Jātaka tales

The Jātaka tales are stories that depict the former lives of the Buddha as animals, as deva, as humans. The bodhisattva was cultivating generosity, virtue, wisdom, patience and compassion. The Jātaka tales having educational qualities were also transmitted through visual art forms such as devotional art images and sculptural reliefs on ancient Buddhist architectures. The Jātaka tales also reflect a knowledge of a wide geographical area that includes plants, rivers, forests, trees and the human animal interactions within it. It had also been one of the sources of studies about the natural environment in ancient northern India. 

I have selected a few Jātaka tales[1] where the animals and their families (taxonomy) are depicted in the art works of artists Lucy Mcloughlin, clamaresix and Angelica Atzin Garcia. These artists use techniques such as digital art and mixed media to illustrate animals in a particular type of environment that we can think of, either through the animals’ facial expressions or an imaginative environment evoked through their sharp eye expressions, so that we are connected to the animals in an emotive manner.

In Lucy’s artwork, the sea and the galaxy merge into an environment that envelopes the tortoise. The image looks still as illustrated by the frozen waves which seem to end as clouds. There is no day or night in the galaxy and time seems to stand still. There are subtle circles and planets resembling the image of the solar system. The tortoise seems to be looking towards the sun’s direction.

In clamaresix and Angelica’s artworks, we can see the animal focus and centred in a state of being with subtle clues of the environment such as the orangutan sitting on the fallen leaves and the kitten in a comfortable peaceful sleeping posture. Their features look serene and the orangutan shows signs of age. Clamaresix is an illustrator and tattoo artist from Singapore. His digital drawing is in monotone. We can see from the image, clear defined lines in different weights, shadings in black and grey. It is very pleasing to the eyes that the cat’s emotional state of peacefulness is expressed from the use of white background.

As we all exist connected in the world together, the Jātaka tales continue to serve its purpose in the relationship of humans, animals and environment. Today the Jātaka tales are widely available as digital media, inspiring many to create illustrations, podcasts and story-telling. 

[1] The following are the selected Jātaka tales for your reading.

·    Guṇa-Jātaka

·      Three good friends, Kurunga-Miga Jātaka

·      The great Monkey King, Mahākapi Jātaka

Consulting References
1. Jataka Tales of the Buddha, An anthology, Retold by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki
2 .Nature and the Environment in Early Buddhism, S.Dhammika
3. Similies of the Buddha, an introduction, Hellmuth Hecker