Wat Chong Nonsi Ordination Hall: Muga Pakkha Jataka

THAILAND, Bangkok; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This mural illustrates the Muga Pakkha Jataka, Pali Jataka No. 538. In one of his previous lives, the Buddha was a prince named Temiya in Varanasi. After witnessing his father sentence criminals to cruel punishments, he remembered one of his previous lives as a king in which he also caused criminals to suffer and was subsequently reborn in the hell realms because of his actions. To avoid a similar fate, Temiya decided to pretend to be deaf and blind to avoid his succession to throne. He sat motionless despite all efforts to frighten or arouse him. The king eventually ordered a charioteer to take Temiya out of the city and kill him. Facing death, Temiya finally spoke, persuaded the charioteer of his noble reasons for deception, and eventually persuaded his father to stop causing suffering to others.
The mural shows an executioner attempting to frighten the prince. Standing on the right, the stout executioner holds a sword behind his back with his left hand. Appearing to snarl in anger, he points at the prince with his right hand. The thin prince sits in full lotus position on the throne, most likely forming the dhyana (meditation) mudra and gazing downwards peacefully. Golden ornaments adorn his head, neck, and chest. The contrast between the motionless prince and the large, intimidating executioner highlights the prince’s calm determination.