Thich Nhat Hanh Achieved at An Quang the Aims of Ajanta Jataka Tales

Summary: An Quang Buddhist Institute of founder Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam addresses the same Buddhist law that activated Ajanta jataka tales from ancient India.

Today's An Quang Pagoda complex occupies the space of the original bamboo and thatch An Quang Buddhist Institute, founded in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1948 at 243 Van Hanh by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh: Minh Minh Duc ở Chùa Ấn Quang -- 243 Sư Vạn Hạnh P9 Q10 Tphcm, via Facebook 14 tháng 11, 2017 [14 November 2017]

The An Quang Buddhist Institute of founder Thich Nhat Hanh in central Vietnam acquaints Buddhist monks and nuns with the same Buddhist law that appears in Ajanta jataka tales in central-west India.

An Quang Buddhist Institute of founder Thich Nhat Hanh boasts both the School of Buddhist Studies and the seat of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Thich Nhat Hanh and Venerable Tri Huu, Dharma (from Sanskrit धर्म, "upholder") teacher from southeastern Vietnam, constructed the first Ung Quang Temple from bamboo and thatch. The present An Quang Pagoda, headquarters of the School of Buddhist Studies and seat of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, developed from Ung Quang Temple.

An Quang Buddhist Institute evolved from a one-building establishment in 1948 into a Buddhist library, pagoda, publishing house and university in present-day Ho Chi Minh City.

The Ajanta (from Sanskrit अजित, "invincible") Caves in central-west Maharashtra state, functioned as two prayer-hall and four monastery caves between the third and first centuries BCE.

Theravada (from Sanskrit स्थविरवाद, "elders' doctrine") and Mahayana (from Sanskrit महायान, "greater vehicle") Buddhist tradition respectively generated first- and second-phase Ajanta cave wall paintings and sculptures. Theravada and fifth- through eighth-century, 1,300- to 1,600-year-old Mahayana Buddhist Ajanta Caves harbor painted, sculpted Gautama Buddha (from Sanskrit गोतम, "brightness [dispels] darkness" and बुद्ध, "awakened"). Theravada Buddhist cave wall paintings and sculptures indicate Siddhartha (from Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ, "successful") Gautama (624?-544 BCE?) self-enlightening into the seventh Manushi (from Sanskrit मनुषी, "humane") Buddha.

Mahayana Ajanta jataka (from Sanskrit जातक, "born under") tales join Gautama Buddha as Siddhartha Gautama and mass-enlightening as 549 bodhisattva (from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व, "enlightened existence") reincarnations.

An Quang Buddhist Institute of founder Thich Nhat Hanh keeps Sangha (from Sanskrit संघ, "multitude") monastic communities knowledgeable about Four Noble Truths: depression; desire; detachment; mindfulness.

Enlightened 35-year-old Siddhartha Gautama listed as Fourth Noble Truth the Noble Eightfold Path of detached, non-aggrandizing, non-belittling understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. Master Van Hanh Street, An Quang Buddhist Institute's physical address, memorializes the Co Phap Pagoda headmaster who mentored Ly Thai To (974-1028), first Ly Dynasty emperor. Thich Nhat Hanh ("Of the Sakya clan [of Gautama Buddha] One Action"), named after Van Hanh ("10,000 actions [during an 80-year lifespan, 928-1018]"), notes present-moment mindfulness.

Ajanta jataka tales organize one paramita (from Sanskrit पारमिता, "perfection") each for each of 10 bhumi (from Sanskrit भूमि, "earth") stages that the bodhisattva mindfully observes.

Ajanta jataka tales proceed from 34 bodhisattva presentations of Gautama Buddha preserved perhaps 2,000 years ago in Jatakamala ("The Garland of Birth Stories") by Arya Shura.

Generous, disciplined, patient, diligent, undistracted, wise, skillful, strong, prayerful, primordial perfection queue up in respective joyful, immaculate, luminous, radiant, unconquerable, clear, unsurpassable, immovable, omniscient, lawful stages. Generous joy rallies Ajanta jataka tales about Prince Mahasattva, King Sibi and stingy Sushil respectively rescuing starving tigers, refugee sparrows and, with sweet rice dumplings, townspeople. The Shura Jatakamala sought to serve each mass-enlightening, mindful, self-enlightening paired perfection and stage with 10 each of 100 of 550 bodhisattva reincarnations of Gautama Buddha.

Seven-country, 130-year treks took mindful Ajanta jataka tales from Ajanta Caves, forgotten until April 28, 1819, to An Quang Buddhist Institute of founder Thich Nhat Hanh.

Depiction of Sibi Jataka (right) in Ajanta Cave 1 includes scales for weighing King Sibi's flesh, which he offered to a falcon in exchange for sparing a sparrow seeking the King's protection; Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, west-central India; March 8, 2017, 01:03: Photo Dharma from Sadao, Thailand (Anandajoti Bhikkhu), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Today's An Quang Pagoda complex occupies the space of the original bamboo and thatch An Quang Buddhist Institute, founded in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1948 at 243 Van Hanh by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh: Minh Minh Duc ở Chùa Ấn Quang -- 243 Sư Vạn Hạnh P9 Q10 Tphcm, via Facebook 14 tháng 11, 2017 [14 November 2017], @ https://vi-vn.facebook.com/groups/117260992209289/permalink/162124974389557/

Depiction of Sibi Jataka (right) in Ajanta Cave 1 includes scales for weighing King Sibi's flesh, which he offered to a falcon in exchange for sparing a sparrow seeking the King's protection; Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, west-central India; Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 01:03: Photo Dharma from Sadao, Thailand (Anandajoti Bhikkhu), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:021_Cave_1,_Painting_(33896251350).jpg; Anandajoti Bhikkhu (anandajoti), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/anandajoti/33896251350/

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