Kumkum Roy
Jawaharlal Nehru University
The Pali Jātakas provide one of the richest sources of gaining access to ‘popular’ perceptions/representations of Theravāda Buddhism. Derived and yet deviating from ‘folk’ traditions, they offer insights into modes of communication regarding themes that were regarded as central within early Buddhism.
My focus will be on two strands that were juxtaposed with Buddhism within these narratives, both at the level of the stories of the present, apparently located in space and time in the world of the historical Buddha, and the stories of the past, whose range is sometimes daunting in terms of spatio-chronological frameworks. First, I will explore the ways in which brāhmaṇas in particular and Brahmanical practices in general were represented. Here, the ways in which caste was constructed, as well as the treatment of the sacrifice, will receive attention. The second strand will deal with what may be regarded as challenges within the tradition, typified most explicitly by the figure of Devadatta, but with other ramifications as well.
I will explore the extent to which identical/different representational strategies are deployed to depict these ‘others’ and try and open up these variations for discussion.
(Presented in the 2012 Chulalongkorn-EFEO International Conference on Buddhist Studies : Imagination, Narrative, and Localization, 6-7 January 2012, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, organized by Faculty of Arts and Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University In conjunction with The Buddhist Studies Group, EFEO)