A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s7.23

v2.c19.s7.23

Similarly, the parallel to St. Peter's walking on the sea, is not found until the time of the later Buddhist literature; we have it in the Jātaka commentary. Just as in Matth. XIV, 28 ff. St. Peter walks on the sea, and begins to sink as soon as his faith wavers, similarly, in the "Story of the present" of Jātaka No. 190, a believing layman walks across the river as long as he thinks joyfully of Buddha, and begins to sink as soon as this joyful mindfulness of Buddha diminishes at the sight of the waves. In this instance the details coincide so strikingly, that it is highly improbable that the two legends originated independently of each other. As the Indian legend is not an isolated one, whilst as far as the New Testament is concerned, it occurs only in St. Matthew, it is very likely that the Christian legend was derived from an Indian source. We must assume, it is true, that the narrative which has come down to us in the Jātaka commentary, is based upon a much earlier tradition.¹