The collection of Indian Buddhist narratives known as the Divyavadana posits that there is a class of objects whose sight leads to the arising of prasada in the viewer and that this mental state of prasada leads the viewer to make an offering. In this article，I first describe the mechanics of prasada--why it arises, in whom it arises, and the consequences of it arousal--as well as the various "agents of prasada" (prasadika) and the power they exert when seen. In discussing the field of effects of prasadika objects, I consider Catherine MacKinnon's work on pornography to help clarify the politics of this configuration of prasada as well as its ethical implications. Last，I discuss the aesthetics of prasada and what this suggests about the function of Buddhist narratives known as avadanas.
目次
THE MECHANICS OF PRASADA 557 THE POWER OF OBJECTS 559 AUTOMATIC ACTIONS, POLITICS, AND PORNOGRAPHY 561 ETHOLOGY, AGENCY, AND ETHICS 563 AESTHETICS, EROTICS, AND FUNCTION 567 THE FUNCTION OF AVADANAS 572 CODA 574
