How Bisvamtara Got His Dharma Body: Story, Ritual, and the Domestic in the Composition of a Newar Jātaka

摘要

The tale of the generous prince who renounces his right to the throne, his children, and, eventually, his wife, and who is finally rewarded for his generosity by receiving back all of the above in a triumphant homecoming, is one of the most popular stories of Buddhism and certainly the most widely known shared tale in Buddhist South and Southeast Asia. Recorded in Pāli, in the South and Southeast Asian vernaculars, and transmitted through texts, performances, and visual representations, the story has become an important part of those societies in the region that support a living Buddhist heritage. The prince is known as Vessantara in Pāli and Sinhala, Vessantar in Khmer, Wethandaya in Burmese, and Wetsandon in Thai versions. The story, which originated in South Asia, is also found in Sanskrit Buddhist literature and it has made its way into Central and East Asian Buddhist literatures as well.