The 547 Buddhist jatakas; or verse parables; recount the Buddha’s lives in previous incarnations. In his penultimate and most famous incarnation; he appears as the Prince Vessantara; perfecting the virtue of generosity by giving away all his possessions; his wife; and his children to the beggar Jujaka. Taking an anthropological approach to this two-thousand-year-old morality tale; Katherine A. Bowie highlights significant local variations in its interpretations and public performances across three regions of Thailand over 150 years. The Vessantara Jataka has served both monastic and royal interests; encouraging parents to give their sons to religious orders and intimating that kings are future Buddhas. But; as Bowie shows; characterizations of the beggar Jujaka in various regions and eras have also brought ribald humor and sly antiroyalist themes to the story. Historically; these subversive performances appealed to popular audiences even as they worried the conservative Bangkok court. The monarchy sporadically sought to suppress the comedic recitations. As Thailand has changed from a feudal to a capitalist society; this famous story about giving away possessions is paradoxically being employed to promote tourism and wealth.
#427212 in Books 2000-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .60 x 6.00l; .55 #File Name: 0299165043176 pagesISBN13: 9780299165048Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Powerful Book about a Gay Jew in Berlin; but So Much More Than ThatBy Ted JohnstonAn Underground Life: Memoirs of a Gay Jew in Nazi Berllin is a relatively quick read; but there are so many names that sometimes it's hard to keep track of who is who; the only drawback I saw in the memoir (a glossary of names would have been helpful). The memoir starts with the period before the war and deals with the rise of the Nazis; followed by the the massive deportations of Jews to the camps. However; there were still quite a few Jews living in Berlin (about 6000-8000 of the 160;000 who resided there in 1933) through the course of the war. Many were in hiding; some were "passing" and had fake credentials; and many others were "mischlings;" such as Beck himself (half Jew/half Aryan); who officially could be deported to the camps but who often did slave labor in Berlin as part of the Nazi war effort instead (as Beck did; although his luck finally ran out and he ended up in a pre-deportation center because of his involvement in the Jewish Resistance movement; but it was right at the time that the war was ending; so he didn't get deported after all (by the skin of his teeth). These remaining Jews in Berlin were often helped by cAryans (Aryans who "cared" for them either because they were making money off of them or because they were really good Christian people). It was amazing how many sexual encounters Gad had with younger gay and straight Jews alike. The straight Jews often thought their days were numbered and wanted intimacy; even it was with their own sex; before being sent off to the camps. These sexual encounters were often quite passionate and not of the "wham bam" variety; involving a great deal of all-night cuddling while the men slept together in a mutual hiding place. These encounters were usually of the "finding a port in the storm" variety. In some cases; these relationships actually lasted for several months. Beck is not a physical wonder by any means; he's just a good; positive; shrewd; and incredibly brave person who never let fear keep him from doing what was needed to help his Jewish brothers and sisters. I think he is a real hero; not just for gay people but for all Jews as well. His daily encounters with death and tragedy; from which he often barely escaped; kept me turning those pages.The memoir ends with the end of the war.In 1947; Beck went Israel and settled down with a partner he meets there; while continuing to be involved in Jewish emigration to Israel. He returned to Berlin in the 1970s and died in Berlin in 2012 at the age of 88.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Should have been more interestingBy RLSinSFI was disappointed that this story wasn't better told. Some of the reviews; I think; conflate Mr. Beck's obvious and commendable daring and intelligence with good writing. The book is told in an obvious 'this happened; then this happened; then this happened' format with no attempt to be more creative or artful in the narrating. Little is provided in the way of context or explanation. Given the fact that "Memoirs of a Gay Jew" is the subtitle; there is precious little information about wartime gay life and; in fact; the random "...and then I slept with a beautiful man I saw across the courtyard" comes across as gratuitous and irrelevant. Further; Mr. Beck packs in an unnecessary; endless string of names that makes keeping track of all the players virtually impossible. And frankly; there is almost nothing actually explaining the details of life as an illegal under the Nazis. Not to detract from Mr. Beck's importance in helping many Jews survive in Hitler's Berlin; but I was hoping for much more from this book. A more active professional co-author; or a good editor; could have benefited this work greatly; because it could be a really compelling work.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I Choose Life!By light175What I liked best about the book was that Beck was trying to keep his close; family-oriented community intact. He didn't spend time hating his persecutors; but sought out ways to get around them.
