Dear Yong Peng, Cheango and all,
people may have doubts about the stories of the Jatakas. I think it is
helpful to know the difference between the teaching of ultimate truth,
paramattha desanaa and the teaching of conventional truth, vohaara desanaa.
The Buddha used these two kinds of teaching. If we remember this we can
profit from the lessons in the Jatakas, they are, as Yong Peng says, like a
mirror for us personally. We can then understand the essence of the story
taught by way of ultimate truth.
Ultimate truth: kamma, and its result, vipaaka, the Dependant Origination,
kusala, akusala. All those qualities of the Bodhisatta which are valuable at
all times, for all people, such as his unlimited mettaa, his patience, his
determination to attain Buddhahood.
As to the teaching of conventional truth: those are the stories, the
circumstances, the people, the animals.
I am not sure whether experts always understand the difference between these
two kinds of teaching and hence reject important parts of the teachings, or
make issues out of what is not an issue.
In olden times people had already doubt about the Vessantara Jataka. We find
this discussed in the Questions of King Milinda: Dilemmas VIII, 1: Do all
Bodhisattas give away their wife and children? It is explained that he knew
that his grandfather could not keep his children as slaves. We also read
that Sakka wanted to test the Bodhisatta. We have to understand all this in
the right way, not as a dogma you have to believe. It depends on the
individual to believe it or not believe it. What is the essence: his
unlimited compassion to become the sammasambuddha and help all beings to
find the way out of the cycle. It is not said in this Jataka that we have to
do likewise.
Was the Buddha also a wise animal in some lives? This is not an issue. You
may believe it or not. I am inclined to think, why not, we also were animals
in past lives, since we have had countless lives. Animals which talk, why
not? But I like to believe this, since I have a lot of affinity with
animals. That is personal. These are not real issues, they are not dogmas.
Nina.
op 05-05-2003 02:17 schreef Ong Yong Peng op ypong001@...:

>
> In another mail, you mention "prescriptive, descriptive", allow me to
> suggest 'reflective'. That is to say to treat the story as a mirror
> reflecting our own personality.