Behavioral Psychology of Elephants as Studied through the Pali Jataka Atthakatha

dc.contributor.authorShiktode, M.
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-26T08:15:56Z
dc.date.available2016-08-26T08:15:56Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractThe Pali Jataka Atthakathas as told by the Buddha is a rich source of moral stories of past births. The Bodhisatta is seen fulfilling his paramitas before attaining Buddhahood. It also provides a great source to understand the behavioral psychology of various animals. Buddha had observed many qualities in elephants like intelligence (pañña), leadership, gratefulness (kataññu), understanding, capacity to observe minutely, follow advice, tremendous learning capacity (Susikkhito), logical thinking, patience, bravery (sūro), powerful (balavā), vigilance, protective of his herd and dependents, responsibility towards aging parents, caring, respect towards mother-child relationship, kindness, helping nature, compassion and making tools. In the Jatakas, it is seen that the elephants possessed many human qualities, when the Bodhisatta is born as an elephant, he goes beyond those humanly qualities, as he sacrifices his own life for the safety of his community/herd, being a leader. This paper attempts to understand, with the help of various Pali Jataka Atthakaths, the qualities of elephants that Buddha had observed 2500 years ago. Some of these qualities are now studied through experiments by scientists like Diana Reiss, Preston Foerder, Louis Irwin, Cynthia Moss, Joshua Plotnik, Frans de Waal, Edward Topsell and Joyce Poole.en_US
dc.identifier.citationShiktode, M. 2016. Behavioral Psychology of Elephants as Studied through the Pali Jataka Atthakatha. In: International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature, 20th – 21st August 2016, Anura Manatunga, K.A.T. Chamara, Thilina Wickramaarachchi and Harini Navoda de Zoysa (Eds.), (Abstract) p 155, Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. 180 pp.en_US
dc.identifier.isbn978-955-4563-85-8
dc.identifier.urihttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/14162
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherCentre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lankaen_US
dc.subjectBehavioral psychologyen_US
dc.subjectPali Jataka Atthakathaen_US
dc.subjectqualities of elephantsen_US
dc.titleBehavioral Psychology of Elephants as Studied through the Pali Jataka Atthakathaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
155.pdf
Size:
414.28 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: