Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t8.5

v2.c10.s3.t8.5

In his '*Account of Buddhism Sent from the South Seas*', Yijing said, "these tales from the '*Jatakamala*' were of rich literary merits and instructive. '*Jatakamala*' can be translated into over ten volumes. It consists of Jataka stories and tends to preach obedience, love and benign governance. At that time, Siladitya was fond of good writings, and decreed, 'Bring them to me tomorrow morning if you have good poems of praise'. The following day, he received 500 with most of them from '*Jatakamala*', which was considered to be the best. On islands in the south sea, there are more than a dozen of states, where people, monks or laymen, all cite from this book. Like the previous book, it is not yet translated". Therefore, when Buddhism was at its height, '*Jatakamala*' was popular in India and the kingdoms in the South Seas, and had even become the name for a category of books. In Ajanta Caves, Aryasura's words are inscribed on some carvings of Jataka stories. In Java of Indonesia, the grand Buddhist building Borobudur has the reproduction of 34 stories of '*Jatakamala*' through relief sculpture.