Buddha's Tales of Wisdom
While a half-blind fox was ensnared by a python in his coils and was fighting to save his life, an ordinary peasant of the forest helped the fox escape from his predator. Although the python let go the fox, he captured the peasant, trying to kill the man. To this the half-blind fox ran in to a village field where a group of men who were ploughing field and ran away with their clothing. The villagers chased after the fox eventually reaching the helpless man clenched by the poisonous python. Finally, they released him from the coils of the python.
The story, depicts an act of generosity and gratefulness, which the man had for the animal and the animal who in spite of having physical challenges returned back the favor.
Gautam Buddha often recited such tales from his antecedent births, to explain concepts like the law of Karma and Rebirth and to emphasize the significance of certain moral values.
India has always had a rich heritage of oral storytelling and folklore across it’s length and breadth. Various religious sects and wise men have made extensive use of stories along their preaching.
Buddha’s Tales— generates a cosmos of wisdom, collectively known as the Jatakas—often recollecting the stories from his previous incarnations in forms of Elephants and Snakes.
The Jatakas tales embody the ethical system of Buddha’s insights into the natural laws that govern all existence. They also lay emphasize on human values contributing to a harmonious life.
Like most other folktales coming from various religious saints from the past, Jataka tales too played and continue to play in some `societies an enormous role in the generosity. With the Buddhist monks teaching the children in the monasteries , Jataka stories eventually took up a prominent place in primary education.
The Wisdom tales of of Buddha not just inspired literature but it has also successfully left it’s traces on paintings, sculptures and architectures in different parts of the world.
King Dutugemunu of Anuradhapura (2nd Century B.C.) had the inside shrine room of the Ruvanveliseya embellished with murals depicting scenes from Jataka stories. Fa Hin, who visited Sri Lanka in the fifth century A.D. recorded that festival times the city of Anuradhapura was festooned with paintings from the Jataka stories.
These stories of Buddha have gone on to inspire countless artisans across India to create beautiful sculptures and paintings honouring Lord Buddha and his teachings. Get in touch with us and work closely with our dedicated team of artisans to co-create your own masterpiece today.