Bodhisattva as Kings His Tests and Management

Abstract

           This article aims to study the tests that Bodhisattva encountered in the past-lives he was born to be kings. The materials used in this research were 59 Jataka stories from The 500 Buddha Past Lives (a complete version). Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth theory was used to analyze the data. It was found that in the past lives the Bodhisattva was born to be kings, he was tested both physically and mentally. For the physical tests, the category that was found the most number of times was betrayals by his vassals and his family members. As the punishment for the betrayals, the Bodhisattva would take the relationship between him and that person into consideration more than the wrong deed itself. For the mental tests, the category that was found the most number of times was about asset, especially the wealth that came with the throne. In most cases the Bodhisattva would renounce the throne in order to live as a hermit. When the Bodhisattva had decided to become a hermit, he would never allow duties of king or social rules to stand in his way.