THE ARTS OF INDIA &

SOUTHEAST ASIA Lecture 2B:

Introduction to the Buddhist Religion

Buddhist Art and Architecture in the India

THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

BUDDHISM: KEY CONCEPTS

Buddhism: one of the major world

religions first taught by the historical

Prince turned monk Siddhartha

Gautama “Shakyamuni” (563-483

BCE).

– Buddha: the Awakened One

– Dharma: that which holds you up;

the truth, the teachings.

– Samsara: cycle of suffering life

– Karma: actions. These actions are

causes that have effects.

– Nirvana: attaining Enlightenment

THE BUDDHA’S FIRST TEACHING

• The Buddha is believed to have given 84,000 teachings.

• The first is the most famous:

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life is Suffering

2. Suffering Has A Cause

3. There is an End to Suffering

4. The Path out of Suffering is the Eightfold Path.

MEDITATING BUDDHA, FROM GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. GRAY SCHIST, 3’

7 1/2” HIGH.

Early Buddhist Art: The PRE-ICONIC Phase

The Maurya (322-185 BCE), Shunga (185-72 BCE) and Early Andhra Periods (70 BCE-First Century CE)

FOOTPRINT OF THE BUDDHA WITH CHAKRA AND

TRIRATNA, 1ST CENTURY CE, GANDHARA, INDIA.

LION CAPITAL, SARNATH, INDIA, CA. 250

BCE. POLISHED SANDSTONE, 7’ HIGH.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM, SARNATH.

LION CAPITAL AND COLUMN ERECTED BY EMPEROR ASHOKA,

VAISHALI, INDIA, CA. 250 BCE. POLISHED SANDSTONE.

GREAT STUPA, SANCHI, INDIA, THIRD CENTURY BCE TO FIRST CENTURY CE

GREAT STUPA, SANCHI, INDIA, THIRD CENTURY BCE TO FIRST CENTURY CE

GREAT STUPA, SANCHI, INDIA, THIRD CENTURY BCE TO FIRST CENTURY CE

YAKSHI, DETAIL OF THE EAST

TORANA, GREAT STUPA, SANCHI,

INDIA, MID-fiRST CENTURY BCE TO

EARLY fiRST CENTURY CE.

SANDSTONE, 5’ HIGH.

YAKSHI FROM DIDARGANJ, MAURYAN DYNASTY, CA. 200 BCE, POLISHED SANDSTONE

MODEL OF A STUPA, FROM GANDHARA, BRONZE, 2ND CENTURY BCE.

Interior of the chaitya hall, Karle, India,

Shunga Dynasty, ca. 50 CE.

Diagram of the chaitya hall, Karle, India, Shunga Dynasty, ca. 50 CE.

Buddhist Art in India: The “Romanized” Phase

The Kushan Period (30-320 CE) in Gandhara, modern Pakistan.

HEAD OF A BUDDHA, FROM

GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND

CENTURY CE. GRAY SCHIST.

HEAD OF AN AMAZON,

FOUND IN POMPEII, ITALY,

CA. FIRST CENTURY CE.

WHITE MARBLE.

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MEDITATING BUDDHA, FROM GANDHARA,

PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. GRAY

SCHIST, 3’ 7 1/2” HIGH. NATIONAL MUSEUMS

OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH.

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ICONOGRAPHY OF THE BUDDHA

Ushnisha

Urna

Elongated Ears

Simple

monk’s robe

Mudra

STANDING BUDDHA, FROM GANDHARA,

PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. GRAY

SCHIST.

STANDING BODHISATTVA, FROM GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND

CENTURY CE. GRAY SCHIST.

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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE BUDDHA; THE BIRTH AT LUMBINI, FROM GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. SCHIST, FREER GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON,

D.C.

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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE BUDDHA; FIRST SERMON AT SARNATH, FROM GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. SCHIST, FREER GALLERY OF ART,

WASHINGTON, D.C.

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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE BUDDHA; DEATH (PARINIRVANA) AT KUSHINGARA, FROM GANDHARA, PAKISTAN, SECOND CENTURY CE. SCHIST, FREER GALLERY OF

ART, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Buddhist Art in India: The Classical Period

The Gupta Period (30-320 CE) in modern Northern and parts of South India.

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SEATED BUDDHA PREACHING FIRST

SERMON, FROM SARNATH, INDIA, SECOND

HALF OF FIFTH CENTURY. TAN

SANDSTONE, 5’ 3” HIGH. ARCHAEOLOGICAL

MUSEUM, SARNATH.

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Buddha Seated in Meditation

(Dhyanamudra),Chola period,

c. 12th century. On display at

the AIC.

ROCK-CUT CHAITYA HALLS AND VIHARAS, AJANTA, INDIA, SECOND HALF OF

FIFTH CENTURY.

Chaitya Hall and Stupa, Ajanta, India, second half of fifth century.

BODHISATTVA PADMAPANI, WALL

PAINTING IN CAVE 1, AJANTA, INDIA,

SECOND HALF OF FIFTH CENTURY.

Buddhist Art outside of India:

Afghanistan, Tibet/Nepal, and Indonesia

COLOSSAL BUDDHA IMAGE, GUPTA PERIOD, BAMIYAN, AFGHANISTAN (DESTROYED)

THANGKAS

• Thangka: rolled up cloth; a type of portable painting popular in Tibet and Nepal.

• Thangka images were joined with the deity they were associated with.

• Main subject (a Buddha, Bodhisattva, or Lama) always shown frontal, larger than others, to convey a sense of divine authority.

• Brilliant colors used.

• Meditation aide. Buddha Amoghasiddhi with Eight

Bodhisattvas, ca. 1200–1250

• Vajrapani (The Lord of Secrets) is a bodhisattva who is a bad-ass, almost demonic, spirit. His name means "Thunderbolt in Hand".

• The form depicted here is a wrathful form - his body swollen with the energy of liberation is surrounded by a wreath of flames; he shouts his mantra; and draws his hand back to hurl the vajra at you in order to break through your obscurations.

• Vajrapani belongs to the celestial Buddha Family which is headed by

Akshobhya.

Aerial view of the earthly realm from the Hindu/Buddhist worldview (left)

14th century Tibetan Mandala (right)

The Stupa at Borobudur. Built in the late 8th century. Aerial view.

See Figure 3.20.

• The stupa is built over a small hill and rises to a height of 105 feet.

• Four sides are oriented to the cardinal directions.

• 5 lower tiers are rectangular = the earthly realm. Covered in 10 MILES of relief sculpture!!!

• 3 highest tiers are circular = the heavenly realms, adorned with 72 smaller stupas surrounding a large, central stupa.

• Pilgrims start at the bottom and ascend through the past, present, and their future as an Enlightened Being.

AFTER LECTURE 2B YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO….

• Define key concepts of the Buddhist religion and worldview as shown on the Wheel of Life

• Describe the iconography and subject matter of Buddhist artwork from the pre-iconic phase

• Identify the major features of a stupa and their function

• Compare and contrast early iconic images of the Buddha to Roman sculpture

• Identify the major markings included on images of the Buddha

• Explain the changes seen in Buddhist art as it enters the Classical phase and their meanings (content)

• Identify a thangka and the types of form and subjects seen on these rolled up paintings.