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Buddhism and the life of the Buddha
Elephant and monkey. Detail of a sculptural depiction of the Buddha in the Palileyyaka Forest Bangkok One mid-5th-century literary source, however, mentions the
Buddha being worshipped not only by a monkey, but also by an elephant
at the same time - a story from jataka 428 having been added to
it. This is the tale of the elephant that cared for the Buddha when he
left the community for a time because of a quarrel with the monks. In
the fine arts, the simultaneous adoration of the Buddha by the elephant
and the monkey appears only in the art of Pagan from where this treatment
of the theme came to Siam. The Buddha is shown in the pralambapadasana
pose. His appearance is characteristic of mid-19th-century art. In front
of him are the kneeling elephant and monkey. The elephant is holding a
vessel of water in its trunk, the monkey holds a branch bearing wild honeycombs.
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Copyright © 2006 State Hermitage Museum |
