Original scientific paper
Perfection in Wisdom, Wisdom in Teaching. The Selection of Mahāvastu´s Stories about Previous Births of Gautama Buddha
Višnja Grabovac
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Abstract
Jātakas or stories of Buddha´s previous existences have a distinctive place in the history of Buddhist literature. The article brings forth the selection of Mahāvastu´s jātakas, all of which as its main subject have a previous encounter of Buddha and tempter Māra. The attempt will be made to explain the insistence of authors/ compilators of Mahāvastu on showing that almost every event in Buddha´s life has its parallel in some of his previous existences and to demonstrate how the cultivation of the Perfection of wisdom was understood as an essential requirement for Buddha´s victory over Māra in the night of his Enlightenment. Also, the author will try to show that jātakas illustrate Buddha´s skilfulness in teaching.
Keywords
jātaka; Māra; Mahāvastu; perfection of wisdom
Hrčak ID:
244998
URI
Publication date:
17.10.2020.
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