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- Title
The Buddhist salvation of Ajātaśatru and the Jaina non-salvation of Kūṇika.
- Authors
Wu, Juan
- Abstract
This article examines Buddhist and Jaina attitudes towards the salvation of the Magadhan king Ajātaśatru (alias Kūṇika), a narrative character found in both Buddhist and Jaina traditions. A number of Buddhist texts prophesy that Ajātaśatru, despite his next birth in hell, will attain liberation in his final birth. Jaina sources also speak of Kūṇika's descent into hell, but give no prophecy of his ultimate liberation. While the Buddhists offered various solutions to Ajātaśatru's sinful condition, the Jainas proposed no remedy to mitigate the consequences of Kūṇika's sins. The Buddhist prophecies of Ajātaśatru's eventual liberation indicate that some Buddhists in ancient India were particularly concerned with the salvation of an archetypal villain such as Ajātaśatru. The Jaina silence on Kūṇika's destiny suggests that the Jainas in general had little interest in bringing this violent figure to liberation, and deemed him incapable of overcoming his "false view of reality" (mithyātva) due to his strong passions.
- Subjects
MAGADHA (Kingdom); SALVATION in Buddhism; AJATASATRU, King of the Magadha, fl. ca. 494 B.C.-ca. 459 B.C.; KINGS &; rulers; PARRICIDE
- Publication
Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies, 2019, Vol 82, Issue 1, p85
- ISSN
0041-977X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/S0041977X19000272