Illustrated Manuscript Covers - King Dhammasonda Jataka

SRI LANKA

These 19th century images painted on manuscript covers depict the Buddha in his previous life as King Dhammasonda. According to the Pali version of the King Dhammasonda Jataka, the Buddha was born as Dhammasonda, King of Benares, after the parinirvana of Kasyapa Buddha. The king was eager to learn the Dharma, but after the Kasyapa Buddha’s passing, there were no suitable teachers. Although he made many offerings to Buddhist practitioners and sent sacks of money on the backs of elephants throughout the kingdom to be exchanged for Dharma instructions. In despair, the king became a forest ascetic. To test Dhammasonda’s sincerity, Sakra disguised himself as a demon and offered to teach the king in exchange for his life. Dhammasonda agreed, and jumped from a cliff as the demon recited a verse. Sakra then appeared in his true form and took the king to the heavenly realm where he taught him the Dharma.
The story is divided into two rows of images. The upper row depicts, from left to right, the king walking in the forest, meditating under a tree, encountering the demon, removing his royal clothes, and climbing a cliff to jump into the demon’s mouth, Sakra showing his true form and carrying the king to the heavenly realm. In the lower row, the king is shown making offerings to practitioners, attempting to exchange his wealth for wisdom.