The Imprint of the Buddha in Southeast Asian Art

Intro to Buddhism Thai Buddhist ArtThe Path of Buddhism in SE Asia Borobudur (Java)

Music: Brokedown Palace Soundtrack  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJuaRZeBPR8oJlYRy943-_TFsMTkHSkFV

Intro to Buddhism• Buddhist do NOT “worship” Buddha!• Buddha = Symbol of Pure Enlightenment• Realize your own “Buddha-Nature” (divine essence) thru

Enlightenment

Siddhartha Guatama (c. 6th century BCE)

• Birth & Prophecies• Life &

Enlightenment• Sermon at Deer Park

(Sarnath):“4 Noble Truths”“8-Fold Path”

• Death & Nirvana

Siddhartha Guatama: Life Story

Birthplace: Lumbini, NepalLumbini is the traditional birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism (born in the 6th century BCE).

Lumbini (Sanskrit for "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site located at the Nepalese town of Kapilavastu, district Rupandehi, near the Indian border.

LUMBINI is one of 4 Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites based on major events in the life of Gautama Buddha.

(Interestingly, all of the events occurred under trees.)

The other 3 sites are in India:

1) Bodh Gaya (Enlightenment) 2) Sarnath

(1st Sermon)3) Kushinagar (Death)

Queen Māyā of Sakya: the birth mother of Siddhartha.

"Māyā" = "illusion" or "enchantment" (Sanskrit).

Also called Mahāmāyā ("great Māyā") or Māyādevī ("Queen, literally 'goddess,' Māyā").

His Mother’s WHITE ELEPHANT DREAM.

Siddhartha’s BIRTH

Astrologer’s PROPHECY: Siddhartha as…

1) KING

OR…

2) SADHU

Pampered Pleasures of PALACE LIFE

EXCURSION outside the Palace (at age 29)

4 Sights:1) Old Man2) Sick Man3) Dead Man4) Sadhu

Made him wonder about the cause of SUFFERING.

Silent Goodbye to Wife & Child

Left his Palace Home…

… & Renounced ALL Worldly Goods

Life as a Sadhu (6 years)

Accepts Bowl of Rice: The “Middle Path”

49 days meditating under Bodhi Tree (35 years old)

Demon MARA Attacks!

Temptations of Mara

Fear

Lust (Mara’s Seductive Daughters)

Pride

Calls the Earth as Witness:

He DID give alms!

NAGA

ENLIGHTENMENT

When day came, Gautama had attained perfect illumination, and had become a Buddha.

The rays emanating from his body shone to the boundaries of space.

He stayed in meditation for 7 more days, and then for 4 more weeks he stayed by the tree.

Through his process of enlightenment he discovered that all sentient beings in this universal life possess buddha-hood, and all are future potential buddhas.

From that time he had two alternate paths: 1) he could enter Nirvana immediately, or 2) he could stay and spread Enlightenment.

After Brahma came in person to beg him to preach the law, Buddha yielded and stayed on the earth.

For 45 years he traveled and taught his wisdom about the force of love and the destruction of all desire.

45 years of Teaching & Wandering…

…gaining many Followers on the way.

Before the Buddha's death, he became severely ill.

He lay down on his right side, right hand supporting his head, the other resting on his body. (All reclining Buddhas are in the same posture.)

Growing weaker, he spoke:

"Do not say we have no master now. The doctrine I have preached will be your master when I have disappeared.

“Listen, I beg you: ALL CREATIONS ARE IMPERMANENT; work diligently for your liberation."

“PARANIRVANA” = Death of the BuddhaHis last words: “Be your own refuge, with awareness, strive on!”

He entered into deep meditation, then into blissful ecstasy, then achieved NIRVANA.

At Kusinara, he died of old age, under a tree, lying on his right side.

The “Middle Way” The practices Buddha

advocated in the quest for Enlightenment avoided the extremes of sensual self-indulgence on the one hand and self-mortification on the other and thus he gave his “Noble 8-fold Path” the alternative name of “the Middle Way.”

1st Sermon at SARNATH (Deer Park)

1st Sermon: “Turning the Wheel of the Law”

Dharmachakra Mudra: “Turning the Wheel of the Law in Motion.”The fingers of the left hand rest against the palm of the right hand (as if turning the wheel, made by the index finger and thumb of the right hand).

Signifies the teaching of the 1st Sermon of the Buddha at Deer Park (Sarnath).

“The 4 Noble Truths”1. To LIVE is to SUFFER.2. Cause of Suffering: ATTACHMENTS.3. To end Suffering, END ATTACHMENTS.4. To end Attachments, follow the “8-FOLD PATH.”

“The 8-Fold Path” (to end attachments)

8-Fold Path BreakdownWISDOM: 1) right views, 2) right intentions ETHICS: 3) right speech, 4) right action, 5) right

livelihood)MENTAL DISCIPLINE: 6) right effort, 7) right

mindfulness, 8) right concentration…

…which ultimately lead to liberation (“NIRVANA”) from the source of suffering (attachments).

FOR MORE ON THE BUDDHA, HIS LIFE, & TEACHINGS:http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/arty/his-life/lanka/life-1.htm

A R T  A N D   C U L T U R E  ··  B U D D H A ' S  L I F E  S T O R Y R  E  S  O  U   R  C  E  SGrateful thanks to the Buddhist Information Centre - Sri Lanka - who originally produced this material.1  BIRTH | PALACE LIFE | FOUR SIGHTS | GOING FORTH | ASCETICISM | ENLIGHTENMENT | 1ST DISCOURSE | DISCIPLES2  CHANGE | DUKKHA | ANATTA | QUESTIONING | EQUALITY | WOMEN | SLAVERY | CARING3  WISDOM | COMPASSION | THIS WORLD | NALANDA | JUSTICE | MEDIATION | DEATH

Here is the life story of the Buddha in pictures. The picture set has been divided into 3 pages which each page giving thumbnail links to an enlargement. The text is relatively brief but is useful in that it contains just the key facts of the traditional story.

QUIZ 4: SE Asia1. Siddhartha Guatama was BORN a (SLAVE/PRINCE/CARPENTER)?

2. What are the “4 NOBLE TRUTHS”?

Basic Buddhist Iconography & Symbols

Buddha Iconography:

• Ushnisha• Light of Wisdom

Jewel• Shorn Hair• Urna• Triple-Chin (Middle

Path)• Robe made of rags• Mudra• Mandorla• Cross-Leg = “Lotus

Position”• Royal Earlobes• Lotus Throne(11) -----------------

------------------------- (10)

BUDDHA ICONOGRAPGHY:USHNISHA: Top-knot = “Bump of Wisdom” he gained upon Enlightenment. LIGHT OF WISDOM JEWEL: Brilliant Wisdon he gained upon Enlightenment.SHORN HAIR: Cut off his princely locks when he became a sadhu.URNA: Tuft of hair between his eyes. Symbolized “3rd Eye of Spiritual Wisdom.TRIPLE-CHIN: Well-fed. Symbolizes the “Middle Path.”ROBE MADE OF RAGS: Poverty, lack of material possessions.MANDORLA: Full-body “halo.”CROSS-LEG / “LOTUS POSITION”: Meditative seated position. ½ Lotus too. MUDRA: Sacred hand gestures. Important in both Buddhism & Hinduism.ROYAL EARLOBES: Shows former Princely status (heavy earrings).LOTUS THRONE: See “LOTUS” in Symbols below.

Some MUDRAS: 1.) Dhyani.................(meditation) 2.) Vitarka................(teaching) 3.) Dharmachakra.....(turning the wheel) 4.) Bhumisparsha......(touching the earth) 5.) Abhaya...............(fearlessness / protection) 6.) Varada................(wish-granting) 7.) Uttarabodhi.........(supreme enlightenment) 8.) Mudra of Supreme Wisdom 9.) Anjali...................(greeting / respect) 10.) Vajrapradama....(unshakable confidence)

BUDDHIST SYMBOLS: “ASHTAMANGALA”:Buddhist art frequently makes use of a particular set of “8 Auspicious

Symbols” called ASHTAMANGALA. These symbols include:1) LOTUS FLOWER: Purity & the 3 stages to Enlightenment. 2) STUPA: Symbolic grave for relics. Also symbolizes the Universe & Mt. Meru.3) DHARMACHAKRA: The Wheel of the Law. 8 spokes = Noble 8-Fold Path4) TRIRATANA: The “3 Jewels”: 1) the Buddha, 2) the Dharma, 3) the Sangha.5) CHATTRA: Parasol: Protection from all evil. Also shows prestige.6) DHVAJA: Banner: The Victory of the Buddha’s Teachings.7) DEER: Symbolizes Buddha’s 1st Sermon at Sarnath (Deer Park).8) NAGA: Vestige of ancient Fertility Cults. Protects the Buddha & the Dharma.

MANDALA: Geometric design representing the universe. Used by Buddhists as a mediation tool.

FOOTPRINT OF THE BUDDHA (“Buddhapada”):The footprint of the Buddha is an imprint of 1 or both of Guatama Buddha’s feet. There are 2 forms: 1) Natural, as found in stone or rock, and 2) those made artificially. Many of the "natural" ones, of course, are acknowledged not to be actual footprints of the Buddha, but replicas or representations of them, & also an early aniconic & symbolic representation of the Buddha.

LOTUS SYMBOLISM:

The roots of a LOTUS are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight.

This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the

1) mud of materialism, through

2) the waters of experience, and into

3) the bright sunshine of Enlightenment.

TRIRATANA:The “Triple Gem” or “Three Jewels”

of Buddhism, which are the 3 core values of:

1) Buddha 2) Dharma (the teachings) 3) Sangha (the monastic community) The triratna symbol is a simple three-

branched shape, like a rounded 'W.' The triratna appears in early Buddhist art in various contexts, but especially as one of the symbols on the Buddhapada, or footprint of the Buddha.

The triratna is often accompanied by lotus flowers symbolizing Enlightenment, and the dharmachakra (wheel), symbolizing the Buddha's teachings.

MOUNT MERU:

Center of the Buddhist universe: Axis Mundi

Multiple levels of heaven rise from its peak

Surrounded by 7 concentric rings of mountain ranges, alternating with 7 seas

Next the Great Ocean, with 4 islands (1 where we humans live)

Everything contained by final, huge wall of rock

AXIS MUNDI:The axis mundi (also cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar and center of the world) is a symbol representing the center of the world where the Heaven connects with Earth.

Different cultures represent the axis mundi by varied symbols.

It may be feminine (an umbilical providing nourishment), masculine (a phallus providing insemination into a uterus), or neither.

It appears in many world-wide cultures—wherever the impulse persists to link a tower with the idea of a "world center."

MANDALA:A sacred geometric figure that represents the universe. The word "mandala" comes from a Sanskrit word that generally means "circle," and mandalas are indeed primarily recognizable by their concentric circles and other geometric figures.

When completed, a mandala becomes a sacred area that serves as a collection point of universal forces.

By mentally entering a mandala and proceeding to its center, a person is symbolically guided through the cosmos to the essence of reality.

By constructing a mandala, a monk ritually participates in the Buddha's teachings.

3. LIST the 3 Jewels of Buddhism (triratana).

STUPA: Buddhist religious monument. Originally only a simple mound of clay to cover relics of the Buddha. After the paranirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated, ashes divided & buried under 8 stupas with 2 further stupas encasing the urn & the embers.

CHAITYA: Buddhist Hall of Worship—has a mini-stupa inside.

VIHARA: Dwelling places for wandering monks (monastery). Evolved into centers of learning and were repositories of sacred texts.

KORA: Clockwise circumambulation of the stupa is Buddhist practice done in the morning and afternoon.

BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURAL FORMS

Great Stupa at Sanchi

Stupa: Buddhist religious monument. Originally only a simple mound of clay to cover relics of the Buddha. After the paranirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated, ashes divided & buried under 8 stupas with 2 further stupas encasing the urn & the embers.

Sanchi stupa (1st-2nd cent. AD)

Chaitya: Buddhist Hall of Worship—has a mini-stupa inside.

Vihara: Dwelling places for wandering monks (monastery).

Evolved into centers of learning and were repositories of sacred texts.

Kora:Clockwise circumambulation of the stupa is Buddhist practice done in the morning and afternoon.

2 Traditions of Buddhism:

1) Theravada (“The Teaching of the Elders”): oldest / orig

2) Mahayana (“Greater Wheel”)

In the development of Buddhism after the Buddha’s death several schools and traditions arose.

Most of them ceased to exist (being absorbed by others) and today we have 3 main “schools” of Buddhism: 1) Theravada (Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka,

Thailand)2) Mahayana (India, China, Korea, Japan)3) Vajrayana (Tibet)

Within each school there are different traditions.

Modern scholars tend to divide the schools according to the LANGUAGE used. Mahayana schools are Sanskrit-based schools, and Theravada are Pali-based.

THERAVADA (“The Teaching of the Elders”) Buddhism

The Path of Buddhism in SE Asia

Bhumisparsa =Earth-Touching Mudra

King Ashoka

4. What’s a STUPA?

5. List the 2 Major “SCHOOLS” of Buddhism.

6. What was ASHOKA’s importance for Buddhism?

ThailandAshoka Mon Kingdom

Thai Buddhist Kingdoms

I. Chiengsan (NorthernThai Style (c. 11th-

12th centuries)II. Sukhothai Kingdom

(1238-1438)III. U-Tong (c. 12th-

15th centuries) IV. Ayutthaya Kingdom

(1351-1767)V. Thonburi Kingdom

(1767-1782)VI. Bangkok Kingdom

(1782-present)

King Mongkut (Rama IV): r. 1851-1868Bangkok Kingdom

“Dharmayukti Nikaya” School• Est. by Mongkut: desire to purify texts & practices• Dharmayukti = School of clinging to Real Dharma (Law)

of Buddha (Theravada)

Thai Buddhist Kingdoms

I. Chiengsan (NorthernThai Style (c. 11th-

12th centuries)II. Sukhothai Kingdom

(1238-1438)III. U-Tong (c. 12th-

15th centuries) IV. Ayutthaya Kingdom

(1351-1767)V. Thonburi Kingdom

(1767-1782)VI. Bangkok Kingdom

(1782-present)

Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1438)Thai’s Golden Age

Sukhothai -"the dawn of happiness"

Founder: King Si Intratit (c. 1240)

Wat Mahatat: Built by King Si Intratit

Sukhothai-Style Buddhas

Sukhothai Buddha POSES1. Seated2. Standing3. Walking4. Reclining

Buddha Footprints

“Wat” = Thai Buddhist Temple

Wat Sri Saway

Wat Mahathat

Wat Chang Lom

Sukhothai SCULPTURE Review

Late Sukhothai: Wat Chet Yot (Chiang Mai)

7. List 3 common SUKHOTHAI Budda POSES:

Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351-1767)

Royal Palace (Ayutthaya)

Ayutthayan Buddhas

Hands display the gesture of Subduing Mara. The Buddha is in Royal Attire, with a prominent Head Dress or Crown. Typical of the late Ayutthaya period.

Many different styles & mudras, such as…

“Calming the Oceans”

“Forbidding Relatives from Fighting”

“Invoking Victory”

Ayutthaya Giant Reclining Buddha

Creeping Jungle

AYUTTHAYA ARCHITECTURE

Wat Chay Vattanaram (1630)

Wat Pra Sri Sampet (1491: Ayutthaya)

Candra Kasem Palace (c. 1580: Ayutthaya)

Giant Recumbent Buddha (Ayutthaya)

Fall of Ayutthaya: 1767 (Burma)

Compare Thai Buddha Styles:

Chiang Saen SUKHOTHAI U-THONG AYUTTHAYA

8. A Thai Buddhist temple is called a ______.

Bangkok Kingdom (1782-present)

CHAKRI DYNASTY: 1782-present

General Chakri King Rama I:

(r. 1782-1809)

Bangkok: Grand Palace

Bangkok Grand Palace

GLITTERING, mosaic encrusted Bangkok-style ARCHITECTURE!

Colossi of Maiyarap A sculpted figure of the demon guardian Maiyarap outside the Grand palace in

Bangkok, Thailand.

Wat Pra Keo (b. 1782): “Jewel-Box of the Emerald Buddha”

Seasonal Attire

Chofa(h)s: hornlike finials on roof ridges

Wat Po (Temple of the Recumbent Buddha)

Wat Arun (“Temple of the Rosy Dawn”)

9. Most DISTINCTIVE trait of Bangkok-Style ARCHITECTURE?

Bangkok Style Buddhas

Bangkok-Style MURALS Wat Pra Keo: Royal Palace

Bangkok-Style Wooden Houses:Jim Thompson House

The house consists of a complex of six traditional Thai-style houses, teak structures that were purchased from several owners and brought to the present location from various parts of Thailand. Construction of the Thai house was completed in 1959.

My PHOTO ALBUM has LOTS of images from the Thai House!

Buddhist Art in JAVA

Borobudur (c. 8th century AD)

Borobudur = “The World Mountain”

Borobudur: An Architectural Vision of Buddhist Cosmos

3 SYMBOLIC FUNCTIONS:

1. Stupa2. Mt. Meru3. Mandala

1. STUPA

2. MT. MERU

3. MANDALA

Buddhist Mandala Symbolism:3 Cosmic Spheres of Existence:

1. Kamadhatu: desires2. Rupadhatu: forms3. Arupadhatu: formlessness

Arupadhatu: Formlessness Rupadhatu: Kamadhatu:Forms Desires

Borobudur’s “Mandala” Structure

9 PLATFORMS: 6 lower (square)3 upper (circular)

Kamadhatu – desires: base (square)

Rupadhatu – forms: next 5 square platforms

Arupadhatu – formlessness: 3 circular platforms

+ large topmost stupa

Borobodur Guided Tour

Arupadhatu: Rupadhatu: Kamadhatu:Formlessness Forms Desires

1. Lowest Level (base): KAMADHATU (desires)

Kamadhatu (desires/earthly realm: square base)

Kamadhatu (desires/earthly realm)

Kamadhatu (desires/earthly realm)

Arupadhatu: Formlessness Rupadhatu: Kamadhatu:Forms Desires

2. Mid-Level (next 5 squares): RAPADHATU (forms)

Rapadhatu: Forms / Realm of Hope

Rapadhatu: Forms / Realm of HopeJakata Images

Rapadhatu: Forms / Realm of HopeJakata Images

Prince Siddhartha Gautama becomes an ascetic hermit.

Niche Buddha

Arupadhatu: Rupadhatu: Kamadhatu:Formlessness Forms Desires

3. Highest Level: ARUPADHATU (formlessness)

3. Highest Level: ARUPADHATU (formlessness)

ARUPADHATU (formlessness)

The upper (circular) platforms house 72 small stupas which surround the large central stupa.

ARUPADHATU (formlessness)

Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings, w/ statues of Buddha inside.

LARGE CENTRAL STUPA

Waisak Festival (each May, full moon season)

Celebrates Birth, Enlightenment, & Death of Buddha

10. List the 3 Symbolic FUNCTIONS of Borobudur (as an Architectural Vision of

Buddhist Cosmos).

Buddhist Arts of Asia online classhttps://sites.google.com/site/farrarasianarthistory2013/