The Great Stupa at Sanchi, IndiaThe Chaitaya Hall at Karli, IndiaGandhara Buddha figures

c. 100 CE-same time as Imperial Rome

History: Pre-history c. 2500 BCE civilization in the Indus Valleyc. 1800 BCE Aryan (Indo-European) invasion from the north

Vedic Period: 550 BCE Buddhism established (Sakyamuni Buddha born c. 563 BCE) 327 BCE Alexander the Great conquers northern India-Greek culture into India

Maurya Dynasty 273-232 BCE Asoka makes Buddhism the dominant religionKushan Period: 1st-3rd Cent. CE Hellenistic and Roman influences can be seen in the work of this period

including Poseidon in torque around neck, contraposto pose, drapery in garment and more defined musculature on torso

Vedic Religion -earliest religious beliefs of Indian people based on Vedas (hymns) addressed to personifying aspects of nature Polytheism-Vedic belief in many gods to which sacrificial offerings were madeSamara-the transformation of the soul into some other form of life on the death of the body (ie. Reincarnation)Karma-the consequence of actions in all previous lifetimes will determine the type of existence into which the reborn could enter after death in the previous one

Buddhism the belief that all existence implies sorrow; the cause of sorrow is attachment of work and the self, causing rebirth this attachment can be dissolved through the elimination of desires, which also binds the self to a countless succession of rebirths;The cessation of rebirth can be accomplished by following the Eightfold Path, which prescribes simple practices of right thoughtNirvana – the ultimate enlightenment – complete understanding of the universe that BuddhahoodBodhisattva: beings who are capable of enlightenment but who forego it in order to help other living beings towards salvation (often serving as attendants to the Buddha – literally aids to his teachings) Presented in princely dress and ornament.

Art works: Context/FunctionGreat Stupa at Sanchi- 1st Cent. CE–receptacle of relics, object of adoration, symbol of the death of BuddhaChaitya Hall at Karli 1st Cent. CE-sacred cave temple with stupa cut out of the living rockGandhara Buddha 2nd Cent.CE-image of Buddha to be revered and worshipped

Vocabulary: aniconic yakshis/yakshas mandala ascetic dharmaSamsara bodhisattva karma nirvana chaitya

Techniques: stupa-monumental burial mound and first sacred Buddhist buildingsYasti- mast in the center of stupaTorana-sacred gateway to stupaSchist- black stone

Homework:Select one western building and one figurative western sculpture from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece or Rome and compare and contrast (in chart form) with a Stupa or Charitya Hall and Gandhara Buddha. Be sure your chart includes how each is similar/different using the following:

Formal qualities materials used/technique context and function

How to tell it is ‘REALLY’ Buddha

1. Buddha has a small bump on the top of his head. He received this bump at the moment when he understood the meaning of all life. This moment is called the “moment of his enlightenment.” _______________________________________

2. Buddha has little round dot on the middle of his forehead. This dot is also a sign of Buddha’s special knowledge._______________________

3. Buddha has long earlobes. His long earlobes remind us that he was born a prince. His ears would have been stretched by heavy jewels. This shows that he gave up his wealth.

4. Buddha has three fleshy rings of skin around his neck. These rings stand for the strength of Buddha’s teaching which is compared to “lion’s roar.”

5. Buddha holds his hands in a special position called a “Mudra.” There are many different ways that Buddha’s hands can be positioned. Each position tells a Buddhist worshipper something different. The way the Buddha holds his hands in this sculpture tells us that he is thinking deeply of “meditating.”

Buddhist SymbolsSince the making of human images of the Buddha was considered sacrilegious for a long time, Buddhist visual art has produced an elaborate vocabulary of symbolic and iconic forms of expressions. A great variety of Buddhist symbols is found in temples and Buddhist visual art and literature. The following eight figures are among the more common ones. The lotus, the wheel, and the stupa can be seen in almost every Buddhist temple. One may understand these symbols as visual mantras. Contemplating these figures is an exercise in mediation to establish inner contact with the aspect that is represented.

Buddhist Symbols

A few of the most important Buddhist symbols are described here in most generalized forms.

Lotus flower: Usually shown as a white water lily, the lotus (Sanskrit, padma) symbolizes spiritual purity, the wholeness of creation, and cosmic harmony. The flower’s stem is an axis mundi.

Lotus throne: Buddha’s are frequently shown seated on an open lotus, either single or double, a representation of nirvana.

Chakra: An ancient sun symbol, the wheel (chakra) symbolizes both the various states of existence (wheel of Life) and the Buddhist doctrine (the Wheel of the Law). A chakra’s exact meaning depends on how many spokes it has.

Marks of a Buddha: A Buddha is distinguished by thirty-two physical attributes (lakshanas). Among them are a bulge on top of the head (ushnisha), a tuft of hair between the eyebrows (urna), elongated earlobes, and thousand-spoked chakras on the soles of the feet.

Mandala: Mandalas are diagrams of cosmic realms, representing order and meaning within the spiritual universe. They may be simple or complex, three-or-two dimensional—as in an Indian stupa or a hanging scroll—and they assume a wide array of forms. The Womb World mandala an early Japanese type used for meditation depicts and symbolizes different aspects of “Buddha nature.”