Note:
The artifact from the Royal Ontario Museum I chose to discuss for this essay, is a beautiful sculpture of a seated Buddha. It was molded out of black schist material, and originated from the ancient Gandharan period and is dated back to 100-200 AD. (figure appears in Appendix 1)
The importance of Central Asia lies in the fact that, "from classical times to the days of Marco Polo, it was the bridge of trade, religion, and culture that spanned the world between the East and the West" (Marshal, 45). Central Asia was often designated to the vast area stretching from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea to the Great Wall of China. Geographically, this region was divided into two parts. The western part, now under Russian domination, comprised of the ancient regions of Khorasmia and Sogdiana, and the eastern part, now occupied by the Chinese, included the ancient kingdoms of Khotan, Turfan and Kucha. The greater part of the eastern region was a dry belt with flourishing oases along the southern and northern edges. Through these oases passed two very important international trade-routes, called the Northern and Southern Silk Roads, which connected China with the western world and India. These roads played a significant role in the exchange of religion, culture and art. In terms of art, the western part of Central Asia comprised of definite elements of form, iconography and motifs of Sassanian and Hellenistic origin, and a slight tinge of Indian influence. The art of the east, whereas was influenced by the Hellenistic, Sassanian, Gandharan and Tibetan art styles. But, overall the main stream of art in the region was heavily based on Buddhism which played an active role in Central Asia from the 2nd century to 10th centur...
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...main contribution of Greco-Buddhist art to the Buddhist faith was the Greek-inspired idealistic realism which helped describe in a visual and immediately understandable manner the state of personal bliss and enlightenment proposed by Buddhism. The communication of deeply human approach of the Buddhist faith, and its accessibility to all have probably benefited from the Greco-Buddhist artistic syncretism.
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Reference List:
Bhattacharya, B. The Indian Buddhist Iconography: Calcutta, 1958.
Allchin, M. The Archaeology of Afghanistan: London, 1973.
Coomaraswamy, A.K. The Origin of the Buddha Image: Delhi, 1972.
Marshal, John. Buddhist Art of Gandhara: London, 1960.
Parimoo, Ratan. Life of Buddha in Indian Sculpture: Delhi, 1982.
Tanaka, Kanoko. Absence of the Buddha Image in Early Buddhist Art: Delhi, 1998.
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...
The Buddha in the Attic is written to represent the unheard experiences of many different women that married their husband through a picture. They were known during the early 1920s as the pictures brides ranging in different ages, but naive to the world outside of America. Though the picture bride system was basically the same as their fathers selling their sister to the geisha house, these women viewed being bought to be a wife by a Japanese male in America as an opportunity for freedom and hope for a better life (Otsuka, 2011, p.5) For some of these women, the choice to marry the man in the picture wasn’t an option and chose to die while on the boat instead of marry a stranger, while others accepted their fates with grace. The book continues
As new ideas traveled main trade routes, such as the Silk Road and the Mediterranean, the effects of such were felt through an influx of contact between countries due to increased desire for new information and countries gaining a larger presence on the world stage. This phenomenon can also be seen through the lens of cultural exchange that took place during this same time period in Eurasia. A major component of the Eurasian trade networks, such as the Silk Road and Indian Ocean, was that they fostered interregional contacts that had ceased to previously exist. When a country had a desire for study or technology, they earned more respect on the global stage. This can be further examined by looking at Marco Polo’s voyage into Asia.
Part One, “The Formation of Eurasian States” introduces the three major powers in central Eurasia, China, Russia, and the Zunghar State. Perdue describes central Eurasia as an “unbounded” land stretching from “the Ukrainian steppes in the west to the shores of the Pacific in the east, from the southern edge of the Siberian forests to the Tibetan plateau” populated by nomadic tribes who had no clearly defined national boundaries . Historical sources concerning Central Asia people in Central Eurasia are scares due to the lack of writing ability in the vast majority of the nomadic population. Writers from the “civilized” world such as China described these people as exclusively nomadic and “universally greedy, primitive, and poor” . Despite the lack of historical records in the area, the area has historically played an important role in linking the eastern civilizations to the western civilizations, which played a major part in global trade up until the sixteenth century . Although the nomads of the steppes in Central Eurasia has long been accused of constant raiding of “civilized” settlements such as in north western parts of China, Sechin Jagchid argues that peace was possible if the nomad’s needs were satisfied by trade, so that the they did not have to take supplies by force in order...
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.
It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men. Great men are leaders. They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society. Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men. Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres. But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas: conception and birth. In these two areas, one finds that the Buddha and Jesus share many similarities.
Drummond, Richard Henry. A Broader Vision: Perspectives on the Buddha and the Christ. Virginia: A.R.E. Press, 1995.
Buddhism and Christianity were each founded by one person, and then eventually grew into two of the largest religions in the world. Each religion had different reasons
This all began with the Mongolian Empire rising up from the steppes of Central Asia. Starting out as a primarily nomadic people, several rival clans were all brought together by a man called Genghis Khan. With the new chieftain’s army, much of Asian lands were soon under his control. However, the Mongols failed to gain China in Genghis’ lifetime. His descendants, mainly Kublai Khan, were later able to expand into China’s land, and there they created a period of peace called Pax Mongolica. The previously ruined Silk Road was remade under Mongolian rule, which allowed the exchange of learning to be more accessible to both Western and Eastern Europe (Prentice Hall World History).
Buddhist art spread across Asian countries, as believers brought the existing art and principles with them. The religion evolved in each new place to fit the new societies, which influenced the way the Buddha and Buddhist principles were represented in art. Starting from Theravada Buddhism in India, the religion evolved into another main branch called Mahayana Buddhism, which is popular in China, Korea, and Japan. Throughout its history, Buddhism has been ever changing to include local beliefs and customs, and the combination of these local usages with imported beliefs and symbols is characteristic of Buddhist art throughout Asia. Each new offshoot of Buddhism has its own unique take on the symbolism and rituals used to represent the religion.
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
Analysis of Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen The book Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen, caught my attention and became more interesting to me than I thought. I have always heard of the religion Buddhism, but I never knew what it was all about. I never thought that Buddhism was as huge as it is. I knew that it existed in other countries, but I never knew what exact countries. Many of the views in this book surprised me and the book taught me a lot about morals and better ways to live your life.
Siddhartha Gautama is famously known as Gautama Buddha and was the founder of the idea of Buddhism. The Buddha was known to possess supernatural powers and abilities. He was born in the holy land of Nepal and his journey began in India when he decided to travel and teach himself about life. In the midst of his journey, he discovered Buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. Buddhism became a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and since then Buddhism has been popular throughout many civilizations. Buddhism is now one of the most ancient religions in the world, where people follow Buddha, which stand for “awakened one,” and Buddhism which has gained popularity because of the teachings of the Buddha.
Throughout history, the Silk Road complex increased the lines of trade, communication, interaction and exchange of ideas, the foundation of cultural writings. These routes have shaped the history of Eurasia, its languages, arts, sciences, traditions, and religions, leaving a lasting intellectual and artistic legacy (SILK ROAD Dialogue). “The Silk Road in our time has become a metaphor for cultural exchange among people of diverse societies, distant places, and different religions” (Silk Road and Beyond) and continues to be a source of international cross-fertilization, influencing literary fields through archeological travels, curiosities, and discoveries.
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].