Maung Yon Gu Temple: Life of the Buddha - Monkey Offering Honey

MYANMAR, Mandalay, Bagan

This mural is found on the right corner of the north wall in the temple. Dating from the Bagan Empire (circa 849–1287), it illustrates the story of the Monkey Offering Honey found in the “Chapter on Abbhutadhamma” from the Madhyama Agama. In the Vaishali forest, a monkey grabbed the Buddha’s alms bowl and climbed up a sala tree to fetch an offering of honey. When the Buddha accepted the offering, the money danced in elation. Unfortunately, in his excitement he fell down a well and drowned. However, due to the merit of his offering, the monkey was reborn in the Trayastrimsa Heaven.
The Buddha sits beneath a sala tree. He holds an alms bowl and rests his feet on a lotus. The monkey is shown in several different poses. From the top, the monkey uses a stick to retrieve honey from the tree; offers the honey, and tumbles down the well. The outline of an apsara can be seen in the upper right corner. The elephant king, a common character in paintings of Bagan, is located in the lower left corner.