สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

พุทธศิ ลป์ในวรรณคดี ไทย 58 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 37 No. 2 April-June 2012 Abstract Buddhist arts in Thai literature Ruenruthai Sujjapun Associate Fellow of the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand Most Thai literary works are influenced by Buddhism, especially the Jatakas (stories of Prince Siddhartha before enlightenment), life stories of Buddha and the beliefs in Buddhism. The words in these stories and teachings are carefully crafted and so inspiring that they become muses to other artisans outside the literary world. Paintings, dances, theatre plays and architectural structures are being created from the artists’ readings. By the same token, these artworks would repay the writers in inspiring their creative minds with visual aesthetics. Writers find it irresistible not to write about the beauty they witness in the architectural designs on palaces or temples. They also find inspiration from paintings or sculptures depicting the stories of Buddhas and the Jatakas with the Mythical Forest of Himavant and its divine creatures; or even pantings of heaven, purgatory, the sombre facts in a cycle of life. As such the literary world and the other artisans work closely hand-in-hand while exclusively influence one another in their creations. Keywords : Buddhist arts, Thai literature.