to the "the sky is falling" vein of stories. Herd mentality is certainly a dangerous rabbit-hole (pun intended) to fall down. Do we always take things for face value? What is the credibility of the person presenting us with information?
The Turtle and the King
A good story centered around a turtle outsmarting people attempting to kill him. Which, why are the people so riled up and ready to kill a poor and defenseless turtle (I mean, they mistook it for a demon but how hard would it really be to tell the difference)? All he was doing was sitting at the edge of the lake and people were ready to pound it to powder or bake it in hot coals. How sad.
The Turtle and the Geese
An interesting contrast to the previous story. All the turtle had to do was remain quiet, but instead he just had to run his mouth and it was literally the death of him. This is sad in a completely different context.
The Cunning Crane and the Crab
Oh my goodness this was enjoyable to read. The crab truly outsmarted the crane using his own trick. Ha! Though I think that it is worth noting that the crane at least had the common sense to take the elder fish to the lake and bring him back alive as a testament. What an elaborate ruse to keep his belly full for quite a while. Though foolish of him to let a crab's claws around his neck indeed.
The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart
How convincing the monkey must have been to deceive the crocodile into thinking that the coveted monkey's heart was actually in the fig-tree. That said, I do find it funny that the Bodhisattva used to such trickery to survive. I suppose as long as it's for self-defense purposes.
The Crocodile in the River
Very similar as the previous story. This conflict between the Bodhisattva and Devadatta, as they continue to face-off in intellectual sparring matches. Admittedly, Devadatta is 0-2 at this point, so perhaps the crocodile incarnation isn't working too smoothly for him.
The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses
Devadatta is now 0-3 in this storybook, for those keeping score at home. However, both in the previous tale and in this one, the Bodhisattva is ascribed to having a certain amount of qualities. It is the combination of these qualities that apparently marks this monkey as an incarnation of a Bodhisattva.
The Self-Willed Deer
I suppose that this story is meant to impart a sense of accountability and self-motivation. You have to push yourself to attend the teachings, metaphorically speaking.
Noisy out of Season
This one is a bit harder to digest and the moral isn't as fuzzy feel-good as others. Without proper instruction and/or guidance, "bad bringing [can bring you to an end]".
Goblin City
A counterpoint to the Foolish, Timid Rabbit story. Sometimes, when people are alerting you to danger, you have to trust their instincts and their credibility. I'm sure that all of those who believed the captain were relieved to escape the island and I'm sure that all of those who didn't made a tasty meal for the rakshasis.
Comments
Post a Comment