“Buddha Avatar” and the “Dasaratha Jataka”: Buddhism in Hinduism and Hinduism in Buddhism

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the narratives that portray the Buddha as an avatar of Narayana (Vishnu) (also known as the Buddha Avatar) and the narratives that portray Phra Ram as a Bodhisattva. The texts chosen for analysis include Lilit Narai Sip Pang, the Verse of Shiva Pratima, and the Dasaratha Jataka. The analysis, on the one hand, reveals that the narratives that portray the Buddha as an avatar of Narayana (Vishnu) are not widely accepted in the context of Thai Buddhism. Among various versions of Narai Sip Pang, the Buddha Avatar only appears in Lilit Narai Sip Pang and no further details are given. This concept of the Buddha Avatar is also found in the Verse of Shiva Pratima, but it appears only in the form of a counter-narrative to the belief that the Buddha is really an avatar of Narayana (Vishnu). On the other hand, the narratives that portray Phra Ram as a Bodhisattva are more generally accepted in the religious context of Thai society. It is also found that in the Dasaratha Jataka, Phra Ram, one of the Hindu deities, was revised to be recognized as the Buddha in one of his previous lives. The narratives gradually were changed to adapted Phra Ram to conform to Buddhist beliefs.