Reflections on culture and traditions from the Jātakas in the Mahāvastu Avadāna

Abstract

The Mahāvastu Avadāna is a Buddhist Sanskrit scripture. It describes itself as being the Buddhist monastic codes (Vinaya Piṭaka) of the Lokottaravādin of the Mahāsaṅghika school. The content mentions the history of the Buddha, emphasizing the miracles clearly, added with 54 Jātaka stories, both similar to those in Pali Commentary and different ones. The period of composing of the scripture is believed to have started in the 3rd century BE and was amended several times until the 9th century BE. From the researcher’s study, it was found that the scripture contains many Jātaka stories that visually describe the way of life of people in society. The article therefore aims to present reflections on various ritual traditions such as fire worship ceremonies, sacrifice ceremonies, naming ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and celebrations of important festivals, including the culture of eating, drinking and adorning the body that appears in the Jātaka, which will make one appreciate the works of Avadāna literature as a source of information reflecting the life of ancient Indian society all around.