Buddhist traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Hare in the Moon
In this Buddha-elect story a hare lives with a monkey, jackal and otter and encourages generosity. Unlike his companions he has no suitable stored food to offer a visitor, so resolves to offer his own body. Sakra tests that resolve in a Brahman’s form, but the fire does not burn the hare. He then draws the hare’s outline on the moon with juice squeezed from a mountain.
Also known as Buddhist moon hare
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalIn this Buddha-elect story a hare lives with a monkey, jackal and otter and encourages generosity. Unlike his companions he has no suitable stored food to offer a visitor, so resolves to offer his own body.
Further detail
TraditionalSakra tests that resolve in a Brahman’s form, but the fire does not burn the hare. He then draws the hare’s outline on the moon with juice squeezed from a mountain.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the Hare-Mark on the Moon Jataka retelling. Its self-offering belongs to the symbolic story and is not a practice instruction; other traditions of a lunar hare remain separate.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
The hare used to preach to the othersOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 313
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0313
- Original scan leaf
- 313
- Recorded leaf number
- 313
- Current Reader position
- 304
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
he drew an outline picture of him on the moonOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 314
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0314
- Original scan leaf
- 314
- Recorded leaf number
- 314
- Current Reader position
- 305
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Lucky Tree-God
A tree deity who offers to suffer in pieces so that nearby trees will survive.
Same subject and traditionKantaka
The prince’s horse, whose silent departure carries the seeker out of the guarded city.
Same subject and traditionSix-Tusked Elephant
An elephant birth of the Buddha-elect, whose story turns an old slight into deadly resentment.