The lecture will focus on an episode from the story of the ascetic practices undertaken by Siddhārtha Gautama before he comprehended the “Middle Way” and attained enlightenment. When the emaciated prince, weakened by severe fasting and immersed in meditation, is discovered by villagers from a nearby settlement, they begin to mock him – throwing clumps of dirt at him, stuffing grass into his ears, and calling him a goblin (piśāca). Yet the Bodhisattva remains unshaken. Very similar narratives can be found in the life stories of Jina Mahāvīra, as well as in the legend of the ṛṣi Cyavana from the texts of the Vedic canon. This episode from the Buddha’s biography is little-known and may seem insignificant, but a careful analysis and comparison with related narratives outside the Buddhist (and even Indian) tradition suggest that it may hold the key to unraveling some of the mysteries surrounding the story of Śākyamuni’s enlightenment.

Dmitrii Komissarov graduated from the Russian State Humanitarian University in Moscow in 2008 with a master degree in Indian Philology. At the same university in 2012, he defended his dissertation on “Lalitavistara as an example of Buddhist hagiography.” Currently he teaches Sanskrit, Pāli and Buddhist literature at the Higher School of Economics (HSE University, Moscow), he is also the head of the bachelor’s programme “Languages and Literatures of India”. His research interests include Buddhist hagiography, Buddhist canonical and narrative literature, and Sanskrit medieval comedies. The talk was entitled "The Fasting Bodhisattva and the Shepherds: Some Reflections on the Motif of Mocking the Ascetic in the Biography of the Buddha". He spoke with students and participants at RYI on 27th June 2025.

Dmitrii Komissarov - "The Fasting Bodhisattva and the Shepherds"

Rangjung Yeshe Institute (RYI) has conducted study programs in Nepal for more than 25 years. Since 2002 RYI has partnered with Kathmandu University offering academic credit for those study programs. In 2009 RYI launched its online learning program. Our aim is to utilise our expertise and experience to enable students from around the world to study Buddhism and Himalayan Languages with us.

New tracks tagged #SiddharthaGautam