The Vessantara Jātaka tells the story of a bodhisattva's final incarnation before being born as Siddhartha Gautama. The Buddha-to-be, Prince Vessantara, gives away everything he owns, dramatically displaying the virtue of perfect generosity. In Thailand, the story has regularly been recited in thirteen chapters. In the fifth, Jujaka is introduced; he is a Brahmin mendicant, who, hearing of Vessantara's generosity, is persuaded to ask for the prince's children. Jujaka succeeds in taking them and plays a major role in the following three chapters. Finally, in chapter 11 he returns the children unharmed, pocketing a large reward. He does not enjoy his wealth for long, dying when his stomach explodes from overeating.
In Of Beggars and Buddhas, by taking note of changes over time as well as regional variations, Katherine Bowie focuses on the role that Jujaka plays in the Vessantara recitation in Thailand. She leads us on a complex journey of discovery, not only delving into the extensive literature on the subject but also adding many relevant excerpts from her fieldwork notes and interviews collected over many years.
First, Bowie focuses on Thailand's central region, noting the overwhelming influence of the court. We learn of performances in royal monasteries, where recitations may last several days. She notes the prestige attached to sponsoring a particular chapter. In this region, Jujaka is portrayed as a disgusting, evil character. In central Thailand, Bowie notes, the recitation of the full text is on the decline.
In contrast, in the northeastern region the ceremony, albeit in abbreviated form, is still of the utmost importance. Bowie lets us take part of the excitement of the processions and introduces surrounding ceremonies. Here the Vessantara recitation has enormous emotional appeal. The audience suffers when Vessantara's wife laments that her children have been given away and rejoices when the family is eventually reunited. In this region, Jujaka is primarily a comical character. Famous monks specialize in extemporizing and drawing out Jujaka's role. Also in the northern region, the Vessantara tradition is still alive, and here Jujaka plays a more diverse role. Bowie notes the belief that those who attend the full recitation are assured of a rebirth in the time of Maitreya (the future Buddha), a belief that for centuries has been the pious wish of Thai Buddhists.
Then Jujaka is viewed in the broader Thai context. First, he is compared with trickster figures such as Sri Thanonchai and Siang Miang. Bowie surmises that the trickster motif might once have been widespread and that this caused the court in central Thailand to depict Jujaka as a simple evil-doer. She also assumes that the Jātaka as a whole may have served as covert criticism of the inequalities inherent in Thai society.
Bowie goes into detail about how Bangkok took control of the sangha and how attempts were made to export an expurgated Buddhism to the outer regions. She is of the opinion that the dramatic decline of the recitation of the Vessantara Jātaka in the north was caused in large part by a conflict in the late 1930s when hundreds of northern monks were forcefully disrobed and the northern sangha was left in a demoralized state.
In the final chapter, Jujaka is shown to have obtained a place in the vibrant scene of luck-bringing objects. Amulets with his image have been around for a long time, but Jujaka statues and Jujaka worship are on the increase.
Researchers who publish in English about Thai culture have to make a decision about how to transliterate Thai words. They have the choice of being guided by the pronunciation or by the way Thai is written. Most anthropologists choose the pronunciation option and follow the system devised by the Thai Royal Academy. Bowie's transliteration, as she states in her note on transliteration, is based on the Mary Haas system. This system, first published in 1957, has also been used by other anthropologists. It has the advantage of making a distinction between long and short vowels as well as indicating tones. The influence of the Haas system in this book is shown by an occasional duplication of a vowel, but unfortunately it is not rigorously applied.
Some minor points: the Cetan in the introductory note (p. xvi) is the name of a kingdom, not the name of the hunter, and “makhyathet” (p. 140) should not be translated as “papaya”; it is a tomato.
On the whole, Of Beggars and Buddhas is a well-written, impressive achievement, a welcome addition to the vast literature on the Vessantara Jātaka. It leads the reader into the heart of important ceremonies in Thailand through participant observation and a multitude of interviews.
