tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23756482653475346602024-03-14T14:32:14.618+07:00Buddha Art & HistoryBuddha Image | Buddha Mural | Buddha Wood Carving | Buddha painting | Buddha statuedimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-76349276021505041082010-07-02T17:27:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:29:05.733+07:00Life of the Buddha Depicted in Art<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3KEfDng4I/AAAAAAAAAMM/BUCUSZRft34/s1600/Death+of+the+Historical+Buddha+%28Nehan%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3KEfDng4I/AAAAAAAAAMM/BUCUSZRft34/s400/Death+of+the+Historical+Buddha+%28Nehan%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489265699239461762" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Death of the Historical Buddha (<em>Nehan</em>)</strong>, Kamakura period (1185–1333), 14th century<br />Unidentified artist<br />Kyoto, Japan<br />Hanging scroll; ink, gold, and color on silk <p class="tombstoneSmall">79 x 74 1/4 in. (200.7 x 188.6 cm)<br />Rogers Fund, 1912 (12.134.10)</p></span> <p>In paintings of the Buddha's nirvana, his passing from earthly life to the ultimate goal of an enlightened being, essential tenets of Buddhism are explicit: release from the bonds of existence through negation of desires that cause intrinsic suffering. The large, golden body of Shaka (Shakyamuni) faces west in a final trance after a long life of teaching. Those witnessing the Buddha's passing from earthly life reveal their own imperfect level of understanding in the extent of their grief. Bodhisattvas, who have achieved the spiritual enlightenment of Buddhahood, show a solemn serenity not shared by the lesser beings. Except for the Bodhisattva Jizo, who appears as a monk holding a jewel near the center of the bier, these deities are depicted in princely raiment, with jeweled crowns, flowing scarves, and necklaces covering their golden bodies. Disciples with shaved heads who wear patched robes like the Buddha's weep bitterly, as do the multilimbed Hindu deities and guardians who have been converted to his teaching. Men and women of every class, joined by about thirty animals, grieve in their imperfect understanding of the Buddhist ideal. Even the blossoms of the sala trees change hue. From the upper right, Queen Maya, mother of the dying prince, descends, weeping.</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3HfDdhcBI/AAAAAAAAAL8/cmJJpsCChNs/s1600/Lotus+Sutra.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 376px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3HfDdhcBI/AAAAAAAAAL8/cmJJpsCChNs/s400/Lotus+Sutra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489262857153507346" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Lotus Sutra</strong>, Heian period (794–1185), 12th century<br />Japan<br />Gold on indigo-dyed paper <p class="tombstoneSmall">11 3/4 x 339 3/4 in. (29.8 x 863 cm)<br />Seymour Fund, 1965 (65.216.1)</p></span> <p>The <i>Lotus Sutra</i>, promulgated in India around the early part of the third century A.D., is believed to be the final teaching of Shakyamuni at Vulture Peak. It was part of Buddhist worship in Japan as early as the sixth century and became the most popular sutra. The <i>Lotus Sutra </i>emphasizes the ultimate Mahayana belief that Buddha's compassion is open to all, regardless of gender or station in life. In the late Heian period, lavishly produced copies of this text accounted for most of the thousands of such devotional offerings commissioned by the aristocracy to gain religious merit. Following Chinese precedent, they were often painted in gold and silver on paper or silk dyed deep indigo or purple.</p> <p>This illustration is painted on the frontispiece that precedes the written scripture. It combines depictions of three episodes from chapters 12 to 15 of the <i>Lotus Sutra</i>. Its composition skillfully combines iconic images of the Buddha with narrative vignettes. Here, the daughter of the Dragon King of the Sea offers the radiant jewel to Buddha preaching on Vulture Peak (rendered in the shape of a bird's head). The episode contains the essence of the scripture: the girl's offering is accepted and she is immediately changed into a man, with many features of a bodhisattva, seated on a jeweled lotus. Thus, the compassion of the Buddha offered salvation to women, whose bodies were regarded as unclean and preclusive of attaining enlightenment. Balancing this scene is an illustration of an episode from the Buddha's former life: as a king, Buddha so desired true knowledge that he promised all his wealth and power and lifelong servitude to whoever could reveal it. Here, he is seen twice, once kneeling before the sage who taught him and again bearing firewood in fulfillment of his vow.</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC2_lwGIHXI/AAAAAAAAAJU/EcVOf3UXdlI/s1600/Birth+of+the+buddha.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC2_lwGIHXI/AAAAAAAAAJU/EcVOf3UXdlI/s400/Birth+of+the+buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489254176121167218" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Birth of the Buddha</strong>, Kushan period<br />Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara, probably Takht-i-Bahi)<br />Stone <p class="tombstoneSmall">6 x 7 in. (16 x 19.7 cm)<br />Gift of The Kronos Collections, 1987 (1987.417.1)<br /></p></span> <p>The Buddha's mother, Maya, delivered him miraculously in a garden in Lumbini, located in present-day southern Nepal. She stood beneath a tree and, with her right arm, clung to a branch for support. This pose mirrors one given to ancient Indian female nature spirits whose touch, it was believed, caused a tree to bloom and fruit. The figure of the Buddha-to-be, although somewhat damaged, can be seen emerging from Maya's side, his head surrounded by a halo. The child was received and bathed by attending gods, who stand to Maya's right. The woman to Maya's left is probably her sister, who raised the Buddha after Maya's death a week after his birth. The attendant on the farthest right holds a pitcher filled with water for the ritual bath.</p><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3AcivZ-JI/AAAAAAAAAJc/ES-cs06vIos/s1600/The+Dream+of+Queen+Maya.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3AcivZ-JI/AAAAAAAAAJc/ES-cs06vIos/s400/The+Dream+of+Queen+Maya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489255117429012626" border="0" /></a></p><p><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>The Dream of Queen Maya</strong>, Kushan period, 1st century <span class="smallcap">a.d.</span><br />Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara, probably Takht-i-Bahi)<br />Schist <p class="tombstoneSmall">6 1/2 x 7 5/8 in. (16.5 x 19.4 cm)<br />Gift of Marie-Hélène and Guy Weil, 1976 (1976.402)</p></span> </p><p>This scene depicts the Buddha's miraculous conception. The Buddha's mother, Maya, lies sleeping on her right side. Female attendants surround her, including a guard who stands at the head of her bed holding a large sword. Above her is a circle that once contained an image of the Buddha-to-be in the form of a divine white elephant, descending from a heavenly abode to enter her womb. Maya is dreaming that this is taking place.</p> <p>This relief comes from an area of ancient Pakistan known as Gandhara, which was reached by Alexander the Great in 329–326 B.C. and later ruled by the Kushans in the first through third centuries. The Kushans had extensive trade contact with Rome and the artistic influence that came with these contacts can be seen in the Mediterranean-inspired robes worn by Maya and her attendants.</p><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3A_g9YNGI/AAAAAAAAAJs/lyQ_QbC9nCE/s1600/The+Great+Departure+and+the+Temptation+of+the+Buddha.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3A_g9YNGI/AAAAAAAAAJs/lyQ_QbC9nCE/s400/The+Great+Departure+and+the+Temptation+of+the+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489255718246167650" border="0" /></a></p> <span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>The Great Departure and the Temptation of the Buddha</strong>, Ikshvaku period, ca. first half of 3rd century<br />India (Andra Pradesh, Nagarjunakonda)<br />Limestone <p class="tombstoneSmall">56 3/4 x 36 1/4 x 6 in. (144.2 x 92.1 x 15.2 cm)<br />Fletcher Fund, 1928 (28.105)</p></span> <p>This large limestone panel depicts two scenes from the life of the Buddha. The lower scene shows the moment when Siddhartha, the Buddha-to-be, secretly leaves his father's palace in the middle of the night. Four dwarfs hold up his horse's hooves so that he can depart silently. The upper scene represents the temptation of Siddhartha by Mara's daughters (seen to Siddhartha's right) and the assault by Mara's armies on the night in which he became a buddha.</p> <p>This panel once clad a large stupa, a hemispherical burial mound that held important relics, at the site of Nagarjunakonda in southeastern India. Patronized by the ruling Ikshvakus, Nagarjunakonda housed both Hindu establishments that were supported by male members of the family and Buddhist ones sustained by their wives and daughters. The animated imagery and the elegantly corpulent bodies are typical of the art of Nagarjunakonda. The spatially intricate scenes from this region were probably inspired by influences from Rome, with which the region had contact via coastal ports.</p><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3BeTnwJEI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/gj4zHXrTln0/s1600/The+Death+of+the+Buddha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 307px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3BeTnwJEI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/gj4zHXrTln0/s400/The+Death+of+the+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489256247241745474" border="0" /></a></p><p><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>The Death of the Buddha</strong>, Kushan period, 3rd century<br />Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)<br />Gray schist <p class="tombstoneSmall">26 x 26 in. (66 x 66 cm)<br />Lent by Florence and Herbert Irving (L.1993.69.4)</p></span> </p><p>This expressive relief depicts the Buddha's death. His recumbent body is shown surrounded by grieving monks and disciples. At the age of eighty, after eating some tainted food, he became very sick and laid down between two trees to die. Images of his death, after which he passed into nirvana<i> </i>(the extinction of desire), symbolize his complete freedom from the endless cycle of rebirth. In addition to small representations such as this one, colossal images commemorating the moment can be found in many countries in which Buddhism is or was practiced, including India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Japan.</p><p><br /></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3BwLhrN2I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/bBcQbqEAD_A/s1600/Fasting+Siddhartha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 391px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3BwLhrN2I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/bBcQbqEAD_A/s400/Fasting+Siddhartha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489256554306418530" border="0" /></a></p><p><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Fasting Siddhartha</strong>, Kushan period, ca. 3rd century<br />Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)<br />Schist <p class="tombstoneSmall">10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm)<br />Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Purchase, Rogers, Dodge, Harris Brisbane Dick and Fletcher Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1987 (1987.218.5)</p></span> </p><p>After renouncing his luxurious existence in search of an end to the suffering caused by infinite rebirths, Siddhartha went through six years of profound austerity. At one point, he is said to have eaten only a few grains of rice a day. This subject originated with the artists of ancient Gandhara (an area encompassing parts of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), who clearly emphasized Siddhartha's emaciated body; his visible ribs and veins are poignant testimony to years of spiritual trials. The theme was common in Gandhara and though it is not found in later Indian Buddhist sculpture, it reappears in Chinese and Japanese art of the Chan/Zen tradition.</p><div color="transparent" style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3C2H-KArI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Fr9QTfuND4I/s1600/Buddha%27s+First+Sermon+at+Sarnath.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3C2H-KArI/AAAAAAAAAKE/Fr9QTfuND4I/s400/Buddha%27s+First+Sermon+at+Sarnath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489257755942978226" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath</strong>, Kushan Period, ca. 3rd century<br />Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)<br />Gray schist <p class="tombstoneSmall">11 1/4 x 12 3/4 in. (28.6 x 32.4 cm)<br />Gift of Daniel Slott, 1980 (1980.527.4)</p></span> <p>The Buddha's first sermon took place in a deer park in Sarnath, four miles outside the city of Benares. In art, this setting is symbolized by the two small deer at the base of the Buddha's seat. The Buddha has his right hand on a wheel, which is the symbol of the Buddha's doctrine (<i>dharma</i>). By turning the wheel with his hand, he figuratively sets the doctrine in motion and disseminates Buddhism through the world. The Buddha is surrounded by six figures. The five robed figures with shaved heads represent the five ascetics who originally abandoned Siddhartha when he ended his six years of stringent yogic practice and fasting and accepted a bowl of rice. They became his first audience and then his first disciples. It is unclear who is represented by the bare-chested sixth figure.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3DLWFGWrI/AAAAAAAAAKM/kD3OYIG4bV0/s1600/Buddha%27s+Descent+from+the+Trayastrimsha+Heaven.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3DLWFGWrI/AAAAAAAAAKM/kD3OYIG4bV0/s400/Buddha%27s+Descent+from+the+Trayastrimsha+Heaven.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489258120507447986" border="0" /></a></p><p><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Buddha's Descent from the Trayastrimsha Heaven</strong>, Ikshvaku period (3rd–4th century), second half of 3rd century<br />India, Andhra Pradesh, Nagarjunakonda<br />Limestone <p class="tombstoneSmall">48 x 29 3/4 in. (121.9 x 75.6 cm)<br />Rogers Fund, 1928 (28.31)</p></span> </p><p>This large limestone panel was originally designed to decorate the lower part of an apsidal stupa from the site of Nagarjunakonda in the southeastern province of Andhra Pradesh. Patronized by the ruling Ikshvakus, Nagarjunakonda houses both Hindu establishments supported by male members of the family and Buddhist ones sustained by their wives and daughters. The detailed imagery of the slab, the somewhat elongated proportions of the people and animals, and the corpulence of the Buddha in the center are typical of the art of Nagarjunakonda.</p> <p>According to several texts, after his enlightenment, the Buddha Shakyamuni visited the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods (Trayastrimsha) to preach to his mother—who had passed away without benefit of hearing the doctrine—and the other inhabitants. After living there for three months, he descended to earth at Samkashya. Located in Uttar Pradesh in the north, Samkashya is one of the eight traditional sites of Buddhist pilgrimage. Here, the Buddha is shown flying at the upper right of the panel and preaching to the gods at the upper left. The large central image, shown standing on a lotus, depicts the moment of Shakyamuni's descent at Samkashya. He is attended at his right by a standing figure holding a vajra (thunderbolt scepter) who most likely represents Indra, ruler of the Trayastrimsha Heaven; two women kneeling at the front; and two larger figures placed to the right and left of the central scene.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3DhZj7qBI/AAAAAAAAAKU/kZq2-I3sxv8/s1600/Model+of+a+stupa+%28Buddhist+shrine%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3DhZj7qBI/AAAAAAAAAKU/kZq2-I3sxv8/s400/Model+of+a+stupa+%28Buddhist+shrine%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489258499399198738" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Model of a stupa (Buddhist shrine)</strong>, ca. 4th century<br />Pakistan, ancient region of Gandhara<br />Bronze <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 22 3/4 in. (57.8 cm), W. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)<br />Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Bruckmann, 1985 (1985.387ab)</p></span> <p>Stupas, the earliest Buddhist monuments preserved in India, began as solid hemispherical domes that marked the remains of a great leader or teacher. They were incorporated into early Buddhist art as symbols of the continuing presence of Shakyamuni Buddha after his <i>parinirvana</i> (final transcendence), and as reminders of the path he defined for his followers. Buddhism carried the stupa throughout Asia, where it was interpreted in many forms, including the domed chortens of Tibet and the spired pagodas of China, Korea, and Japan. The square base and ovoid dome derive from monuments built in northwest India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan during the height of Kushan rule, from the late first to the third century. In this somewhat fanciful reliquary, the dome of the stupa is separated from its square base by a lotus pedestal and four rampant griffins. It is further elaborated by four columns—capped by miniature stupas—that encircle the dome, and four somewhat enigmatic columnlike forms on top of the base.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3Dx1im6BI/AAAAAAAAAKc/b6mcj2thhy0/s1600/Lunette+with+Buddha+surrounded+by+adorants.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3Dx1im6BI/AAAAAAAAAKc/b6mcj2thhy0/s400/Lunette+with+Buddha+surrounded+by+adorants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489258781787744274" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Lunette with Buddha surrounded by adorants</strong>, 5th–6th century<br />Hadda, Afghanistan<br />Stucco <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 16 1/2 in. (42 cm)<br />Purchase, Walter Burke Gift, and Anonymous Gift, Rogers Fund, and Gift of George D. Pratt, by exchange, 2005 (2005.314)</p></span> <p>This lunette, one of only two complete examples known, is a rare survival from the once extensive Buddhist complex at Hadda, which was destroyed in the late 1980s during fighting between the Russians and the Mujahideen. Probably one of a series of lunettes that embellished the high base of a Buddhist stupa, or relic mound, it would have been viewed during ritual circumambulation.</p> <p>Shakyamuni, the historic Buddha born as Prince Siddhartha, is shown as a bodhisattva wearing the jeweled turban and ornaments of a royal. The elephant and the adjacent bowed figure may refer to an episode from his youth, but his halo, meditating posture, and hierarchic relationship with the surrounding devotees all anticipate his enlightenment—the sculptor's answer to the problem of presenting an icon as an object of veneration and also in the temporal context of a sacred biography. Given that the relief was sculpted in the fifth or sixth century, when classical traditions in the West had become formulaic, the naturalistic anatomy and complex treatment of the interacting devotees seem remarkable. But renewed Western influence would not have been necessary in this period of artistic renaissance, as classical motifs had been part of the Afghan heritage since Alexander the Great's campaign in the fourth century B.C.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3EAbrYTAI/AAAAAAAAAKk/KnUX32Bk6mU/s1600/Head+of+a+Buddha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3EAbrYTAI/AAAAAAAAAKk/KnUX32Bk6mU/s400/Head+of+a+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489259032543251458" border="0" /></a></div><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Head of a Buddha</strong>, second half of 6th century<br />Angkor Borei, Cambodia<br />Stone <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 24 in. (61 cm)<br />Gift of Doris Wiener, 2005 (2005.512)</p></span> <p>This monumental Buddha head is a superb testament to the earliest phase of Buddhism in the lower Mekong Delta. A few heads like this one are all that survive of the large-scale sacred images that must have existed in the region. They give us an indication of the grandeur and spirituality such sculptures must have achieved, as well as a sense of the importance imparted to Buddhist ideology. Typical of Buddha images from the early site of Angkor Borei are the ovoid face, prominent arching eyebrows, outlined eyes and mouth, mouth with upturned corners, and large, close-cropped, snail-shaped curls. With its impressive scale and superb modeling, this head represents the zenith of that great sculptural tradition.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3Ed-UjD-I/AAAAAAAAAK0/DcdEsuE9PnM/s1600/Seated+Buddha.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3Ed-UjD-I/AAAAAAAAAK0/DcdEsuE9PnM/s400/Seated+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489259540058935266" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Seated Buddha</strong>, Tang dynasty (618–907), early 8th century<br />China<br />Gilt bronze <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 8 in. (20.3 cm)<br />Rogers Fund, 1943 (43.24.3)</p></span> <p>This striking example of a seated Buddha has the broad shoulders, narrow waist, full and slightly pursed lips, and arched eyebrows characteristic of Chinese Buddhist figures made during the later Tang dynasty. The quality of workmanship, furthermore, suggests that it was probably produced in an urban area, possibly the capital city of Chang'an.</p> <p>This seated figure performs a graceful variation of the <i>dharmachakra</i> mudra or hand gesture indicating teaching (literally, turning or setting in motion the Wheel [of Buddhist law]). Because Shakyamuni spent more than forty years traveling and lecturing after his enlightenment, this figure could be a representation of the Historical Buddha. He also bears other corporeal markings of enlightened beings: the cranial protuberance (ushnisha) indicating wisdom, elongated earlobes referring to Shakyamuni's royal heritage but without the earrings that he put aside when he chose a spiritual path, and the three neck rings signifying auspiciousness. These physical signs, as well as the flowing monastic robes, derive from Indian prototypes but spread throughout the Buddhist world.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FFrR0GBI/AAAAAAAAAK8/frJjrY1Tk_0/s1600/Seated+Buddha2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FFrR0GBI/AAAAAAAAAK8/frJjrY1Tk_0/s400/Seated+Buddha2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489260222141962258" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Seated Buddha</strong>, 8th–early 9th century<br />Burma; Pyu kingdom<br />Bronze <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)<br />Lindemann Fund, 2006 (2006.53)</p></span> </p><p>The Pyu kingdom flourished in central and northern Burma from the early years of the first millennium A.D. to about 832, when Halin, the capital, was sacked by forces of the Nanchao kingdom of southern China. Pyu sculpture is extremely rare. Characteristic of the finest early Southeast Asian sculpture, the fluid modeling of this Buddha image emphasizes soft, flowing volumes rather than linear form. The large ovoid head topped by a wiglike coiffure with a tall, beehive-shaped <i>ushnisha</i> (cranial protuberance) is typical of Pyu bronze Buddhas, as are the full, sensual lips and the long, fleshy nose with a slight hook at the end, perhaps a vestige of Indian influence. (Ritual handling has partially effaced the modeling of the eyes.) The authoritative chest, with its exaggeratedly low pectoral muscles, forms a plane that sweeps down from the broad shoulders to the subtle transition to the soft belly below, where a deep indentation indicates the waist of the Buddha's garment. The thighs are naturalistically proportioned, but the lower legs and feet are somewhat stunted; emphasis is given instead to the large surviving hand, one of the distinguishing characteristics of a Buddha.</p> <p>This Buddha originally may have held both of his hands in <i>vitarkamudra</i>, the teaching gesture (the small metal tenon that supported his now broken hand can be seen on his right thigh). This two-handed gesture is an iconography that originated with Buddhas produced by the contemporary Mon Dvaravati culture in neighboring Thailand.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FXiMMTAI/AAAAAAAAALE/ojmraf74uT4/s1600/Reliquary+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 328px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FXiMMTAI/AAAAAAAAALE/ojmraf74uT4/s400/Reliquary+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489260528940108802" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Reliquary (?) with scenes from the life of the Buddha</strong>, ca. 10th century<br />India (Jammu and Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir) or Pakistan<br />Bone with traces of color and gold paint <p class="tombstoneSmall">H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm)<br />Gift of The Kronos Collections, 1985 (1985.392.1)</p></span> <p>Clearly the product of extraordinarily sophisticated and technically skilled workshops, eighth-century carved ivories from Kashmir are rare. Created from an approximately triangular section of bone, believed to be from an elephant, this remarkable piece testifies to the continuation of skills extending the tradition by at least a century. The object, with three scenes depicted on its sides, was probably part of a reliquary. The first two scenes show the miraculous birth of Siddhartha, later to become the Buddha, and his temptation as he meditated at Bodh Gaya immediately prior to becoming the Buddha. The third scene, clearly the focus of the carving, shows a rare representation of a crowned and jeweled Buddha seated cross-legged on a lion throne.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FybNypkI/AAAAAAAAALM/ntWhd67EaDA/s1600/Bookcover+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 573px; height: 73px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3FybNypkI/AAAAAAAAALM/ntWhd67EaDA/s400/Bookcover+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489260990924236354" border="0" /></a></div></div><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Bookcover with scenes from the life of the Buddha</strong>, ca. first half of 10th century<br />India or Nepal<br />Ink and color on wood, with metal insets <p class="tombstoneSmall">2 1/2 x 22 3/8 in. (6.4 x 56.8 cm)<br />Gift of The Kronos Collections and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Findlay, 1979 (1979.511)</p></span> <b><p>Detail: The miracle at Shravasti</p></b> <p>This scene is one of four episodes from the life of the Buddha that are painted on the interior surface of a ninth-century cover for a palm-leaf manuscript. It depicts an event that took place in the town of Shravasti, in northeastern India. Here the Buddha was challenged by a group of Brahmanic ascetics who suggested that he could not perform miracles equal to those performed by members of their group. However, the Buddha converted the skeptics by performing a number of miracles, including multiplying his image in all directions, depicted in this representation. He also walked in the air while simultaneously emitting flames from the upper part of his body and waves from the lower part of his body.</p> <b><p>Detail: The taming of the elephant Nalagiri</p></b> <p>The rogue elephant Nalagiri had been released by Devadatta, Buddha's evil cousin, with the intention that it would kill the Buddha. But as soon as Nalagiri saw Shakyamuni, the elephant became calm and kneeled before him. In this depiction, Ananda, the Buddha's disciple who did not desert him as Nalagiri drew near, stands beside him. This scene is one of four events from the life of the Buddha that were painted on the interior surface of a ninth-century wooden cover for a palm-leaf manuscript. The outer surface of the cover is encrusted with saffron, vermillion, and other organic matter that was ritually applied when the manuscript was in use.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3GPGg1kzI/AAAAAAAAALU/GAlxP0UtM3Y/s1600/Plaque+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 383px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3GPGg1kzI/AAAAAAAAALU/GAlxP0UtM3Y/s400/Plaque+with+scenes+from+the+life+of+the+Buddha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489261483583181618" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Plaque with scenes from the life of the Buddha</strong>, Pala or Pagan period, 12th century<br />India or Burma<br />Mudstone <p class="tombstoneSmall">3 15/16 in. (10 cm)<br />Anonymous Gift, 1982 (1982.233)</p></span> <p>The central scene of this devotional plaque depicts Siddhartha's victory over the demon Mara and his subsequent enlightenment. Siddhartha, the Buddha-to-be, sat under a tree in meditation and when it became clear that his enlightenment was near at hand, Mara tried everything in his power to prevent it. He sent his daughters to tempt Siddhartha as well as his armies to disrupt his meditation. The Buddha-to-be responded by touching the earth with his right hand (<i>bhumisparshamudra</i>), a gesture that called the earth goddess to witness his right to achieve enlightenment. She responded positively, Mara and his armies were dispersed, and Siddhartha became the Buddha Shakyamuni.</p> <p>In Indian art, the Buddha's life was often condensed and codified into a series of eight events. Surrounding the central image on this plaque are depictions of these events (clockwise from lower left): the miraculous birth of the Buddha from the side of his mother Maya; his first sermon at the Deer Park in Sarnath; his taming of the elephant Nalagiri, as indicated by the presence of a kneeling elephant to the right; and at the top, his death. The missing scenes running down the right side would have illustrated his descent from Trayastrimsha Heaven, the miracles he performed at Shravasti, and his acceptance of the monkey's offering of honey. Depicted across the base are the seven jewels of the universal king, flanked on either end by devotees, possibly patrons.</p> <p>The small size of this plaque suggests that it was a personal devotional object. Many such shrines were found in Burma, and they have been associated with that country until recently. Scholars are now suggesting that many are actually of Indian manufacture, and may have been brought to Burma, by pilgrims who had visited Indian Buddhist sites. A large group of like sculptures has been discovered in Tibet, and were also likely devotional souvenirs.</p><p><br /></p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3GcsdsW-I/AAAAAAAAALc/5MXDAe2kTh4/s1600/Buddha+sheltered+by+a+naga.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC3GcsdsW-I/AAAAAAAAALc/5MXDAe2kTh4/s400/Buddha+sheltered+by+a+naga.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489261717108841442" border="0" /></a><span class="objAccessionNumber"><strong>Buddha sheltered by a naga</strong>, Angkor period, 12th century<br />Cambodia<br />Bronze <p class="tombstoneSmall">6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)<br />Gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky, 1987 (1987.424.19ab)</p></span> <p>This sculpture depicts the serpent king Muchilinda protecting the Buddha Shakyamuni from heavy rains. There are numerous extant Cambodian images of this configuration because it was the focus of a cult during the reign of the Cambodian king Jayavarman VII, who ruled the Khmer empire from about 1181 to 1218. Although this scene had been depicted earlier in South and Southeast Asian art, it was the Khmer who popularized it. The reasons that Jayavarman chose to stress the Muchilinda Buddha remain speculative. Snakes were associated with healing, and perhaps because Jayavarman may have been lame, he emphasized healing, as indicated by his construction of hospitals throughout the kingdom.</p><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>dimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-6457304586195234152010-07-02T17:22:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:31:15.686+07:00The Buddha and His Message, Past, Present and Future<p align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>Lecture on Vesak Day<br /> </b></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;">by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi </span></b><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><br /> United Nations, 15 May 2000.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>Prologue </b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">To begin, I would like to express my pleasure to be here today, on this auspicious occasion of the first international recognition and celebration of Vesak at the United Nations. Though I wear the robe of a Theravada Buddhist monk, I am not an Asian Buddhist but a native of New York City, born and raised in Brooklyn. I knew nothing about Buddhism during the first twenty years of my life. In my early twenties I developed an interest in Buddhism as a meaningful alternative to modern materialism, an interest which grew over the following years. After finishing my graduate studies in Western philosophy, I traveled to Sri Lanka, where I entered the Buddhist monastic order. I have lived in Sri Lanka for most of my adult life, and thus I feel particularly happy to return to my home city to address this august assembly. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Vesak is the day marking the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha, which according to traditional accounts all occurred on the full-moon day of May. Ever since the fifth century B.C., the Buddha has been the Light of Asia, a spiritual teacher whose teaching has shed its radiance over an area that once extended from the Kabul Valley in the west to Japan in the east, from Sri Lanka in the south to Siberia in the north. The Buddha's sublime personality has given birth to a whole civilization guided by lofty ethical and humanitarian ideals, to a vibrant spiritual tradition that has ennobled the lives of millions with a vision of man's highest potentials. His graceful figure is the centerpiece of magnificent achievements in all the arts -- in literature, painting, sculpture, and architecture. His gentle, inscrutable smile has blossomed into vast libraries of scriptures and treatises attempting to fathom his profound wisdom. Today, as Buddhism becomes better known all over the globe, it is attracting an ever-expanding circle of followers and has already started to make an impact on Western culture. Hence it is most fitting that the United Nations should reserve one day each year to pay tribute to this man of mighty intellect and boundless heart, whom millions of people in many countries look upon as their master and guide. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Birth of the Buddha </b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The first event in the life of the Buddha commemorated by Vesak is his birth. In this part of my talk I want to consider the birth of the Buddha, not in bare historical terms, but through the lens of Buddhist tradition -- an approach that will reveal more clearly what this event means for Buddhists themselves. To view the Buddha's birth through the lens of Buddhist tradition, we must first consider the question, "What is a Buddha?" As is widely known, the word "Buddha" is not a proper name but an honorific title meaning "the Enlightened One" or "the Awakened One." The title is bestowed on the Indian sage Siddhartha Gautama, who lived and taught in northeast India in the fifth century B.C. From the historical point of view, Gautama is the Buddha, the founder of the spiritual tradition known as Buddhism. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">However, from the standpoint of classical Buddhist doctrine, the word "Buddha" has a wider significance than the title of one historical figure. The word denotes, not just a single religious teacher who lived in a particular epoch, but a type of person -- an exemplar -- of which there have been many instances in the course of cosmic time. Just as the title "American President" refers not just to Bill Clinton, but to everyone who has ever held the office of the American presidency, so the title "Buddha" is in a sense a "spiritual office," applying to all who have attained the state of Buddhahood. The Buddha Gautama, then, is simply the latest member in the spiritual lineage of Buddhas, which stretches back into the dim recesses of the past and forward into the distant horizons of the future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">To understand this point more clearly requires a short excursion into Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha teaches that the universe is without any discoverable beginning in time: there is no first point, no initial moment of creation. Through beginningless time, world systems arise, evolve, and then disintegrate, followed by new world systems subject to the same law of growth and decline. Each world system consists of numerous planes of existence inhabited by sentient beings similar in most respects to ourselves. Besides the familiar human and animal realms, it contains heavenly planes ranged above our own, realms of celestial bliss, and infernal planes below our own, dark realms of pain and misery. The beings dwelling in these realms pass from life to life in an unbroken process of rebirth called samsara, a word which means "the wandering on." This aimless wandering from birth to birth is driven by our own ignorance and craving, and the particular form any rebirth takes is determined by our karma, our good and bad deeds, our volitional actions of body, speech, and thought. An impersonal moral law governs this process, ensuring that good deeds bring a pleasant rebirth, and bad deeds a painful one. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">In all planes of existence life is impermanent, subject to aging, decay, and death. Even life in the heavens, though long and blissful, does not last forever. Every existence eventually comes to an end, to be followed by a rebirth elsewhere. Therefore, when closely examined, all modes of existence within samsara reveal themselves as flawed, stamped with the mark of imperfection. They are unable to offer a stable, secure happiness and peace, and thus cannot deliver a final solution to the problem of suffering. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">However, beyond the conditioned spheres of rebirth, there is also a realm or state of perfect bliss and peace, of complete spiritual freedom, a state that can be realized right here and now even in the midst of this imperfect world. This state is called Nirvana (in Pali, Nibbana), the "going out" of the flames of greed, hatred, and delusion. There is also a path, a way of practice, that leads from the suffering of samsara to the bliss of Nirvana; from the round of ignorance, craving, and bondage, to unconditioned peace and freedom. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">For long ages this path will be lost to the world, utterly unknown, and thus the way to Nirvana will be inaccessible. From time to time, however, there arises within the world men who, by his own unaided effort and keen intelligence, finds the lost path to deliverance. Having found it, he follows it through and fully comprehends the ultimate truth about the world. Then he returns to humanity and teaches this truth to others, making known once again the path to the highest bliss. The person who exercises this function is a Buddha. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">A Buddha is thus not merely an Enlightened One, but is above all an Enlightener, a World Teacher. His function is to rediscover, in an age of spiritual darkness, the lost path to Nirvana, to perfect spiritual freedom, and teach this path to the world at large. Thereby others can follow in his steps and arrive at the same experience of emancipation that he himself achieved. A Buddha is not unique in attaining Nirvana. All those who follow the path to its end realize the same goal. Such people are called arahants, "worthy ones," because they have destroyed all ignorance and craving. The unique role of a Buddha is to rediscover the Dharma, the ultimate principle of truth, and to establish a "dispensation" or spiritual heritage to preserve the teaching for future generations. So long as the teaching is available, those who encounter it and enter the path can arrive at the goal pointed to by the Buddha as the supreme good. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">To qualify as a Buddha, a World Teacher, an aspirant must prepare himself over an inconceivably long period of time spanning countless lives. During these past lives, the future Buddha is referred to as a bodhisattva, an aspirant to the full enlightenment of Buddhahood. In each life the bodhisattva must train himself, through altruistic deeds and meditative effort, to acquire the qualities essential to a Buddha. According to the teaching of rebirth, at birth our mind is not a blank slate but brings along all the qualities and tendencies we have fashioned in our previous lives. Thus to become a Buddha requires the fulfillment, to the ultimate degree, of all the moral and spiritual qualities that reach their climax in Buddhahood. These qualities are called påramis or påramitås, transcendent virtues or perfections. Different Buddhist traditions offer slightly different lists of the påramis. In the Theravada tradition they are said to be tenfold: generosity, moral conduct, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity. In each existence, life after life through countless cosmic aeons, a bodhisattva must cultivate these sublime virtues in all their manifold aspects. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">What motivates the bodhisattva to cultivate the påramis to such extraordinary heights is the compassionate wish to bestow upon the world the teaching that leads to the Deathless, to the perfect peace of Nirvana. This aspiration, nurtured by boundless love and compassion for all living beings caught in the net of suffering, is the force that sustains the bodhisattva in his many lives of striving to perfect the påramis. And it is only when all the påramis have reached the peak of perfection that he is qualified to attain supreme enlightenment as a Buddha. Thus the personality of the Buddha is the culmination of the ten qualities represented by the ten påramis. Like a well-cut gem, his personality exhibits all excellent qualities in perfect balance. In him, these ten qualities have reached their consummation, blended into a harmonious whole.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">This explains why the birth of the future Buddha has such a profound and joyful significance for Buddhists. The birth marks not merely the arising of a great sage and ethical preceptor, but the arising of a future World Teacher. Thus at Vesak we celebrate the Buddha as one who has striven through countless past lives to perfect all the sublime virtues that will entitle him to teach the world the path to the highest happiness and peace. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Quest for Enlightenment </b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">From the heights of classical Buddhology, I will now descend to the plain of human history and briefly review the life of the Buddha up to his attainment of enlightenment. This will allow me to give a short summary of the main points of his teaching, emphasizing those that are especially relevant today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">At the outset I must stress that the Buddha was not born as an Enlightened One. Though he had qualified himself for Buddhahood through his past lives, he first had to undergo a long and painful struggle to find the truth for himself. The future Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama in the small Sakyan republic close to the Himalayan foothills, a region that at present lies in southern Nepal. While we do not know the exact dates of his life, many scholars believe he lived from approximately 563 to 483 B.C.; a smaller number place the dates about a century later. Legend holds he was the son of a powerful monarch, but the Sakyan state was actually a tribal republic, and thus his father was probably the chief of the ruling council of elders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">As a royal youth, Prince Siddhartha was raised in luxury. At the age of sixteen he married a beautiful princess named Yasodhara and lived a contented life in the capital, Kapilavastu. Over time, however, the prince became increasingly pensive. What troubled him were the great burning issues we ordinarily take for granted, the questions concerning the purpose and meaning of our lives. Do we live merely for the enjoyment of sense pleasures, the achievement of wealth and status, the exercise of power? Or is there something beyond these, more real and fulfilling? At the age of 29, stirred by deep reflection on the hard realities of life, he decided that the quest for illumination had a higher priority than the promise of power or the call of worldly duty. Thus, while still in the prime of life, he cut off his hair and beard, put on the saffron robe, and entered upon the homeless life of renunciation, seeking a way to release from the round of repeated birth, old age, and death. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The princely ascetic first sought out the most eminent spiritual teachers of his day. He mastered their doctrines and systems of meditation, but soon enough realized that these teachings did not lead to the goal he was seeking. He next adopted the path of extreme asceticism, of self-mortification, which he pursued almost to the door of death. Just then, when his prospects looked bleak, he thought of another path to enlightenment, one that balanced proper care of the body with sustained contemplation and deep investigation. He would later call this path "the middle way" because it avoids the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Having regained his strength by taking nutritious food, one day he approached a lovely spot by the bank of the Nerañjara River, near the town of Gaya. He sat down cross-legged beneath a tree (later called the Bodhi Tree), making a firm resolution that he would never rise up from his seat until he had won his goal. As night descended he entered into deeper and deeper stages of meditation. Then, the records tell us, when his mind was perfectly composed, in the first watch of the night he recollected his past births, even during many cosmic aeons; in the middle watch, he developed the "divine eye" by which he could see beings passing away and taking rebirth in accordance with their karma; and in the last watch, he penetrated the deepest truths of existence, the most basic laws of reality. When dawn broke, the figure sitting beneath the tree was no longer a bodhisattva, a seeker of enlightenment, but a Buddha, a Perfectly Enlightened One, who had stripped away the subtlest veils of ignorance and attained the Deathless in this very life. According to Buddhist tradition, this event occurred in May of his thirty-fifth year, on the Vesak full moon. This is the second great occasion in the Buddha's life that Vesak celebrates: his attainment of enlightenment. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">For several weeks the newly enlightened Buddha remained in the vicinity of the Bodhi Tree contemplating from different angles the truth he had discovered. Then, as he gazed out upon the world, his heart was moved by deep compassion for those still mired in ignorance, and he decided to go forth and teach the liberating Dharma. In the months ahead his following grew by leaps and bounds as both ascetics and householders heard the new gospel and went for refuge to the Enlightened One. Each year, even into old age, the Buddha wandered among the villages, towns, and cities of northeast India, patiently teaching all who would lend an ear. He established an order of monks and nuns, the Sangha, to carry on his message. This order still remains alive today, perhaps (along with the Jain order) the world's oldest continuous institution. He also attracted many lay followers who became devout supporters of the Blessed One and the order. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Buddha's Teaching: Its Aim</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">To ask why the Buddha's teaching spread so rapidly among all sectors of northeast Indian society is to raise a question that is not of merely historical interest but is also relevant to us today. For we live at a time when Buddhism is exerting a strong appeal upon an increasing number of people, both East and West. I believe the remarkable success of Buddhism, as well as its contemporary appeal, can be understood principally in terms of two factors: one, the aim of the teaching; and the other, its methodology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">As to the aim, the Buddha formulated his teaching in a way that directly addresses the critical problem at the heart of human existence -- the problem of suffering -- and does so without reliance upon the myths and mysteries so typical of religion. He further promises that those who follow his teaching to its end will realize here and now the highest happiness and peace. All other concerns apart from this, such as theological dogmas, metaphysical subtleties, rituals and rules of worship, the Buddha waves aside as irrelevant to the task at hand, the mind's liberation from its bonds and fetters. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">This pragmatic thrust of the Dharma is clearly illustrated by the main formula into which the Buddha compressed his program of deliverance, namely, the Four Noble Truths:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> (1) the noble truth that life involves suffering<br /> (2) the noble truth that suffering arises from craving<br /> (3) the noble truth that suffering ends with the removal of craving<br /> (4) the noble truth that there is a way to the end of suffering. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The Buddha not only makes suffering and release from suffering the focus of his teaching, but he deals with the problem of suffering in a way that reveals extraordinary psychological insight. He traces suffering to its roots within our minds, first to our craving and clinging, and then a step further back to ignorance, a primordial unawareness of the true nature of things. Since suffering arises from our own minds, the cure must be achieved within our minds, by dispelling our defilements and delusions with insight into reality. The beginning point of the Buddha's teaching is the unenlightened mind, in the grip of its afflictions, cares, and sorrows; the end point is the enlightened mind, blissful, radiant, and free. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">To bridge the gap between the beginning and end points of his teaching, the Buddha offers a clear, precise, practicable path made up of eight factors. This of course is the Noble Eightfold Path. The path begins with (1) right view of the basic truths of existence, and (2) right intention to undertake the training. It then proceeds through the three ethical factors of (3) right speech, (4) right action, and (5) right livelihood, to the three factors pertaining to meditation and mental development: (6) right effort, (7) right mindfulness, and (8) right concentration. When all eight factors of the path are brought to maturity, the disciple penetrates with insight the true nature of existence and reaps the fruits of the path: perfect wisdom and unshakable liberation of mind. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Methodology of the Teaching</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The methodological characteristics of the Buddha's teaching follow closely from its aim. One of its most attractive features, closely related to its psychological orientation, is its emphasis on self-reliance. For the Buddha, the key to liberation is mental purity and correct understanding, and thus he rejects the idea that we can gain salvation by leaning on anyone else. The Buddha does not claim any divine status for himself, nor does he profess to be a personal savior. He calls himself, rather, a guide and teacher, who points out the path the disciple must follow. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Since wisdom or insight is the chief instrument of emancipation, the Buddha always asked his disciples to follow him on the basis of their own understanding, not from blind obedience or unquestioning trust. He invites inquirers to investigate his teaching, to examine it in the light of their own reason and intelligence. The Dharma or Teaching is experiential, something to be practiced and seen, not a verbal creed to be merely believed. As one takes up the practice of the path, one experiences a growing sense of joy and peace, which expands and deepens as one advances along its clearly marked steps. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">What is most impressive about the original teaching is its crystal clarity. The Dharma is open and lucid, simple but deep. It combines ethical purity with logical rigor, lofty vision with fidelity to the facts of lived experience. Though full penetration of the truth proceeds in stages, the teaching begins with principles that are immediately evident as soon as we use them as guidelines for reflection. Each step, successfully mastered, naturally leads on to deeper levels of understanding, culminating in the realization of the supreme truth, Nirvana.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Because the Buddha deals with the most universal of all human problems, the problem of suffering, he made his teaching a universal message, addressed to all human beings solely by reason of their humanity. He opened the doors of liberation to people of all social classes in ancient Indian society, to brahmins, princes, merchants, and farmers, even humble outcasts. As part of his universalist project, the Buddha also threw open the doors of his teaching to women. It is this universal dimension of the Dharma that enabled it to spread beyond the bounds of India and make Buddhism a world religion. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Some scholars have depicted the Buddha as an otherworldly mystic totally indifferent to the problems of mundane life. However, an unbiased reading of the early Buddhist canon would show that this charge is untenable. The Buddha taught not only a path of contemplation for monks and nuns, but also a code of noble ideals to guide men and women living in the world. In fact, the Buddha's success in the wider Indian religious scene can be partly explained by the new model he provided for his householder disciples, the model of the man or woman of the world who combines a busy life of family and social responsibilities with an unwavering commitment to the values embedded in the Dharma. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The moral code the Buddha prescribed for the laity consists of the Five Precepts, which require abstinence from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and the use of intoxicating substances. The positive side of ethics is represented by the inner qualities of heart corresponding to these rules of restraint: love and compassion for all living beings; honesty in one's dealings with others; faithfulness to one's marital vows; truthful speech; and sobriety of mind. Beyond individual ethics, the Buddha laid down guidelines for parents and children, husbands and wives, employers and workers, intended to promote a society marked by harmony, peace, and good will at all levels. He also explained to kings their duties towards their citizens. These discourses show the Buddha as an astute political thinker who understood well that government and the economy can flourish only when those in power prefer the welfare of the people to their own private interests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Parinirvana and Afterwards </b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The third great event in the Master's life commemorated at Vesak is his parinirvana or passing away. The story of the Buddha's last days is told in vivid and moving detail in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. After an active ministry of forty-five years, at the age of eighty the Buddha realized his end was at hand. Lying on his deathbed, he refused to appoint a personal successor, but told the monks that after his death the Dharma itself should be their guide. To those overcome by grief he repeated the hard truth that impermanence holds sway over all conditioned things, including the physical body of an Enlightened One. He invited his disciples to question him about the doctrine and the path, and urged them to strive with diligence for the goal. Then, perfectly poised, he calmly passed away into the "Nirvana element with no remainder of conditioned existence." </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Three months after the Buddha's death, five hundred of his enlightened disciples held a conference at Rajagaha to collect his teachings and preserve them for posterity. This compilation of texts gave future generations a codified version of the doctrine to rely on for guidance. During the first two centuries after the Buddha's parinirvana, his dispensation slowly continued to spread, though its influence remained confined largely to northeast India. Then in the third century B.C., an event took place that transformed the fortunes of Buddhism and set it on the road to becoming a world religion. After a bloody military campaign that left thousands of people dead, King Asoka, the third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, avidly turned to Buddhism to ease his pained conscience. He saw in the Dharma the inspiration for a social policy built on righteousness rather than force and oppression, and he proclaimed his new policy in edicts inscribed on rocks and pillars throughout his empire. While following Buddhism in his private life, Asoka did not try to impose his personal faith on others but promoted the shared Indian conception of Dharma as the law of righteousness that brings happiness and harmony in daily life and a good rebirth after death.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Under Asoka's patronage, the monks held a council in the royal capital at which they decided to dispatch Buddhist missions throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond to the outlying regions. The most fruitful of these, in terms of later Buddhist history, was the mission to Sri Lanka, led by Asoka's own son, the monk Mahinda, who was soon followed by Asoka's daughter, the nun Sanghamitta. This royal pair brought to Sri Lanka the Theravada form of Buddhism, which prevails there even to this day. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Within India itself Buddhism evolved through three major stages, which have become its three main historical forms. The first stage saw the diffusion of the original teaching and the splintering of the monastic order into some eighteen schools divided on minor points of doctrine. Of these, the only school to survive is the Theravada, which early on had sent down roots in Sri Lanka and perhaps elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Here it could thrive in relative insulation from the changes affecting Buddhism on the subcontinent. Today the Theravada, the descendent of early Buddhism, prevails in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Beginning in about the first century B.C., a new form of Buddhism gradually emerged, which its advocates called the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, in contrast with the earlier schools, which they called the Hinayana or Lesser Vehicle. The Mahayanists elaborated upon the career of the bodhisattva, now held up as the universal Buddhist ideal, and proposed a radical interpretation of wisdom as insight into emptiness, or shunyata, the ultimate nature of all phenomena. The Mahayana scriptures inspired bold systems of philosophy, formulated by such brilliant thinkers as Nagarjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakirti. For the common devotees the Mahayana texts spoke of celestial Buddhas and bodhisattvas who could come to the aid of the faithful. In its early phase, during the first six centuries of the Common Era, the Mahayana spread to China, and from there to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. In these lands Buddhism gave birth to new schools more congenial to the Far Eastern mind than the Indian originals. The best known of these is Zen Buddhism, now widely represented in the West. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">In India, perhaps by the eighth century, Buddhism evolved into its third historical form, called the Vajrayana, the Diamond Vehicle, based on esoteric texts called Tantras. Vajrayana Buddhism accepted the doctrinal perspectives of the Mahayana, but supplemented these with magic rituals, mystical symbolism, and intricate yogic practices intended to speed up the way to enlightenment. The Vajrayana spread from northern India to Nepal, Tibet, and other Himalayan lands, and today dominates Tibetan Buddhism. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">What is remarkable about the dissemination of Buddhism throughout its long history is its ability to win the allegiance of entire populations solely by peaceful means. Buddhism has always spread by precept and example, never by force. The purpose in propagating the Dharma has not been to make converts, but to show others the way to true happiness and peace. Whenever the peoples of any nation or region adopted Buddhism, it became for them, far more than just a religion, the fountainhead of a complete way of life. It has inspired great works of philosophy, literature, painting, and sculpture comparable to those of any other culture. It has molded social, political, and educational institutions; given guidance to rulers and citizens; shaped the morals, customs, and etiquette that order the lives of its followers. While the particular modalities of Buddhist civilization differ widely, from Sri Lanka to Mongolia to Japan, they are all pervaded by a subtle but unmistakable flavor that makes them distinctly Buddhist. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Throughout the centuries, following the disappearance of Buddhism in India, the adherents of the different schools of Buddhism lived in nearly total isolation from one another, hardly aware of each other's existence. Since the middle of the twentieth century, however, Buddhists of the different traditions have begun to interact and have learnt to recognize their common Buddhist identity. In the West now, for the first time since the decline of Indian Buddhism, followers of the three main Buddhist "vehicles" coexist within the same geographical region. This close affiliation is bound to result in hybrids and perhaps in still new styles of Buddhism distinct from all traditional forms. Buddhism in the West is still too young to permit long-range predictions, but we can be sure the Dharma is here to stay and will interact with Western culture, hopefully for their mutual enrichment. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><b>The Buddha's Message for Today</b> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">In this last part of my lecture I wish to discuss, very briefly, the relevance of the Buddha's teachings to our own era, as we stand on the threshold of a new century and a new millennium. What I find particularly interesting to note is that Buddhism can provide helpful insights and practices across a wide spectrum of disciplines -- from philosophy and psychology to medical care and ecology -- without requiring those who use its resources to adopt Buddhism as a full-fledged religion. Here I want to focus only on the implications of Buddhist principles for the formation of public policy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Despite the tremendous advances humankind has made in science and technology, advances that have dramatically improved living conditions in so many ways, we still find ourselves confronted with global problems that mock our most determined attempts to solve them within established frameworks. These problems include: explosive regional tensions of ethnic and religious character; the continuing spread of nuclear weapons; disregard for human rights; the widening gap between the rich and the poor; international trafficking in drugs, women, and children; the depletion of the earth's natural resources; and the despoliation of the environment. From a Buddhist perspective, what is most striking when we reflect upon these problems as a whole is their essentially symptomatic character. Beneath their outward diversity they appear to be so many manifestations of a common root, of a deep and hidden spiritual malignancy infecting our social organism. This common root might be briefly characterized as a stubborn insistence on placing narrow, short-term self-interests (including the interests of the social or ethnic groups to which we happen to belong) above the long-range good of the broader human community. The multitude of social ills that afflict us cannot be adequately accounted for without bringing into view the powerful human drives that lie behind them. Too often, these drives send us in pursuit of divisive, limited ends even when such pursuits are ultimately self-destructive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The Buddha's teaching offers us two valuable tools to help us extricate ourselves from this tangle. One is its hardheaded analysis of the psychological springs of human suffering. The other is the precisely articulated path of moral and mental training it holds out as a solution. The Buddha explains that the hidden springs of human suffering, in both the personal and social arenas of our lives, are three mental factors called the unwholesome roots, namely, greed, hatred, and delusion. Traditional Buddhist teaching depicts these unwholesome roots as the causes of personal suffering, but by taking a wider view we can see them as equally the source of social, economic, and political suffering. Through the prevalence of greed the world is being transformed into a global marketplace where people are reduced to the status of consumers, even commodities, and our planet's vital resources are being pillaged without concern for future generations. Through the prevalence of hatred, national and ethnic differences become the breeding ground of suspicion and enmity, exploding in violence and endless cycles of revenge. Delusion bolsters the other two unwholesome roots with false beliefs and political ideologies put forward to justify policies motivated by greed and hatred. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">While changes in social structures and policies are surely necessary to counteract the many forms of violence and injustice so widespread in today's world, such changes alone will not be enough to usher in an era of true peace and social stability. Speaking from a Buddhist perspective, I would say that what is needed above all else is a new mode of perception, a universal consciousness that can enable us to regard others as not essentially different from oneself. As difficult as it may be, we must learn to detach ourselves from the insistent voice of self-interest and rise up to a universal perspective from which the welfare of all appears as important as one's own good. That is, we must outgrow the egocentric and ethnocentric attitudes to which we are presently committed, and instead embrace a "worldcentric ethic" which gives priority to the well-being of all.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Such a worldcentric ethic should be molded upon three guidelines, the antidotes to the three unwholesome roots:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">(1) We must overcome exploitative greed with global generosity, helpfulness, and cooperation.<br /> (2) We must replace hatred and revenge with a policy of kindness, tolerance, and forgiveness.<br /> (3) We must recognize that our world is an interdependent, interwoven whole such that irresponsible behavior anywhere has potentially harmful repercussions everywhere.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">These guidelines, drawn from the Buddha's teaching, can constitute the nucleus of a global ethic to which all the world's great spiritual traditions could easily subscribe. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Underlying the specific content of a global ethic are certain attitudes of heart that we must try to embody both in our personal lives and in social policy. The chiefs of these are loving-kindness and compassion (maitri and karuna). Through loving-kindness we recognize that just as we each wish to live happily and peacefully, so all our fellow beings wish to live happily and peacefully. Through compassion we realize that just as we are each averse to pain and suffering, so all others are averse to pain and suffering. When we have understood this common core of feeling that we share with everyone else, we will treat others with the same kindness and care that we would wish them to treat us. This must apply at a communal level as much as in our personal relations. We must learn to see other communities as essentially similar to our own, entitled to the same benefits as we wish for the group to which we belong.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">This call for a worldcentric ethic does not spring from ethical idealism or wishful thinking, but rests upon a solid pragmatic foundation. In the long run, to pursue our narrow self-interest in ever widening circles is to undermine our real long-term interest; for by adopting such an approach we contribute to social disintegration and ecological devastation, thus sawing away the branch on which we sit. To subordinate narrow self-interest to the common good is, in the end, to further our own real good, which depends so much upon social harmony, economic justice, and a sustainable environment.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The Buddha states that of all things in the world, the one with the most powerful influence for both good and bad is the mind. Genuine peace between peoples and nations grows out of peace and good will in the hearts of human beings. Such peace cannot be won merely by material progress, by economic development and technological innovation, but demands moral and mental development. It is only by transforming ourselves that we can transform our world in the direction of peace and amity. This means that for the human race to live together peacefully on this shrinking planet, the inescapable challenge facing us is to understand and master ourselves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">It is here that the Buddha's teaching becomes especially timely, even for those not prepared to embrace the full range of Buddhist religious faith and doctrine. In its diagnosis of the mental defilements as the underlying causes of human suffering, the teaching shows us the hidden roots of our personal and collective problems. By proposing a practical path of moral and mental training, the teaching offers us an effective remedy for tackling the problems of the world in the one place where they are directly accessible to us: in our own minds. As we enter the new millennium, the Buddha's teaching provides us all, regardless of our religious convictions, with the guidelines we need to make our world a more peaceful and congenial place to live.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>About the Speaker</b></span></p> <span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Bhikkhu Bodhi was born in New York City in 1944. He received a B.A. in philosophy from Brooklyn College (1966) and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School (1972). In late 1972 he went to Sri Lanka, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk under the late Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera. Since 1984 he has been editor of the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, and since 1988 its president. He is the author, translator, and editor of many books on Theravada Buddhism. The most important of these are The Discourse on the All-Embracing Net of Views (1978), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma (1993), The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (1995), and The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (due for publication in October 2000). He is also a member of the World Academy of Art and Science.<br /> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>dimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-13783906828425521782010-07-02T17:05:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:31:15.686+07:00Parinirvana: How the Historical Buddha Entered Nirvana<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This abridged account of the historical Buddha's passing and entry into Nirvana is taken </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC28HmjCIqI/AAAAAAAAAJE/IpE4yiQ8H8M/s1600/Buddha+image5.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC28HmjCIqI/AAAAAAAAAJE/IpE4yiQ8H8M/s320/Buddha+image5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489250359627096738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">primarily from the Maha-parinibbana Sutta, translated from the Pali by Sister Vajira & Francis Story. Other sources consulted are Buddha by Karen Armstrong (Penguin, 2001) and Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax Press, 1991).</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Forty-five years had passed since the Lord Buddha's enlightenment, and the Blessed One was 80 years old. He and his monks were staying in the village of Beluvagamaka (or Beluva), which was near the present-day city of Basrah, Bihar state, northeast India. It was the time of the monsoon rains retreat, when the Buddha and his disciples stopped traveling.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Like an Old Cart</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One day the Buddha asked the monks to leave and find other places to stay during the monsoon. He would remain in Beluvagamaka with only his cousin and companion, Ananda. After the monks had left, Ananda could see that his master was ill. The Blessed One, in great pain, found comfort only in deep meditation. But with strength of will he overcame his illness.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ananda was relieved, but shaken. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When I saw the Blessed One's sickness my own body became weak, he said.Everything became dim to me, and my senses failed. Ye I still had some comfort in the thought that the Blessed One would not come to his final passing away until he had given some last instructions to his monks.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Lord Buddha responded, </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What more does the community of monks expect from me, Ananda? I have taught the dharma openly and completely. I have held nothing back, and have nothing more to add to the teachings. A person who thought the sangha depended on him for leadership might have something to say. But, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such idea, that the sangha depends on him. So what instructions should he give?<br /><br />Now I am frail, Ananda, old, aged, far gone in years. This is my eightieth year, and my life is spent. My body is like an old cart, barely held together.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no other refuge; with the Dharma as your island, the Dharma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At the Capala Shrine</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Soon after he had recovered from his illness, the Lord Buddha suggested he and Ananda spend the day at a shrine, called the Capala Shrine. As the two elderly men sat together, the Buddha remarked upon the beauty of the scenery all around. The Blessed One continued, </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Whosoever, Ananda, has prefected psychic power could, if he so desired, remain in this place throughout a world-period or until the end of it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha repeated this suggestion three times. Ananda, possibly not understanding, said nothing.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Then came Mara, the evil one, who 45 years earlier had tried to tempt the Buddha away from enlightenment. You have accomplished what you set out to do, Mara said. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Give up this life and enter Parinirvana [complete Nirvana] now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha Relinquishes His Will to Live</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Do not trouble yourself, Evil One, the Buddha replied. In three months I will pass away and enter Nirvana.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Then the Blessed One, clearly and mindfully, renounced his will to live on. The earth itself responded with an earthquake. The Buddha told the shaken Ananda about his decision to make his final entry into Nirvana in three months. Ananda objected, and the Buddha replied that Ananda should have made his objections known earlier, and requested the Tathagata remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it.</span><br /><br /><h3 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To Kushinagar</h3> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For the next three months, the Buddha and Ananda traveled and spoke to groups of monks. One evening he and several of the monks stayed in the home of Cunda, the son of a goldsmith. Cunda invited the Blessed One to dine in his home, and he gave the Buddha a dish called <i>sukaramaddava</i>. This means "pigs' soft food." No one today is certain what this means. It may have been a pork dish, or it may have been a dish of something pigs like to eat, like truffle mushrooms.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Whatever was in the <i>sukaramaddava</i>, the Buddha insisted that he would be the only one to eat from that dish. When he had finished, the Buddha told Cunda to bury what was left so that no one else would eat it.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That night, the Buddha suffered terrible pain and dysentery. But the next day he insisted in traveling on to Kushinagar, located in what is now the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. On the way, he told Ananda not to blame Cunda for his death.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ananda's Sorrow</h3> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha and his monks came to a grove of sal trees in Kushinagar. The Buddha asked Ananda to prepare a couch between to trees, with its head to the north. <i>I am weary and want to lie down,</i> he said. When the couch was ready, the Buddha lay down on his right side, one foot upon the other, with his head supported by his right hand. Then the sal trees bloomed, although it was not their season, pale yellow petals rained down on the Buddha.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha spoke for a time to his monks. At one point Ananda left the grove to lean against a door post and weep. The Buddha sent a monk to find Ananda and bring him back. Then the Blessed One said to Ananda, <i>Enough, Ananda! Do not grieve! Have I not taught from the very beginning that with all that is dear and beloved there must be change and separation? All that is born, comes into being, is compounded, and is subject to decay. How can one say: "May it not come to dissolution"? This cannot be.</i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Ananda, you have served the Tathagata with loving-kindness in deed, word, and thought; graciously, pleasantly, wholeheartedly. Now you should strive to liberate yourself.</i> The Blessed One then praised Ananda in front of the other assembled monks.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Parinirvana</h3> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha spoke further, advising the monks to keep the rules of the order of monks. Then he asked three times if any among them had any questions. <i>Do not be given to remorse later on with the thought: "The Master was with us face to face, yet face to face we failed to ask him."</i> But no one spoke. The Buddha assured all of the monks they would realize enlightenment.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Then he said, <i>All compounded things are subject to decay. Strive with diligence.</i> Then, serenely, he passed into Parinirvana.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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His mother, Queen Maya, died shortly</span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC22KGs5RwI/AAAAAAAAAI8/kd_T9qJY9Ic/s1600/Buddha+image4.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 197px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC22KGs5RwI/AAAAAAAAAI8/kd_T9qJY9Ic/s320/Buddha+image4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489243805548365570" border="0" /></a> after his birth.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When Prince Siddhartha was a few days old, a holy man prophesied the Prince would be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. King Suddhodana preferred the first outcome and prepared his son accordingly. He raised the boy in great luxury and shielded him from knowledge of religion and human suffering. The Prince reached the age of 29 with little experience of the world outside the walls of his opulent palaces.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Four Passing Sights</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One day, overcome with curiosity, Prince Siddhartha asked a charioteer to take him on a series of rides through the countryside. On these journeys he was shocked by the sight of an aged man, then a sick man, and then a corpse. The stark realities of old age, disease, and death seized and sickened the Prince.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Finally, he saw a wandering ascetic. The charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Renunciation</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For a time the Prince returned to palace life, but he took no pleasure in it. Even the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son did not please him. The child was called Rahula, which means "fetter."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One night he wandered the palace alone. The luxuries that had once pleased him now seemed grotesque. Musicians and dancing girls had fallen asleep and were sprawled about, snoring and sputtering. Prince Siddhartha reflected on the old age, disease, and death that would overtake them all and turn their bodies to dust.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He realized then that he could no longer be content living the life of a prince. That very night he left the palace, shaved his head, and changed his prince's clothes for a beggar's robe. Then he began his quest for enlightenment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Search</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Siddhartha began by seeking out renowned teachers, who taught him about the many religious philosophies of his day as well as how to meditate. But after he had learned all they had to teach, his doubts and questions remained. so he and five disciples left to find enlightenment by themselves.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The six companions attempted to find release from suffering through physical discipline--enduring pain, holding their breath, fasting nearly to starvation. Yet Siddhartha was still unsatisfied. It occurred to him that in renouncing pleasure he had grasped pleasure's opposite--pain and self-mortification. Now Siddhartha considered a Middle Way between those two extremes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He remembered an experience from his childhood, when his mind had settled into a state of deep peace. The path of liberation was through discipline of mind. He realized that instead of starvation, he needed nourishment to build up his strength for the effort. But when he accepted a bowl of rice milk from a young girl, his companions assumed he had given up the quest and abandoned him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Enlightenment of the Buddha</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Siddhartha sat beneath a sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), known ever after as the Bodhi Tree, and settled into meditation.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The work of Siddhartha's mind came to be mythologized as a great battle with Mara, a demon whose name means "destruction' and who represents the passions that snare and delude us. Mara brought vast armies of monsters to attack Siddhartha, who sat still and untouched. Mara's most beautiful daughter tried to seduce Siddhartha, but this effort also failed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Finally, Mara claimed the seat of enlightenment rightfully belonged to him. Mara's spiritual accomplishments were greater than Siddhartha's, the demon said. Mara's monstrous soldiers cried out together, "I am his witness!" Mara challenged Siddhartha--who will speak for you?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Then Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and the earth itself roared, "I bear you witness!" Mara disappeared. And as the morning star rose in the sky, Siddhartha Gautama realized enlightenment and became a Buddha.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Teacher</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At first, the Buddha was reluctant to teach, because what he had realized could not be communicated in words. Only through discipline and clarity of mind would delusions fall away and the Great Reality could be directly experienced. Listeners without that direct experience would be stuck in conceptualizations and would surely misunderstand everything he said. But compassion persuaded him to make the attempt.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park in Isipatana, located in what is now the province of Uttar Pradesh, India. There he found the five companions who had abandoned him, and to them he preached his first sermon. This sermon has been preserved as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and centers on the Four Noble Truths. Instead of teaching doctrines about enlightenment, the Buddha chose to prescribe a path of practice through which people can realize enlightenment for themselves.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha devoted himself to teaching, attracting hundreds of followers. Eventually he became reconciled with his father, King Suddhodana. His wife, the devoted Yasodhara, became a nun and disciple. Rahula, his son, became a novice monk at the age of 7 and spent the rest of his life with his father.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Last Words</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Buddha tirelessly traveled and taught until his death at age 80. His last words to his followers:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation." </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>dimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-20088727225728213752010-07-02T16:36:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:31:43.767+07:00What is the Buddha?<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC203DWBAhI/AAAAAAAAAIs/lL_RCVYrDck/s1600/Buddha+image3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 187px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC203DWBAhI/AAAAAAAAAIs/lL_RCVYrDck/s320/Buddha+image3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489242378717954578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC20slReZCI/AAAAAAAAAIc/rfY-25RHXPw/s1600/Buddha+image1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 185px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC20slReZCI/AAAAAAAAAIc/rfY-25RHXPw/s320/Buddha+image1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489242198847153186" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Buddha is a Sanskrit word that means "awakened one." A Buddha is someone who has realized the enlightenment that ends the cycle of birth and death and which brings liberation from suffering.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Who's Who?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Is the fat guy Buddha, or is the skinny guy who meditates Buddha? They are both Buddha, but different Buddhas. The fat, laughing Buddha emerged from Chinese folklore in the 10th century. He is called Pu-tai in China and Hotei in Japan, and is said to be an incarnation of the future Buddha, Maitreya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Future Buddha</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The early Pali texts names six Buddhas who lived before the historical Buddha, and one who will come after, who is Maitreya. Theravada Buddhism teaches that there is only one Buddha per age, and the Buddha of our age is the historical Buddha, the person born Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th century BCE. (In Theravada Buddhism, other people who have realized enlightenment during this age are called Arhats.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He is also called Gautama (or Gotama) Buddha and the Tathagata (which means "he who is thus gone"). Mahayana Buddhists sometimes call him Shakyamuni Buddha, which means "sage of the Shakya." The Shakya was the historical Buddha's clan. As a rule, when English-speaking Buddhists refer to the Buddha, they are talking about the historical Buddha.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Other Buddhas</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So the Buddha pictured as meditating is the historical Buddha? Not always. Mahayana art and literature are populated by a number of other Buddhas.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />How Many Buddhas?</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC20_Oo0IOI/AAAAAAAAAI0/SmtKlQ7sUqA/s1600/Buddha+image2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TC20_Oo0IOI/AAAAAAAAAI0/SmtKlQ7sUqA/s320/Buddha+image2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489242519188545762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How many do you need? Seriously, it's not a fixed number. In Mahayana, Buddha-nature is the true nature of all beings. In a sense, everyone is Buddha. In the Zen monastery where I first studied Buddhism, the monks often pointed to the Buddha on the altar and said, "That's you."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To complicate matters further, the Mahayana doctrine of the Trikaya says that each Buddha has three bodies. These are called the dharmakaya, sambogakaya and nirmanakaya. Very simply, dharmakaya is the body of absolute truth, sambogakaya is the body that experiences the bliss of enlightenment, and nirmanakaya is the body that manifests in the world.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In Mahayana literature, there is an elaborate schema of transcendent and earthly Buddhas that correspond to each other and represent different aspects of the teachings. You will stumble into them in the Mahayana sutras and other writings, so it's good to be aware of who they are. As a rule, however, it's not necessary to know and memorize all the transcendent and earthly Buddhas to practice Mahayana Buddhism.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One exception might be Amitabha, or Amida, who has a special place in the Mahayana school known as Pure Land. Veneration of Amitabha is central to Pure Land Buddhism. This Buddha, who symbolizes mercy and wisdom, is most often pictured seated in a lotus blossom.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />All Buddhas Are One</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The most important thing to understand about the Trikaya is that the countless Buddhas are, ultimately, one Buddha, and the three bodies are also our own body. A person who has intimately experienced the three bodies and realized the truth of these teachings is called a Buddha. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>dimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-4374394452379307052010-07-02T06:42:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:33:18.926+07:00Historical Buddhist Sites<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">India</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Buddhist </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Historical</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sites</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHd1Z5SaI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/UyZ44bCQeso/s1600/Bodh+Gaya+buddha+art2.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 145px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHd1Z5SaI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/UyZ44bCQeso/s320/Bodh+Gaya+buddha+art2.jpeg" alt="india buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488910992479439266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHj1B1r1I/AAAAAAAAAEY/huKARaJNZcQ/s1600/Bodh+Gaya+buddha+art3.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 147px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHj1B1r1I/AAAAAAAAAEY/huKARaJNZcQ/s320/Bodh+Gaya+buddha+art3.jpeg" alt="india buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488911095457754962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHWBGxGHI/AAAAAAAAAEI/ACspxO6YCd4/s1600/Buddha+art+Bodh+Gaya.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 146px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyHWBGxGHI/AAAAAAAAAEI/ACspxO6YCd4/s320/Buddha+art+Bodh+Gaya.jpeg" alt="india buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488910858181482610" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">• Bodh Gaya (Bihar)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Before his death, the Buddha enjoined his followers to make pilgrimages to four sites Lumbini, where he was born; Uruvela (modern Bodh Gaya), the site of his enlightenment; Sarnath, the place of his first sermon; and Kushinara, where he died. Each of these sites may be visited today, and Bodh Gaya remains the most sacred of the four.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After the decline of Indian Buddhism in the 12th century, most Buddhist sites were destroyed or fell into disrepair. In 1891 the Sri Lankan Anagarika Dharmapala founded the Mahabodhi Society, which set out to reclaim Bodh Gaya for Buddhism; this was achieved in 1949. Bodh Gaya today is a busy centre of pilgrimage with monasteries and meditation centres run by Tibetan, Burmese, Thai and Vietnamese communities. Visitors will see a remote descendant of the bodhi tree, the magnificent but greatly restored 7th-century Mahabodhi temple, the Buddha's stone seat (vajra-asana) and a museum of Buddhist and Hindu materials.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">• Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Deer Park at Sarnath just north of Varanasi was the site of the Buddha's first discourse and today contains some of the most impressive Buddhist monuments in India. The beautiful park is dominated by the 5th-century Dhamekh stupa: one of two stupas marking the spot where the Buddha is said to have first taught the Dharma. The remains of smaller stupas, shrines, five monasteries and the lower half of an inscribed Ashokan column are among other monuments to have been excavated since the 19th century.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sarnath's archeological museum contains the Ashokan column's famous lion capital (emblem of the modern Indian state) and many other important works in stone, including a sublime figure of the teaching Buddha from the Gupta period (5th century). Like Bodh Gaya, Sarnath has a thriving international Buddhist community.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">• Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Perhaps the finest and most complete Buddhist monument in India is Sanchi's great stupa with its four magnificent free standing gates (toranas). The vast brick stupa itself dates from around the 3rd century BC, but its carved gates and railings were probably executed two centuries later during the Satavahana dynasty. Sanchi was excavated in the early 19th century, and the restoration of the site by British and French archeologists was initiated in 1912.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Visitors today, like traditional Buddhist worshippers, can circumambulate the stupa in a clockwise direction and contemplate the teeming sculptural forms that fill the gate posts and their lofty architraves. Jataka narratives, hieratic elephants and royal lions, Hindu-Buddhist deities and exquisite female nature spirits crowd every part of the four toranas. The small archeological museum houses excavated sculptures; other important Sanchi pieces are in museums in Delhi, London and Los Angeles.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">• Ajanta (Maharashtra)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The wild, crescent-shaped ravine pierced with more than twenty Buddhist cave temples makes this one of India's most spectacular sites. Many genres of early medieval sacred art, from elaborately carved monastic halls, to sculptures and wall paintings, are represented here, and prominent among Ajanta's glories are murals painted in glowing reds, blues and greens. Unique to Indian Buddhist tradition, the paintings, in high Gupta style, furnish a vision of Mahayana generosity: a mingling of human, divine and natural forms in a suspension of warm and life-enhancing interplay.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Most sublime in grace, compassion and serenity is the incomparable figure of Padmapani, the lotus carrying aspect of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (cave 1). Scenes from Jataka narratives adorn the walls of several other monasteries in the complex.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span>Nepal</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span> Buddhist </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span>Historical </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span> Sites</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyKt7vkamI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/TYkSq_qaA0Y/s1600/Napal+Buddhist+art4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 126px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyKt7vkamI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/TYkSq_qaA0Y/s200/Napal+Buddhist+art4.jpg" alt="Napal buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488914567593749090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJnJHym1I/AAAAAAAAAE4/RjqRYshpA18/s1600/Napal+Buddhist+art2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 128px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJnJHym1I/AAAAAAAAAE4/RjqRYshpA18/s200/Napal+Buddhist+art2.jpg" alt="Napal buddha ar" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488913351414291282" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJi43BlpI/AAAAAAAAAEw/5014zjuXtZ4/s1600/Napal+Buddhist+art.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJi43BlpI/AAAAAAAAAEw/5014zjuXtZ4/s200/Napal+Buddhist+art.jpg" alt="Napal buddha ar" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488913278329525906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJsBA3sBI/AAAAAAAAAFA/togb7du9c-I/s1600/Napal+Buddhist+art3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 129px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyJsBA3sBI/AAAAAAAAAFA/togb7du9c-I/s200/Napal+Buddhist+art3.jpg" alt="Napal buddha ar" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488913435137126418" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Kapilavastu and Lumbini</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, was born at Lumbini near the Shakyan capital of Kapilavastu in the southern region of Nepal known as the terai. The 5th-century Chinese pilgrim Fa-hsien described Kapilavastu as a "great scene of empty desolation", populated by a few monks, a score or two of families and dangerous animals such as lions and white elephants. Fa-hsien none the less visited well-known sites, including the Shakyan palace, the place where the child bodhisattva's identifying marks were discovered, and, east of the city, the garden of Lumbini where the future Buddha's mother bathed and gave birth. Mounds, stupas and other ruins testified to previous Buddhist institutional prosperity. Buddhist tradition tells that the emperor Ashoka visited Nepal in the 3rd century BC and erected a stupa and an inscribed column at Lumbini. Recent excavations have uncovered evidence of stupas, monastic dwellings and the well-preserved structure of the bathing-pool. The Ashokan column -rediscovered in 1896 but snapped in half by a lightning bolt - may also be seen at Lumbini. Theravada and Tibetan monasteries have been built in the past two decades near Lumbini, re-establishing the site as an important, although geographically remote, devotional centre.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Svayambhunath and Bodhnath (Kathmandu)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To commemorate his missionary visit, the emperor Ashoka is said to have built innumerable stupas in Nepal. Two surviving examples, much restored, may derive from the Ashokan period. These are the remarkable Svayambhunath and Bodhnath stupas in Kathmandu. Both stupas share unique Nepalese architectural features. Surmounting the conventional dome is a "steeple" raised on thirteen diminishing tiers to symbolize the thirteen Buddhist heavens. Yet more striking is the design of the square base (harmika) from which the tiers rise. The harmika is gilded, and a face gazes with immense eyes of inlaid metal and ivory from each side. One explanation for this unique Nepalese iconography is that the eyes suggest a solar cult expressed on some Hindu temples by "sun-faces". A second idea is that the temple represents the "Primal man" (mahapurusha) of early Hinduism. Buddhist theory would suggest that the eyes are a sign of the "all-seeing" Buddha. Visitors are certainly struck by the way in which the eyes follow them as they move round the stupa precincts.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sri Lanka</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span> Buddhist</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span> Historical </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span> Sites</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyORxOb2GI/AAAAAAAAAFo/NZ6a6OBR3v8/s1600/Sri+langka+buddhist+art2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyORxOb2GI/AAAAAAAAAFo/NZ6a6OBR3v8/s200/Sri+langka+buddhist+art2.jpg" alt="Sri langka buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488918481780594786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyN9zLXulI/AAAAAAAAAFY/B-P3MY0C01c/s1600/Sri+langka+buddhist+art.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyN9zLXulI/AAAAAAAAAFY/B-P3MY0C01c/s200/Sri+langka+buddhist+art.jpg" alt="Sri langka buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488918138707229266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyOXL_VGMI/AAAAAAAAAFw/OF4P8kfmbaE/s1600/Sri+langka+buddhist+art3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyOXL_VGMI/AAAAAAAAAFw/OF4P8kfmbaE/s200/Sri+langka+buddhist+art3.jpg" alt="Sri langka buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488918574864341186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Anuradhapura (north-central Sri Lanka)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today's Anuradhapura is a huge park containing the ruins of the Great Monastery (Mahavihara) established 250 B.C.E. on the outskirts of the ancient Singhalese capital. Anuradhapura is connected by an eight-mile (1 3km) pilgrim's path to Mihintale where the missionary Mahinda first preached and where an excavated stupa can be visited. Disinterred earlier this century from the jungle growth of more than a millennium, Anuradhapura's stupas, monastic ruins, sculptures, reservoirs, and a descendant of the original bodhi tree, provide an intense experience of ancient Buddhism. Dominating the site are two vast stupas with characteristic Singhalese "bubble domes". The Thuparama, although much restored, is probably the oldest monument in either India or Sri Lanka. The Ruwanweli Dagoba, is also heavily restored, and is clad in the undecorated white plaster which differentiates Singhalese stupa architecture from the more ornate Indian style.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At Anuradhapura a wonderful convergence of the modern and the archaic may be experienced. On May and June full moon days, the festivals of Wesak and Poson celebrate, respectively, the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana, and the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. At such festivals, Anuradhapura is enlivened by hundreds of thousands of devotees. For the modern day visitor, one of the great pleasures is touring Anuradhapura on a rented bicycle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Polonnaruwa (northeastern Sri Lanka)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">While Anuradhapura evokes the austerity of early Singhalese Buddhism, the later site of Polonnaruwa, wonderfully situated on Lake Topawewa, offers an unparalleled view of medieval Buddhist sculpture and architecture. There the visitor may see the immense recumbent parinirvana Buddha and the 25-foot (7.5m) rock-cut figure of Ananda standing by the head of the Master. There too is the colossal meditating Buddha, and the famous sculptured portrait of the sage-king Parakramabahu overlooking the lake and in contemplation of a manuscript.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Equally dazzling are the early 13th-century monuments situated on the "Great Quadrangle". These include the classically proportioned pyramidal brick stupa (Sat Mahal Pasada), the carved stonework of the "temple of the tooth relic" (not to be confused with the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy) and the waving lotus-stem-shaped columns of the Nissanka Lata Mandapaya.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Just as Anuradhapura was abandoned by the 8th century, Polonnaruwa was finally conquered by the Tamils in the 15th century. The art of Polonnaruwa represents the final flowering of Singhalese Buddhist art, still matchlessly preserved in land-locked jungle.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thailand</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Buddhist </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Historical </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sites</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyXKAXDelI/AAAAAAAAAGA/U_bpJ6-UezM/s1600/Thailand+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyXKAXDelI/AAAAAAAAAGA/U_bpJ6-UezM/s200/Thailand+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg" alt="Thailand buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488928244008974930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyXTtCyN8I/AAAAAAAAAGI/Asj3vU6lc20/s1600/Thailand+historical+buddhist+sites4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyXTtCyN8I/AAAAAAAAAGI/Asj3vU6lc20/s200/Thailand+historical+buddhist+sites4.jpg" alt="Thailand buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488928410622375874" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Bangkok and Ayutthaya</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Much important early and medieval Thai architecture was ruined in southeast Asian wars, but impressive 19th and 20th century Buddhist temples abound in Thailand, and in many parts of the country there are lovely archeological sites. In Bangkok, the Wat Phra Kaeo temple, built by King Rama 1 (1782-1809) in the precincts of his Grand Palace, is a spectacular monument to the Theravada Buddhist revival initiated in the 19th century. This temple is a centre of Thailand's religious life, symbolizing the close bond between the sangha (religious community) and state, and houses the "Emerald Buddha", a figurine of national importance to modern Thai people.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The southern Thai Ayutthaya period of the 14th to 18th centuries brought an influx of new architectural ideas from Sri Lanka. Perhaps the most beautifully preserved of Thailand's medieval monuments are at the Ayutthaya historical park, north of Bangkok. Of special interest are stupas with characteristic Thai "lotus bud" domes, and temple towers showing the influence both of medieval Khmer design and of "honeycombed" south Indian shikhara towers.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Cambodia</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" > Buddhist Historical Sites</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaQ_wbxQI/AAAAAAAAAGc/IfZ0OlFqY5k/s1600/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaQ_wbxQI/AAAAAAAAAGc/IfZ0OlFqY5k/s200/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg" alt="Thailand buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488931662640956674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaMkMEC9I/AAAAAAAAAGU/S1TnL48VTpQ/s1600/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaMkMEC9I/AAAAAAAAAGU/S1TnL48VTpQ/s200/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg" alt="Cambodia buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488931586521172946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaXF3yX0I/AAAAAAAAAGk/67vb1wmXOLM/s1600/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyaXF3yX0I/AAAAAAAAAGk/67vb1wmXOLM/s200/Cambodia+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg" alt="Cambodia buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488931767361625922" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Angkor Wat</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After a horrifying period of war, the Hindu temple complex of Angkor Wat and the Buddhist Angkor Thom are again accessible. Angkor Thom was the creation of the Khmer "god-king" Jayavarman VII (1181-1219), who converted to Mahayana following the destruction of Angkor by the Cham (Vietnamese) during his father's reign. Jayavarman's Buddhism seems to have been a revised version of the Brahmanical religion which previous Khmer kings had exploited to deify their own persons. The central deity in Jayavarman's religion was Lokeshvara, "Lord of the Worlds", and rebuilding Angkor Thom on a stupendously grand scale, the king created a "Buddhist" city as a monument to Lokeshvara, who was an aspect of Jayavarman's divine self. This convergence of king and deity is still visible in the portrait masks of Jayavarman carved on the four faces of the Bayon temple towers of Angkor Thorn.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Like Borobudur and many other southeast Asian temples, Angkor Thom was conceived as a model of the Buddhist universe. At the centre of an immense complex of shrines is the great Bayon temple with its cluster of five towers, the tallest of which represents Mount Meru, the cosmic axis. The whole of Angkor was moated with 100 yards (90m) of water and criss-crossed by a brilliantly engineered system of canals: the water motif symbolizing the cosmic ocean and the world's four sacred rivers and - not least - acting as an irrigation system. Much of the power of Angkor Thom emanates from a profusion of hybridized</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hindu-Buddhist iconography, carved in a wild, sweet style on the gates and terraces of Jayavarman's temple-mountain. The god-king's portrait gazing across his shattered domain adds sinister pathos.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Indonesia Buddhist </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Historical </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Sites</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCycMDEDztI/AAAAAAAAAGs/IQi47OUJMDk/s1600/Indonesia+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCycMDEDztI/AAAAAAAAAGs/IQi47OUJMDk/s200/Indonesia+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg" alt="Indonesia Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488933776652488402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCycVDEiU9I/AAAAAAAAAG8/T5b6pBxCNQk/s1600/Indonesia+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCycVDEiU9I/AAAAAAAAAG8/T5b6pBxCNQk/s200/Indonesia+historical+buddhist+sites3.jpg" alt="Indonesia Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488933931273311186" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Borobudur</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Borobudur Temple complex is one of the greatest monuments in the world. It is of uncertain age, but thought to have been built between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century A.D. For about a century and a half it was the spiritual centre of Buddhism in Java, then it was lost until its rediscovery in the eighteenth century. The structure, composed of 55,000 square metres of lava-rock is erected on a hill in the form of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Besides being the highest symbol of Buddhism, the Borobudur stupa is also a replica of the universe. It symbolises the micro-cosmos, which is divided into three levels, in which man's world of desire is influenced by negative impulses; the middle level, the world in which man has control of his negative impulses and uses his positive impulses; the highest level, in which the world of man is no longer bounded by physical and worldly desire. It is ancient devotional practice to circumambulate around the galleries and terraces always turning to the left and keeping the edifice to the right while either chanting or meditating. In total, Borobudur represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva's life which a person must develop to become a Buddha or an awakened one.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tibet</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" > Buddhist </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Historical </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" > Sites</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCydM4JLkhI/AAAAAAAAAHM/jFm5Htb9EVA/s1600/Tibet+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCydM4JLkhI/AAAAAAAAAHM/jFm5Htb9EVA/s200/Tibet+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg" alt="Tibet Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488934890412675602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCydFkmNZ1I/AAAAAAAAAHE/iJ5opSMF3uE/s1600/Tibet+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 149px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCydFkmNZ1I/AAAAAAAAAHE/iJ5opSMF3uE/s200/Tibet+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg" alt="Tibet Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488934764906637138" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Lhasa</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Visitors may currently enter Tibet from mainland China, Hong Kong or Nepal, if they have a visa for China; the Chinese authorities maintain "closed" areas, but most of the country is accessible. In the holy city of Lhasa, the Dalai Lama's Potala Palace, like many Tibetan monasteries, is now a state museum. Unlike countless shrines and monasteries destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, both the structure and contents of the Potala are preserved. Symbol of the protection of Avalokiteshvara and of the greater Tibetan Buddhist community, the Potala still towers imposingly over Lhasa, and contains countless treasures from the 17th century, including murals, thankas, mandalas, altars, and the famous statue in sandalwood of Padmapani.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Jokhang monastery, southeast of the Potala, is the most sacred of all Tibetan pilgrimage sites. Somehow surviving the barbarities of the Cultural Revolution, the Jokhang retains its famous gilded roof, and the "Four Deities Radiating Light" may still be seen in their shrine. The Jokhang remains a living monastery; but it may also be visited, like other sacred sites, as a "museum".</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">China</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" > Buddist Historical Sites</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCye7F0zMnI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jHuth_iXZ_A/s1600/Chinese+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCye7F0zMnI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jHuth_iXZ_A/s200/Chinese+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg" alt="Chinese Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488936783870898802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCye3rY3sDI/AAAAAAAAAHU/Es3KHlWbHGw/s1600/Chinese+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCye3rY3sDI/AAAAAAAAAHU/Es3KHlWbHGw/s200/Chinese+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg" alt="Chinese Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488936725234823218" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Yung-kang (Shansi) and Lung-men (Honan) caves</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yung-kang is one of the most remarkable Buddhist sites for the massive simplicity of its immense rock-carved Buddhas and the delicate ornamentation of its narrative reliefs. Work on the cave shrines was started by the emperor of the first Wei dynasty in AD 460, in response to persecution of Buddhists over the previous twenty years. In the next decades, in the limestone river cliffs at Lung-men (5th-6th centuries), Wei dynasty monumental carving achieved a spiritual and aesthetic perfection never repeated. The giant Buddhas at Yung-kang recall Indian prototypes; at Lung-men early Buddhist and Mahayana motifs converge in a graceful, serene and authentically Chinese idiom.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Japan</span> Buddhist Historical Sites </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyfi3vCb2I/AAAAAAAAAHs/2kvjZd1wHaI/s1600/japanese+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyfi3vCb2I/AAAAAAAAAHs/2kvjZd1wHaI/s200/japanese+historical+buddhist+sites2.jpg" alt="Japanese Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488937467283402594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyfff2IJEI/AAAAAAAAAHk/eUCyqVeJTFE/s1600/japanese+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCyfff2IJEI/AAAAAAAAAHk/eUCyqVeJTFE/s200/japanese+historical+buddhist+sites.jpg" alt="Japanes Buddha art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488937409331078210" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">• Nara and Kyoto</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Nara, the Japanese imperial capital in the 8th century, remains one of the great centres of East Asian Buddhist history. In and around Nara's historic park are pagodas, early Buddhist and Shinto shrines, formal gardens, the important Nara National Museum, and not least the Todai-ji temple with its immense bronze Buddha statue.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The beauty of old Kyoto lies in its numerous Zen temples dating from the Hieian period, and the famous gardens - "hill gardens" featuring water, and dry gardens featuring rock and sand - of temples such as Tenryuji and Ryoan-ji. Zen is a living tradition and Western students are accepted at some temples in Kyoto as well as in many of the more remote monasteries in the north of the island.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>dimrockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00527781429692507951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375648265347534660.post-80464907507892528192010-07-02T05:53:00.000+07:002010-07-02T18:32:59.837+07:00Northern Buddhist Art<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxwz-v6pUI/AAAAAAAAACY/6pehWmmWH8k/s1600/Nortern+Buddhist+art.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 194px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxwz-v6pUI/AAAAAAAAACY/6pehWmmWH8k/s400/Nortern+Buddhist+art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488886084177405250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to Central Asia, China and ultimately Korea and Japan started in the 1st century CE with a semi-legendary account of an embassy sent to the West by the Chinese Emperor Ming (58-75 AD). However, extensive contacts started in the 2nd century CE, probably as a consequence of the expansion of the Kushan Empire into the Chinese territory of the Tarim Basin, with the missionary efforts of a great number of Central Asian Buddhist monks to Chinese lands. The first missionaries and translators of Buddhists scriptures into Chinese, such as Lokaksema, were either Parthian, Kushan, Sogdian or Kuchean.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Central Asian missionary efforts along the Silk Road were accompanied by a flux of artistic influences, visible in the development of Serindian art from the 2nd through the 11th century AD in the Tarim Basin, modern Xinjiang. Serindian art often derives from the Greco-Buddhist art of the Gandhara district of what is now Pakistan, combining Indian, Greek and Roman influences. Silk Road Greco-Buddhist artistic influences can be found as far as Japan to this day, in architectural motifs, Buddhist imagery, and a select few representations of Japanese gods.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The art of the northern route was also highly influenced by the development of Mahāyāna Buddhism, an inclusive branch of Buddhism characterized by the adoption of new texts, in addition to the traditional āgamas, and a shift in the understanding of Buddhism. Mahāyāna goes beyond the traditional Early Buddhist ideal of the release from suffering (duḥkha) of arhats, and emphasizes the bodhisattva path. The Mahāyāna sutras elevate the Buddha to a transcendent and infinite being, and feature a pantheon of bodhisattvas devoting themselves to the Six Perfections, ultimate knowledge (Prajñāpāramitā), enlightenment, and the liberation of all sentient beings. Northern Buddhist art thus tends to be characterized by a very rich and syncretic Buddhist pantheon, with a multitude of images of the various buddhas, bodhisattvas, and heavenly beings (devas).</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/GBA1%28trimmed%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 600px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/GBA1%28trimmed%29.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Afghanistan" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Buddha Art Afghanistan styl</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >e</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Buddhist art in Afghanistan (old Bactria) persisted for several centuries until the spread of Islam in the 7th century. It is exemplified by the Buddhas of Bamyan. Other sculptures, in stucco, schist or clay, display very strong blending of Indian post-Gupta mannerism and Classical influence, Hellenistic or possibly even Greco-Roman.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Although Islamic rule was somewhat tolerant of other religions "of the Book", it showed little tolerance for Buddhism, which was perceived as a religion depending on "idolatry". Human figurative art forms also being prohibited under Islam, Buddhist art suffered numerous attacks, which culminated with the systematic destructions by the Taliban regime. The Buddhas of Bamyan, the sculptures of Hadda, and many of the remaining artifacts at the Afghanistan museum have been destroyed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The multiple conflicts since the 1980s also have led to a systematic pillage of archaeological sites apparently in the hope of reselling in the international market what artifacts could be found.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxfVNa_HzI/AAAAAAAAAAo/nLmYp4da-m4/s1600/Buddha+art+in+central+asia.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 170px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxfVNa_HzI/AAAAAAAAAAo/nLmYp4da-m4/s200/Buddha+art+in+central+asia.jpg" alt="Buddha atr in central asia" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488866863842533170" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art in Central Asia</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Central Asia long played the role of a meeting place between China, India and Persia. During the 2nd century BCE, the expansion of the Former Han to the West led to increased contact with the Hellenistic civilizations of Asia, especially the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Serindian art, 6th-7th century terracotta, Tumshuq (Xinjiang).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thereafter, the expansion of Buddhism to the North led to the formation of Buddhist communities and even Buddhist kingdoms in the oasis of Central Asia. Some Silk Road cities consisted almost entirely of Buddhist stupas and monasteries, and it seems that one of their main objectives was to welcome and service travelers between East and West.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The eastern part of Central Asia (Chinese Turkestan (Tarim Basin, Xinjiang) in particular has revealed an extremely rich Serindian art (wall paintings and reliefs in numerous caves, portable paintings on canvas, sculpture, ritual objects), displaying multiple influences from Indian and Hellenistic cultures. Works of art reminiscent of the Gandharan style, as well as scriptures in the Gandhari script Kharoshti have been found. These influences were rapidly absorbed however by the vigorous Chinese culture, and a strongly Chinese particularism develops from that point.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddha Art in China</span></span></span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxipDBNVbI/AAAAAAAAAAw/fafxjFtSZD8/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxipDBNVbI/AAAAAAAAAAw/fafxjFtSZD8/s200/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488870503182325170" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Northern Dynasties</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A Chinese Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya, 443 AD.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In the 5th to 6th centuries, the Northern Dynasties, developed rather symbolic and abstract modes of representation, with schematic lines. Their style is also said to be solemn and majestic. The lack of corporeality of this art, and its distance from the original Buddhist objective of expressing the pure ideal of enlightenment in an accessible and realistic manner, progressively led to a change towards more naturalism and realism, leading to the expression of Tang Buddhist art.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Sites preserving Northern Wei Dynasty Buddhist sculpture:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> * Longmen Grottoes, Henan</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> * Bingling Temple, Gansu<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxmMs4gV7I/AAAAAAAAAA4/0GLhyZs19SI/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty2.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxmMs4gV7I/AAAAAAAAAA4/0GLhyZs19SI/s200/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488874414250416050" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="mw-headline" id="Tang_Dynasty"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tang Dynasty</span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Following a transition under the Sui Dynasty, Buddhist sculpture of the Tang evolved towards a markedly life-like expression. Because of the dynasty’s openness to foreign influences, and renewed exchanges with Indian culture due to the numerous travels of Chinese Buddhist monks to India, Tang dynasty Buddhist sculpture assumed a rather classical form, inspired by the Indian art of the Gupta period. During that time, the Tang capital of Chang'an (today's Xi'an) became an important center for Buddhism. From there Buddhism spread to Korea, and Japanese embassies of Kentoshi helped it gain a foothold in Japan.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tang Bodhisattva.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However, foreign influences came to be negatively perceived in China towards the end of the Tang dynasty. In the year 845, the Tang emperor Wuzong outlawed all "foreign" religions (including Christian Nestorianism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism) in order to support the indigenous religion, Taoism. He confiscated Buddhist possessions, and forced the faith to go underground, therefore affecting the development of the religion and its arts in China.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Chán Buddhism however, as the origin of Japanese Zen, continued to prosper for some centuries, especially under the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when Chan monasteries were great centers of culture and learning.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxngVE4x8I/AAAAAAAAABI/uS9oveS0Cok/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty3.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxngVE4x8I/AAAAAAAAABI/uS9oveS0Cok/s200/Buddha+art+in+Tang+Dynasty3.JPG" alt="Buddha art in Tang Dynasty" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488875850968909762" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The popularization of Buddhism in China has made the country home to one of the richest collections of Buddhist arts in the world. The Mogao Caves near Dunhuang and the Bingling Temple caves near Yongjing in Gansu province, the Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang in Henan province, the Yungang Grottoes near Datong in Shanxi province, and the Dazu Rock Carvings near Chongqing municipality are among the most important and renowned Buddhist sculptural sites. The Leshan Giant Buddha, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty and looking down on the confluence of three rivers, is still the largest stone Buddha statue in the world.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddha Art in Korea<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Korean Buddhist art generally reflects an interaction between Chinese Buddhist influence and a strongly original Korean culture. Additionally, the art of the steppes, particularly Siberian and Scythian influences, are evident in early Korean Buddhist art based on the excavation of artifacts and burial goods such as Silla royal crowns, belt buckles, daggers, and comma-shaped gogok. The style of this indigenous art was geometric, abstract and richly adorned with a characteristic "barbarian" luxury. Although Chinese influence was strong, Korean Buddhist art "bespeaks a sobriety, taste for the right tone, a sense of abstraction but also of colours that curiously enough are in line with contemporary taste" (Pierre Cambon, Arts asiatiques- Guimet').</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxp5Q-mMrI/AAAAAAAAABY/9fUgW9S0LrU/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Korea.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 238px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxp5Q-mMrI/AAAAAAAAABY/9fUgW9S0LrU/s200/Buddha+art+in+Korea.jpg" alt="Buddha Art in Korea" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488878478388769458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Three Kingdoms of Korea</span><br />Bangasayusang, semi-seated contemplative Maitreya probably from Silla circa early 7th century.<br />The first of the Three Kingdoms of Korea to officially receive Buddhism was Goguryeo in 372. However, Chinese records and the use of Buddhist motifs in Goguryeo murals indicate the introduction of Buddhism earlier than the official date. The Baekje Kingdom officially recognized Buddhism in 384. The Silla Kingdom, isolated and with no easy sea or land access to China, officially adopted Buddhism in 535 although the foreign religion was known in the kingdom due to the work of Goguryeo monks since the early fifth century. The introduction of Buddhism stimulated the need for artisans to create images for veneration, architects for temples, and the literate for the Buddhist sutras and transformed Korean civilization. Particularly important in the transmission of sophisticated art styles to the Korean kingdoms was the art of the "barbarian" Tuoba, a clan of non-Han Chinese Xianbei people who established the Northern Wei Dynasty in China in 386. The Northern Wei style was particularly influential in the art of the Goguryeo and Baekje. Baekje artisans later transmitted this style along with Southern Dynasty elements and distinct Korean elements to Japan. Korean artisans were highly selective of the styles they incorporated and combined different regional styles together to create a specific Korean Buddhist art style.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxqkitOKaI/AAAAAAAAABg/5nngicKqFBs/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Korea2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 234px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxqkitOKaI/AAAAAAAAABg/5nngicKqFBs/s200/Buddha+art+in+Korea2.jpg" alt="Buddha atr in Korea" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488879221882104226" border="0" /></a>While Goguryeo Buddhist art exhibited vitality and mobility akin with Northern Wei prototypes, the Baekje Kingdom was also in close contact with the Southern Dynasties of China and this close diplomatic contact is exemplified in the gentle and proportional sculpture of the Baekje, epitomized by Baekje sculpture exhibiting the fathomless smile known to art historians as the Baekje smile. The Silla Kingdom also developed a distinctive Buddhist art tradition epitomized by the Bangasayusang, a half-seated contemplative maitreya whose Korean-made twin, the Miroku Bosatsu, was sent to Japan as a proselytizing gift and now resides in the Koryu-ji Temple in Japan. Buddhism in the Three Kingdoms period stimulated massive temple-building projects, such as the Mireuksa Temple in the Baekje Kingdom and the Hwangnyongsa Temple in Silla. Baekje architects were famed for their skill and were instrumental in building the massive nine-story pagoda at Hwangnyongsa and early Buddhist temples in Yamato Japan such as Hoko-ji (Asuka-dera) and Hōryū-ji. Sixth century Korean Buddhist art exhibited the cultural influences of China and India but began to show distinctive indigenous characteristics. These indigenous characteristics can be seen in early Buddhist art in Japan and some early Japanese Buddhist sculpture is now believed to have originated in Korea, particularly from Baekje, or Korean artisans who immigrated to Yamato Japan. Particularly, the semi-seated Maitreya form was adapted into a highly developed Korean style which was transmitted to Japan as evidenced by the Koryu-ji Miroku Bosatsu and the Chugu-ji Siddhartha statues. Although many historians portray Korea as a mere transmitter of Buddhism, the Three Kingdoms, and particularly Baekje, were instrumental as active agents in the introduction and formation of a Buddhist tradition in Japan in 538 or 552.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxryEvUzNI/AAAAAAAAABo/Z84ToEuMp78/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Korea3.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxryEvUzNI/AAAAAAAAABo/Z84ToEuMp78/s200/Buddha+art+in+Korea3.jpg" alt="Buddha atr in koea" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488880553867660498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Unified Silla</span><br />The Goryeo era Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda sits on the first floor of the National Museum of Korea.<br />During the Unified Silla period, East Asia was particularly stable with China and Korea both enjoying unified governments. Early Unified Silla art combined Silla styles and Baekje styles. Korean Buddhist art was also influenced by new Tang Dynasty styles as evidenced by a new popular Buddhist motif with full-faced Buddha sculptures. Tang China was the cross roads of East, Central, and South Asia and so the Buddhist art of this time period exhibit the so-called international style. State-sponsored Buddhist art flourished during this period, the epitome of which is the Seokguram Grotto.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Goryeo Dynasty</span><br />The fall of the Unified Silla Dynasty and the establishment of the Goryeo Dynasty in 918 indicates a new period of Korean Buddhist art. The Goryeo kings also lavishly sponsored Buddhism and Buddhist art flourished, especially Buddhist paintings and illuminated sutras written in gold and silver ink.. The crowning achievement of this period is the carving of approximately 80,000 woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana which was done twice.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Joseon Dynasty</span><br />The Joseon Dynasty actively suppressed Buddhism beginning in 1406 and Buddhist temples and art production subsequently decline in quality in quantity although beginning in 1549, Buddhist art does continue to be produced<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art in Japan</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxtu7S7xOI/AAAAAAAAABw/HrgjPGBxIMo/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Japan.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 232px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxtu7S7xOI/AAAAAAAAABw/HrgjPGBxIMo/s200/Buddha+art+in+Japan.jpg" alt="Buddha art Japanese stlye" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488882698816308450" border="0" /></a>Before the introduction of Buddhism, Japan had already been the seat of various cultural (and artistic) influences, from the abstract linear decorative art of the indigenous Neolithic Jōmon from around 10500 BC to 300 BC, to the art during the Yayoi and Kofun periods, with developments such as Haniwa art.<br /><br />The Japanese discovered Buddhism in the 6th century when missionary monks travelled to the islands together with numerous scriptures and works of art. The Buddhist religion was adopted by the state in the following century. Being geographically at the end of the Silk Road, Japan was able to preserve many aspects of Buddhism at the very time it was disappearing in India, and being suppressed in Central Asia and China.<br />Scroll calligraphy of Bodhidharma "Zen points directly to the human heart, see into your nature and become Buddha", by Hakuin Ekaku (1686 to 1769)<br /><br />From 711, numerous temples and monasteries were built in the capital city of Nara, including a five-story pagoda, the Golden Hall of the Horyuji, and the Kōfuku-ji temple. Countless paintings and sculptures were made, often under governmental sponsorship. Indian, Hellenistic, Chinese and Korean artistic influences blended into an original style characterized by realism and gracefulness. The creation of Japanese Buddhist art was especially rich between the 8th and 13th centuries during the periods of Nara, Heian and Kamakura. Japan developed an extremely rich figurative art for the pantheon of Buddhist deities, sometimes combined with Hindu and Shinto influences. This art can be very varied, creative and bold.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxuckDfbmI/AAAAAAAAACA/ikeNFtNkPsE/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Japan2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxuckDfbmI/AAAAAAAAACA/ikeNFtNkPsE/s320/Buddha+art+in+Japan2.jpg" alt="Buddha atr Japanese style" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488883482851503714" border="0" /></a><br />From the 12th and 13th, a further development was Zen art, following the introduction of the faith by Dogen and Eisai upon their return from China. Zen art is mainly characterized by original paintings (such as sumi-e) and poetry (especially haikus), striving to express the true essence of the world through impressionistic and unadorned "non-dualistic" representations. The search for enlightenment "in the moment" also led to the development of other important derivative arts such as the Chanoyu tea ceremony or the Ikebana art of flower arrangement. This evolution went as far as considering almost any human activity as an art with a strong spiritual and aesthetic content, first and foremost in those activities related to combat techniques (martial arts).<br /><br />Buddhism remains very active in Japan to this day. Still around 80,000 Buddhist temples are preserved. Many of them are in wood and are regularly restored.<br /><br /><br /><br /><h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Tibet_and_Bhutan">Buddha Art In Tibet and Bhutan</span></h3><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxvTfSFDSI/AAAAAAAAACI/nK6-C6NsryU/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Tibet+and+Bhutan.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 319px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCxvTfSFDSI/AAAAAAAAACI/nK6-C6NsryU/s320/Buddha+art+in+Tibet+and+Bhutan.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Tibet and Bhutan " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488884426463317282" border="0" /></a>Tantric Buddhism started as a movement in eastern India around the 5th or the 6th century. Many of the practices of Tantric Buddhism are derived from Brahmanism (the usage of mantras, yoga, or the burning of sacrificial offerings). Tantrism became the dominant form of Buddhism in Tibet from the 8th century. Due to its geographical centrality in Asia, Tibetan Buddhist art received influence from Indian, Nepali, Greco-Buddhist and Chinese art.<br /><br />One of the most characteristic creations of Tibetan Buddhist art are the mandalas, diagrams of a "divine temple" made of a circle enclosing a square, the purpose of which is to help Buddhist devotees focus their attention through meditation and follow the path to the central image of the Buddha. Artistically, Buddhist Gupta art and Hindu art tend to be the two strongest inspirations of Tibetan art.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art in Vietnam</span><br />Chinese influence was predominant in the north of Vietnam (Tonkin) between the 1st and 9th centuries, and Confucianism and Mahayana Buddhism were prevalent. Overall, the art of Vietnam has been strongly influenced by Chinese Buddhist art.<br />In the south thrived the former kingdom of Champa (before it was later overtaken by the Vietnamese from the north). Champa had a strongly Indianized art, just as neighboring Cambodia. Many of its statues were characterized by rich body adornments. The capital of the kingdom of Champa was annexed by Vietnam in 1471, and it totally collapsed in the 1720s, while Cham people remain an abundant minority across Southeast Asia.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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It developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century due in part to the vigorous expansion of Islam alongside Hinduism.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/04/25/z_p25-Gandhara-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 390px;" src="http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/04/25/z_p25-Gandhara-1.jpg" alt="Buddha art in 1st century" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddist art in 5th century - 1st century BCE</span><br /><br /></div>During the 2nd to 1st century BCE, sculptures became more explicit, representing episodes of the Buddha’s life and teachings. These took the form of votive tablets or friezes, usually in relation to the decoration of stupas. Although India had a long sculptural tradition and a mastery of rich iconography, the Buddha was never represented in human form, but only through Buddhist symbolism. This period may have been aniconic.<br /><br />This reluctance towards anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, and the sophisticated development of aniconic symbols to avoid it (even in narrative scene where other human figures would appear), seems to be connected to 70 of the Buddha’s sayings, reported in the Dighanikaya, that disfavored representations of himself after the extinction of his body. This tendency remained as late as the 2nd century CE in the southern parts of India, in the art of the Amaravati school (see: Mara's assault on the Buddha). It has been argued that earlier anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha may have been made of wood and may have perished since then. However, no related archaeological evidence has been found.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Gandhara_Buddha_%28tnm%29.jpeg/170px-Gandhara_Buddha_%28tnm%29.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 282px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Gandhara_Buddha_%28tnm%29.jpeg/170px-Gandhara_Buddha_%28tnm%29.jpeg" alt="Buddha art 1st century AD – present" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Iconic phase (1st century AD – present)</span><br /><br />Anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha started to emerge from the 1st century AD in Northern India. The two main centers of creation have been identified as Gandhara in today’s North West Frontier Province, in Pakistan, and the region of Mathura, in central northern India.<br /><br />The art of Gandhara benefited from centuries of interaction with Greek culture since the conquests of Alexander the Great in 332 BC and the subsequent establishment of the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Kingdoms, leading to the development of Greco-Buddhist art. Gandharan Buddhist sculpture displays Greek artistic influence, and it has been suggested that the concept of the "man-god" was essentially inspired by Greek mythological culture. Artistically, the Gandharan school of sculpture is said to have contributed wavy hair, drapery covering both shoulders, shoes and sandals, acanthus leaf decorations, etc.<br /><br />The art of Mathura tends to be based on a strong Indian tradition, exemplified by the anthropomorphic representation of divinities such as the Yaksas, although in a style rather archaic compared to the later representations of the Buddha. The Mathuran school contributed clothes covering the left shoulder of thin muslin, the wheel on the palm, the lotus seat, etc.<br /><br />Mathura and Gandhara also strongly influenced each other. During their artistic florescence, the two regions were even united politically under the Kushans, both being capitals of the empire. It is still a matter of debate whether the anthropomorphic representations of Buddha was essentially a result of a local evolution of Buddhist art at Mathura, or a consequence of Greek cultural influence in Gandhara through the Greco-Buddhist syncretism.<br />Representation of the Buddha in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, 1st century AD.<br /><br />This iconic art was characterized from the start by a realistic idealism, combining realistic human features, proportions, attitudes and attributes, together with a sense of perfection and serenity reaching to the divine. This expression of the Buddha as both man and God became the iconographic canon for subsequent Buddhist art.<br /><br />Buddhist art continued to develop in India for a few more centuries. The pink sandstone sculptures of Mathura evolved during the Gupta period (4th to 6th century) to reach a very high fineness of execution and delicacy in the modeling. The art of the Gupta school was extremely influential almost everywhere in the rest of Asia. By the 10th century, Buddhist art creation was dying out in India, as Hinduism and Islam ultimately prevailed.<br /><br />As Buddhism expanded outside of India from the 1st century AD, its original artistic package blended with other artistic influences, leading to a progressive differentiation among the countries adopting the faith.<br /><br /> * A Northern route was established from the 1st century CE through Central Asia, Tibet, Bhutan, China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, in which Mahayana Buddhism prevailed.<br /> * A Southern route, where Theravada Buddhism dominated, went through Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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This demand revived the sea connections between the Mediterranean Sea and China, with India as the intermediary of choice. From that time, through trade connections, commercial settlements, and even political interventions, India started to strongly influence Southeast Asian countries. Trade routes linked India with southern Burma, central and southern Siam, lower Cambodia and southern Vietnam, and numerous urbanized coastal settlements were established there.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A Cambodian Buddha, 14th century</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For more than a thousand years, Indian influence was therefore the major factor that brought a certain level of cultural unity to the various countries of the region. The Pali and Sanskrit languages and the Indian script, together with Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, Brahmanism and Hinduism, were transmitted from direct contact and through sacred texts and Indian literature such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. This expansion provided the artistic context for the development of Buddhist art in these countries, which then developed characteristics of their own.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Between the 1st and 8th centuries, several kingdoms competed for influence in the region (particularly the Cambodian Funan then the Burmese Mon kingdoms) contributing various artistic characteristics, mainly derived from the Indian Gupta style. Combined with a pervading Hindu influence, Buddhist images, votive tablets and Sanskrit inscriptions are found throughout the area.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">From the 9th to the 13th centuries, Southeast Asia had very powerful empires and became extremely active in Buddhist architectural and artistic creation. The Sri Vijaya Empire to the south and the Khmer Empire to the north competed for influence, but both were adherents of Mahayana Buddhism, and their art expressed the rich Mahayana pantheon of the Bodhisattvas. The Theravada Buddhism of the Pali canon was introduced to the region around the 13th century from Sri Lanka, and was adopted by the newly founded ethnic Thai kingdom of Sukhothai. Since in Theravada Buddhism only monks can reach Nirvana, the construction of temple complexes plays a particularly important role in the artistic expression of Southeast Asia from that time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">From the 14th century, the main factor was the spread of Islam to the maritime areas of Southeast Asia, overrunning Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of the islands as far as the Philippines. In the continental areas, Theravada Buddhism continued to expand into Burma, Laos and Cambodia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddha Art In Myanmar</span></span><br /><br />A neighbor of India, Myanmar was naturally strongly influenced by the eastern part of Indian territory. The Mon of southern Burma are said to have been converted to Buddhism around 200 BC under the proselytizing of the Indian king Ashoka, before the schism between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.<br /><br />Early Buddhist temples are found, such as Beikthano in central Myanmar, with dates between the 1st and the 5th centuries. The Buddhist art of the Mons was especially influenced by the Indian art of the Gupta and post-Gupta periods, and their mannerist style spread widely in Southeast Asia following the expansion of the Mon Empire between the 5th and 8th centuries.<br /><br />Later, thousands of Buddhist temples were built at Bagan, the capital, between the 11th and 13th centuries, and around 2,000 of them are still standing. Beautiful jeweled statues of the Buddha are remaining from that period. Creation managed to continue despite the seizure of the city by the Mongols in 1287.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx1EevEK6I/AAAAAAAAAC4/0g-CBN2EZO4/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Cambodia.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 272px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx1EevEK6I/AAAAAAAAAC4/0g-CBN2EZO4/s400/Buddha+art+in+Cambodia.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Campodia" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488890765688187810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art In Cambodia</span><br />Bodhisattva Lokesvara, Cambodia 12th century.<br />Cambodia was the center of the Funan kingdom, which expanded into Burma and as far south as Malaysia between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE. Its influence seems to have been essentially political, most of the cultural influence coming directly from India.<br /><br />Later, from the 9th to 13th centuries, the Mahayana Buddhist and Hindu Khmer Empire dominated vast parts of the Southeast Asian peninsula, and its influence was foremost in the development of Buddhist art in the region. Under the Khmer, more than 900 temples were built in Cambodia and in neighboring Thailand.<br /><br />Angkor was at the center of this development, with a Buddhist temple complex and urban organization able to support around 1 million urban dwellers. A great deal of Cambodian Buddhist sculpture is preserved at Angkor; however, organized looting has had a heavy impact on many sites around the country.<br /><br />Often, Khmer art manages to express intense spirituality through divinely beaming expressions, in spite of spare features and slender lines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art In Thailand</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx1iLF-tKI/AAAAAAAAADA/o3tGenrNIXQ/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Thailand.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 293px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx1iLF-tKI/AAAAAAAAADA/o3tGenrNIXQ/s400/Buddha+art+in+Thailand.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Thailand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488891275811665058" border="0" /></a>From the 1st to the 7th centuries, Buddhist art in Thailand was first influenced by direct contact with Indian traders and the expansion of the Mon kingdom, leading to the creation of Hindu and Buddhist art inspired from the Gupta tradition, with numerous monumental statues of great virtuosity.<br /><br />From the 9th century, the various schools of Thai art then became strongly influenced by Cambodian Khmer art in the north and Sri Vijaya art in the south, both of Mahayana faith. Up to the end of that period, Buddhist art is characterized by a clear fluidness in the expression, and the subject matter is characteristic of the Mahayana pantheon with multiple creations of Bodhisattvas.<br /><br />From the 13th century, Theravada Buddhism was introduced from Sri Lanka around the same time as the ethnic Thai kingdom of Sukhothai was established. The new faith inspired highly stylized images in Thai Buddhism, with sometimes very geometrical and almost abstract figures.<br /><br />During the Ayutthaya period (14th-18th centuries), the Buddha came to be represented in a more stylistic manner with sumptuous garments and jeweled ornamentations. Many Thai sculptures or temples tended to be gilded, and on occasion enriched with inlays.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx2TNzeaNI/AAAAAAAAADQ/tdqvsBl18JU/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 227px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx2TNzeaNI/AAAAAAAAADQ/tdqvsBl18JU/s400/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Indonesia" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488892118352947410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Buddha Art in Indonesia</span><br /><br />Like the rest of Southeast Asia, Indonesia seems to have been most strongly influenced by India from the 1st century AD. The islands of Sumatra and Java in western Indonesia were the seat of the empire of Sri Vijaya (8th-13th century CE), which came to dominate most of the area around the Southeast Asian peninsula through maritime power. The Sri Vijayan Empire had adopted Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, under a line of rulers named the Sailendra. Sri Vijaya spread Mahayana Buddhist art during its expansion into the Southeast Asian peninsula. Numerous statues of Mahayana Bodhisattvas from this period are characterized by a very strong refinement and technical sophistication, and are found throughout the region.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx2q0wwMfI/AAAAAAAAADY/03bZQkBEZVU/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 244px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx2q0wwMfI/AAAAAAAAADY/03bZQkBEZVU/s400/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia2.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Indonesia" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488892523947504114" border="0" /></a>Extremely rich and refined architectural remains are found in Java and Sumatra. The most magnificent is the temple of Borobudur (the largest Buddhist structure in the world, built around 780-850 AD). This temple is modelled after the Buddhist concept of universe, the Mandala which counts 505 images of the seated Buddha and unique bell-shaped stupa that contains the statue of Buddha. Borobudur is adorned with long series of bas-reliefs narrated the holy Buddhist scriptures. The oldest Buddhist structure in Indonesia probably is the Batujaya stupas at Karawang, West Java, dated from around 4th century CE. This temple is some plastered brick stupas. However, Buddhist art in Indonesia reach the golden era during the Sailendra dynasty rule in Java. The bas-reliefs and statues of Boddhisatva, Tara, and Kinnara found in Kalasan, Sewu, Sari, and Plaosan temple is very graceful with serene expression, While Mendut temple near Borobudur, houses the giant statue of Vairocana, Avalokitesvara, and Vajrapani.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx3CA0pRaI/AAAAAAAAADg/SqpcJ7O_fac/s1600/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia3.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 228px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D_BOiLW8kHU/TCx3CA0pRaI/AAAAAAAAADg/SqpcJ7O_fac/s400/Buddha+art+in+Indonesia3.jpg" alt="Buddha art in Indonesia" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488892922322044322" border="0" /></a>In Sumatra Sri Vijaya probably built the temple of Muara Takus, and Muaro Jambi. The the most beautiful example pf classical Javanese Buddhist art is the serene and delicate statue of Prajnaparamita (the collection of National Museum Jakarta) the goddess of transcendental wisdom from Singhasari kingdom. The Indonesian Buddhist Empire of Sri Vijaya declined due to conflicts with the Chola rulers of India, then followed by Majapahit empire, before being destabilized by the Islamic expansion from the 13th century.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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