Item: Shakyamuni Buddha - Jataka (previous lives)

Previous Life Stories of the Buddha (Tibetan: kye rab. Sanskrit: Jataka): A painting from a large set of approximately twenty-one paintings depicting one-hundred and eight stories, created in a Central Tibetan Menri School painting style. (See other paintings from the same Jataka set).

In Himalayan and Tibetan culture the Jatakas are commonly depicted in art and follow a famous Indian text called the Jatakamala narrating thirty-four morality tales often using animals as the central subject. This set of paintings depicts the original thirty-four stories along with an additional seventy-four making one hundred and eight stories in all, compiled by the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje. See blockprint images of all one hundred and eight Jataka stories.

At the lower right is story number #42.

At the lower left is story number #43: The Brahmin and the Rabbit.

At the bottom center is story number #44(?).

At the top center is story number #45.

Jeff Watt 11-2007