Of beggars and Buddhas: the politics of humor in the Vessantara Jataka in Thailand
The 547 Buddhist jatakas, or verse parables, recount the Buddha's lives in previous incarnations. In his penultimate and most famous incarnation, he appears as the Prince Vessantara, perfecting the virtue of generosity by giving away all his possessions, his wife, and his children to the beggar...
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| 格式: | Print 图书 |
| 语言: | English |
| Subito Delivery Service: | Order now. |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| 出版: |
Madison, Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin Press
[2017]
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| In: | Year: 2017 |
| 丛编: | New perspectives in Southeast Asian studies
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Thailand
/ Buddhistische Literatur
/ Tipiṭaka. Suttapiṭaka. Khuddakanikāya. Jātaka. Vessantarajātaka
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| IxTheo Classification: | BL Buddhism |
| Further subjects: | B
Buddhism and politics (Thailand)
History
B Buddhism and politics History Thailand B Buddhist giving B Jataka stories, Thai 幽默 B Tipiṭaka B Buddhism and state History Thailand B Buddhist stories, Thai 幽默 B Buddhism and state (Thailand) History B Tipiṭaka. Suttapiṭaka. Khuddakanikāya. Jātaka. Vessantarajātaka B Jataka stories, Thai Political aspects B Buddhist stories, Thai Political aspects |
| 总结: | The 547 Buddhist jatakas, or verse parables, recount the Buddha's lives in previous incarnations. In his penultimate and most famous incarnation, he appears as the Prince Vessantara, perfecting the virtue of generosity by giving away all his possessions, his wife, and his children to the beggar Jujaka. Taking an anthropological approach to this two-thousand-year-old morality tale, Katherine A. Bowie highlights significant local variations in its interpretations and public performances across three regions of Thailand over 150 years. The Vessantara Jataka has served both monastic and royal interests, encouraging parents to give their sons to religious orders and intimating that kings are future Buddhas. But, as Bowie shows, characterizations of the beggar Jujaka in various regions and eras have also brought ribald humor and sly antiroyalist themes to the story. Historically, these subversive performances appealed to popular audiences even as they worried the conservative Bangkok court. The monarchy sporadically sought to suppress the comedic recitations. As Thailand has changed from a feudal to a capitalist society, this famous story about giving away possessions is paradoxically being employed to promote tourism and wealth |
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| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| 实物描述: | xvi, 357 Seiten, Illustrationen, 24 cm |
| ISBN: | 0299309509 |