On a Saturday evening, the seventh of November, I visited the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena to absorb the cultures and history it had to offer me. While there, I gravitated towards the Asian collection that attracted me the most. Stepping down the stairs into the area of the Asian collection, I felt the serene vibe that the artwork exuded. The Buddhist art pieces radiated serenity and tranquility, which attracted me to two pieces, The Head of Buddha and the Eight Miraculous Events of the Buddhas Life. The Head of Buddha is from the eighth century, and the Eight Miraculous Events of the Buddhas Life is a later piece from the thirteenth century. Both of thee pieces told a serene story. As I continued vewing distinct scultupres, I came across …show more content…
This maraculous artifact is a wood with pigment scultupre of the Buddha showcasing each signifcant event in his life. The first figurine of Buddha starting from the lower left corner depicts his mother Queen Maya, we can infer that this depecits the gift of life as she is the one who ultimatly allows him to have a place on earth. The second depiction of Buddha, he is in the iconic pose, sitting down, looking downwards in complete serenity. Here we can infer that he has reached englightment as his graciously has one hand to the ground connecting his being with earth. Additionally, the third depiction of Buddha exemplifies his first sermon, discussing the doctrine of the Middle Path. Furthermore, the fourth figurine describes his powers that managed to calm a raging elephant that was about to trample him. Buddha visited his mother who died very shortly after he was born, in heaven to preach to her, as depiected in the fifth figurine. Figurine 6 depeicts the series of miracles, including levitation, that occured in Sravasti in response to the people who questioned his powers. Additiionaly, figurine 7 depiects a mokey giving Buddha honey as an offering thereafter was so overwhemled with joy that it caused him to fall into a well. Finally, the last figurine the Buddha is laying down peacefully inidicating the final …show more content…
The Jina Suparsvanatha schist scultpre is from India, Karnataka is approximately from the eighth century. This sculpture decpecits a Jina which are supreme beings, more specifically, it showcases the tenth jina in the Jain pantheon. We can idenitfy him by his five-hooded serpent canopy. The way he is structured we can impose that there is a disconnection between his body and soul. There is a sense of abanondenment between the body and soul since his arms just hang lifelessness to the side without touching his body. He has elongated earlobes which suggests he wore heavy jewerly implying he was an important figure in Janism. This sculpture is not has intreging as the previous sculptures discussed. The artwork basically posses an emphesis on the five-hooded serpent canopy and serpents in general. There is what seems to be a twining snake in the back of him as well. We can infer that this Jain sereved as a role model to guide Jainism believers on the proper path to liberation from the boundless cycles of
The Guanyin sculpture depicts a male, interpretable by his male chest, seating in a royal-ease pose. He has a crown, which has a person in the meditative position carved on it. That person could be Buddha. Underneath the crown, the hair looks as though it is nicely braided along the edges of the crown. The eyes are partially closed. There are two pieces of objects, perhaps used to depict jewelry, attached to
The statue that will be the focus of this paper portrays the figure “Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light.” Like many other statues of the Buddha, this Amida Buddha was portrayed to be deep in meditation, sitting cross-legged. A viewer could observe that the Amida Buddha is making a hand gesture while in deep meditation. These gestures, also known as “mudras,” are symbolic in the Buddhist religion, and they are used to convey certain ideas (O’Riley 70). In this case, the Amida Buddha is making the mudra of appeasement (“Amida”). More physical observations could be made by pointing out the “balanced form, divine features, and flowing drapery” (“Amida”) of the Amida Buddha. Those qualities represent the nature of the Buddha, revealing him as “transcendent, graceful, and compassionate” (“Amida”). Features common to other Buddha sculptures show up on this Amida Buddha, like the elongated earlobes, the mole on his forehead, and patterned hair. At first glance, the Am...
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, “Buddha I have sinned.” It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called “The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru”(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Buddha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque).
At a mere 16 3/8 inches, the Fudo Myo-o at the Art Institute at Chicago is not the first object in the Japanese collection to catch your eye. Yet, when you pass by it will stop you in your tracks. The Fudo Myo-o is like nothing you’ve ever seen. His bulging eyes fasten onto your own, a gaze so vicious you cannot tear away from it. His piercing stare draws you in and his stance seems to beckon you to come forth. His furrowed brow and protruding fangs created a facial expression so intense it feels almost as if he is trying to tell you something. His arms seem to have, at some point, been holding something and they are open as if they are welcoming you and offer some kind of promise. Fudo sits upon a rectangular foundation, which gives the impression that his is some kind of deity or god-like figure. The Fudo Myo-o has fabric draped over his left shoulder and is wearing lavish jewelry reminiscent of a Bodhisattva. His jewelry also hints to the viewer that he must have some level of nobility. He also has shell li...
The figure body likes a lion. The main color is white. The figure has horns, hooves, wings, big ears and a gaping mouth. It has a fierce facial expression. The upper part of this work is much detail than lower part. We can find there are some detail tactile on its face. Look at the lower part and the seat part, there are red, brown, yellow and green. Those colors are the classic sancai colors. Some colors are overlap under the seat. The seat is a whirled cloud form. Seem like the beast stands on the cloud. The reason why that figure look like a beast because it is use for protect the tomb. It is a decoration found in tomb. So it is a Mingqi, also call funeral object. They only placed in Chinese tombs. Mostly, people placed human figures, animal figures, models of buildings and furniture. And some objects is chiefly copies of daily container
This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory.
...der is that its varying messages from the sculpture have puzzled its viewers as to what its meaning can be. “For the myths tell us that from the mystical perspective the distinctions between male and female…-as between time and eternity, pluralism, and monism- are meaningless”(TECHNIQUES OF THE WORLD SAVIORS: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, part two from The Myth of the Great Secret: An Appreciation of Joseph Campbell [Celestial Arts, 1990], Toby Johnson). Although both influences of a male and female have crossed together, the mythical stories of the goddess or god have represented the need for a stronger female aspect. To hold it as high of a position as a goddess can have and make its display for the entire world to see, this piece of evidence not only tells the tale of the Chinese woman’s adversity, but of the adversity of women everywhere.
It was the day of April 13, 2000. I woke up at exactly 12 o’clock because my boyfriend was to pick me up at 1 like we planned the night before. The day looked quite nice, but I was in a fowl mood. I got into a car accident the night before and had a huge argument with my parents about the car. I finally dragged myself into the shower and got ready in half an hour. Then I went downstairs, sat on my couch, and repeatedly told myself the day would hopefully turn out better than last night. At around 1:15, my boyfriend came to pick me up. We took the 5 freeway to the 57 since it was the only way I knew how to get there. As we approached the 134 freeway, my girlfriend veered to the right, taking the 210 which was wrong way and got us lost. So, we exited the freeway and got back on the right track. Then finally, before long, we reached Norton Simon.
Thích Nh’at Hanh is a world renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, religious figure and accomplished writer. Living Buddha, Living Christ is only one of his many famous publications. Thích Nh’at Hanh, is famous for his insights into spiritual heritage and mindfulness in the present moment. Many Americans are seeking religious understanding and personal spirituality, even if they do not practice in the traditional manner. Throughout this book Nh’at Hang encourages readers to find meaning, understanding, mindfulness, and peace in the teachings of Buddha and Christ. His main focus is to open meaningful dialogue between different traditions, cultures, and religious groups around the world, for the betterment
Man has always found pleasure in expressing himself by creating art. Through the centuries, man’s art has left behind clues and insight that enables the generations of today to understand their ancestors. In particular, historians and artist alike can see what certain Asian sculptures reflect of the culture and religious beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is the parent religion to Buddhism; much like Judaism is to Christianity. Despite Buddhism and Hinduism sharing similar philosophies and various idealisms, their respective sculptures also show their differences. There are two important characteristic of the sculptures of these religions. The first is motion versus rest, and second the subject matter. It is these two types of characteristics historians and artist can help use to decipher Hindu and Buddhist sculptures.
The Natural History Museum is extraordinary place to explore and learn. It’s fun and breathtaking. The museum served as an agricultural fairground from 1872 until 1910. The original structure of the building from the 1913 and today’s structure are combined with a blend of many styles. Like a Spanish Renaissance ornamentation in the terracotta trimmings. There is a Romanesque style in the arched windows and the brick walls. The Beaux-Arts tradition is a T-shape floor plan. The building measures 75 feet in diameter with three wings. The Rotunda’s walls are made of Italian marble and the floors have a mosaic tile. The statue in the center of the floor called “Three Muses.” The Rotunda’s dome is 58 feet high with a skylight 20 feet across on top, which has been restored recently into a bright colored stained glass design. The museum had its first grand opening on November 6, 1913 and was called “The Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science, and Art. It was opened formally to the public. The museum was joined by other major cultural facilities in the park; the Memorial Coliseum, Sports Arena, Swimming Stadium, California Science Center, California African American Museum and the largest Municipal-Owned Rose Garden in the nation, with a beautiful water fountain in the center.
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Vetter, T. (1988). The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism. New York: E.J. Brill.
Tibetan thanka[1] paintings are a wonderful example of the interconnectedness of religion and art. These images are “not meant to be the object of simple idolatry” (Jackson 11), but rather take on a more interactive role, which can be applied to nearly every facet of traditional Tibetan life. Tibetan Buddhism pervades all aspects of the creation and use of thanka paintings—in the training and requirements of the artists who create the paintings, in the physical creative process itself, in the iconography used, and in all the painting’s multiple functions. Tibetan thanka paintings, throughout their entire lifespan—from concept to consecrated image—help devotional religious activity for Tibetan Buddhism[2].