Buddha image
Numerous exhibitions of Buddhist statues have again stirred up the long-debated question of the origin of today's Buddha image: did it appear in Indian Buddhism or is it a depiction of the Greek god Apollo?
"Buddha - the image of Apollo" -idea of the Hamburg exhibition "Art on Seidenstrasse"
In the summer of 2003, the Art on Seidenstrasse exhibition took place in Hamburg. In an article dedicated to this event, "Apollo Came to Buddha on Seidenstrasse," Mathias Gretzschel wrote about the art of the Gandhara region: "The prototype of the relief images and sculptures of Buddha decorating hundreds of monasteries is the Greek god Apollo." A bust of Apollo was exhibited at the exhibition. The image of Buddha was to be oriented towards the perfect features of the "son of light", the god of sciences and arts.
In the attached catalog, in the paragraph dedicated to the conquest campaign of Alexander the Great, it is written: “Alexander's legacy for 500 years from the moment of his death to the emergence of Buddhist culture could not have demonstrated fruitful power if during this long period of time Hellenism had not influenced architecture , sculpture and works of art of the lands he conquered between the Euphrates, the Tigris and the Indus ... ", and more:" ... For almost 600 years after the death of Buddha, no artistic image of the Enlightened One appeared, he was revered only in a symbolic image, and the image itself arose with the development of Buddhism Mahayana ". Thus, the birth of Buddhist art dates back to the turn of the first and second centuries of our era.
Lifetime images of Buddha
In contrast, there are sources reporting the first images and statues of the Buddha, made during his lifetime. So, at the request of the Sinhalese princess, the Buddha sent her his portrait, made on fabric. Some of the stories and legends about the statues made during the life of the Buddha, the authors of the exhibition presented in the catalog "Space and Joy" in the chapter "History of different styles".
Here is one story: Buddha went to the distant Pure Land of Trayatrimsha - the heavens of the Thirty-Three Gods - to give liberating teachings to his mother, who was reborn there. At this time, King Kausambi Udayana created a sandalwood sculpture of the Buddha to show his respect. When the Buddha came back, the king showed him the statue. This story is captured in a stone relief (see illustration) in Pakistan, in the Peshawar Museum, the former capital of Gandhara. On the relief, King Udayana stands (as viewed from the side of the observer) to the left of the Buddha and shows him a statue depicting the Buddha in a meditation posture.
At the time, Buddha did not allow the worship of statues. Many art critics rely on this fact, claiming that his first sculptural images appeared in the era of Gandhara. In the IV century. AD Chinese monks and travelers Fa Hsien, Yuan-Chuang and others, having arrived in India, found that these very statues are still worshiped in the Yetavan monastery in Shravasti. According to Fa Xian, the statue belonged to the Buddha's disciple, King of Kashala Prasenajit. In chapter 20 of his travel diary, under the title A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms, translated by James Legge, 1886, Fa Xian reports that he learned about the first Buddhist statue:
“The Buddha ascended high to the abode of the gods Trayatrimsha and taught the Dharma for the benefit of his mother. He was absent for 90 days. While awaiting the return of the Buddha, King Prasenajit made a statue of him out of sandalwood and placed it in the place normally occupied by the Buddha. Returning to the monastery, the Buddha said to the statue that had come out to greet him: “Go back to your place. When I go to Parinirvana, you will represent me for the four classes of my students. " And then the statue returned to its original place. It was the very first image of Buddha, and since then people have been repeating it. "
According to this source, the Buddha not only allowed his own statue to be worshiped during his lifetime, but also gave instructions that it should serve as a model for all subsequent images. Confirmation is also the permission to make your own image, given by the Buddha to King Bimbisara. This drawing was included in the Wheel of Being, reflecting the central teachings of the Buddha, and given to a neighboring king as an exceptional gift. At the same time, the Buddha strongly emphasized the very useful effect of this picture.
Further development of the art of statues
In his extensive work History of Buddhism in India, the historian Taranatha (born 1575) devotes an entire chapter to the history of making Buddha images. He says that, according to the Vinaya vastu text, the images and statues made by the artists during the first hundred years after the Buddha's death contributed to the spread of the illusion of the real existence of the depicted objects. A little later, eight remarkable works of art were created in Magadhea, among which the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya and the Buddha of wisdom statue Manjushri are especially famous. The history of the statue in Bodhgaya, today the world's oldest statue of Buddha, is detailed in the catalog of the exhibition Space and Joy.
According to Taranatha, King Ashoka, who ruled the Maurian Empire from 272 to 232 BC, built many temples and stupas after adopting Buddhism. He created images of Buddha and worshiped them in order to accumulate a huge amount of good impressions. Thus, he wanted to cleanse himself of the negative actions he had previously committed. The outstanding thinker Nagarjuna, foretold by the Buddha, organized in India and Nepal many Buddhist centers with Buddha statues, next to which were placed the statues of the Protectors.
The Shungian era (II-I centuries BC) that followed the fall of the Mauryan Empire was also characterized by the rich development of Buddhist sculpture and painting, especially in the west of the Indian subcontinent. Examples of this are found in the cave temples of Bhaja (mid-2nd century BC) and Karle (late 1st century BC) –- in the state of Maharashtra, also in Udayagiri and Kandragiri –- in eastern Orissa. In those days, the main motives for artistic compositions were the previous lives of the Buddha, set forth in the jatakas.
In the south of India, during the reign of the Satavahan dynasty (2nd century BC - 3rd century AD), a completely independent art school of Amaravati flourished on the territory of today's Andhra Pradesh. Wonderful stupas and Buddha statues have been erected in Amravati, Jagayyapeta and Nagarjunakonda. They are similar to each other and at the same time stylistically very different from the North Indian statues: they are thinner and the Buddha is often depicted in an unusual pose. Here, also very often an image of the Buddha is found in the form of a symbol. This prompted many art critics to come to the point of view that in the early period of Buddhism, Buddha was not portrayed as a person at all. But the very fact that both options are found here confirms the fallacy of this theory.
Gandhara and her story full of changes
Taranatha established that in all regions where the Teachings of the Buddha flourished, there were many skillful artists creating images of the Buddha. Before the onset of the present "" era of Gandhara "" (I-III centuries AD), the kingdom went through several Buddhist periods. From this we can conclude that Buddhist art existed there for a very long time. Peshawar, Taxila and the neighboring regions of Swat and Pamir in northwestern Pakistan belonged to the Gandhara territory. This area is strategically very favorably located, and at the same time turned out to be at the junction of different cultures.
For many centuries Gandhara was one of the seven provinces of Persia, until 326 BC. it was not captured by Alexander the Great. After 20 years of Greek rule, Chandragupta, the founder of the Maurya dynasty, got the area thanks to a politically advantageous wedding in exchange for 500 elephants. His grandson, King Ashoka, from his residence at Pataliputra (today Patna) in 256 BC. BC sent the Buddhist master Madhyantika to Gandhara, thus granting the inhabitants of this area a connection with Buddhism. Ashoka's rock-cut edicts at Shahbaz Garhi, in the area of the city of Mardan, still exists today.
After the death of Ashoka, the collapse of the Mauryan empire began. First, Gandhara achieved independence, several decades later it was conquered by the followers of Alexander the Great - the Greek-Bactrians under the leadership of King Demetrius. Their reign lasted for about 200 years. According to the coins found, the names of thirty-nine kings and three queens of this period can be identified. Among the Greek kings, Menander played the most important role. He led his troops from Gandhara to Pataliputra and captured the capital of the Shunga (Sunga) dynasty ruling there. Shortly thereafter, Menander met the Buddhist monk Nagazena and became a Buddhist himself. His questions from Nagazene and the answers of a monk entered world literature under the title Questions of King Melinda (Melindapanha, ed. V. Trenckner, RAS, London, 1928).
After the Greeks, the Scythians and Parthians dominated Gandhar for a short time.
Kushan Empire and Mathura Art
The Kushans, or Guishuan, are a branch of the Yuezhi people, descendants of nomads from various parts Central Asia... In the II century BC. they settled in the region of modern North India, the Gandhara region, Pakistan and in the eastern regions of Afghanistan. However, the region was united under a single rule only in the 1st century. AD. The most famous king Kanishka I ruled at the end of the 1st century. AD Under him, the art and culture of Gandhara reached highest point its development, because he was open to Buddhism. During his time, the first images of Buddha appeared on coins. According to Taranatha, Kanishka called a large Buddhist council of practitioners from various schools to correct the misinterpretation of the third (or fourth, depending on how you count) Buddhist gatherings.
In the Kushan Empire, there were two art centers, differing from each other in style: the northern one in the Gandhara region, with the center in Peshawar, and later in Taxila (Takshashila); and the southern one in Mathura, in the south of today's New Delhi (Uttar Pradesh). The art of Gandhara demonstrates the strong influence of Greek and Roman sculpture, in part it is the result of the conquest of Alexander the Great, but at the same time of close trade and diplomatic ties with Rome. The sculptures have toga-like clothing, wavy hair, and straight Roman noses; they are usually made of dark gray shale, stucco (stucco) or terracotta (ceramic).
In contrast to the north, the art of the southern region of Muthura developed from local Indian traditions: sculptures emphasize rounded body shapes with a minimum of clothing and are usually hollowed out of red, marked sandstone. Later this style developed into the finished forms of the Gupta period (IV-VI centuries AD).
In 1926, the Indian art critic Ananda Cumaraswamy wrote the later famous article "The Indian Origins of the Buddha Image," publishing in the American Oriental Society 46, pp. 165-170, in which he argued that the first images Buddhas would not have arisen in Mathura if the Gandhara school had not preceded it. For details, see his book The Origin of the Buddha Image (Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Ltd, Dehli 2001). Significantly, early Mathura images of Buddha were found in Gandhara, while Gandhara's influence on Mathura continued later. Therefore, the images from Mathura should be considered earlier.
Conclusion
Gandhara adopted the technique of making statues from Greece, but the content of the art was indigenous to the Indian. It did not reflect Greek history or legends. And the figures sitting with their legs bent in a meditation posture did not have Greek or Roman prototypes. God Apollo definitely did not have 32 main signs and 80 additional signs of Buddha, observed in the images of the Gandhara era. Indian iconography and the quality of the statues are completely different compared to typical Greek statues. Greek - directed outward, naturalistic and showed the ideal form of manifestation. The sculpture of Gandhara served primarily to achieve inner experience on the other side of the familiar world.
Therefore, it cannot be said that the appearance of the Greek god Apollo turned out to be the prototype for creating the image of the Buddha. Rather, there was a pronounced influence of Greek and Roman culture on the art of Buddhism. Professor P. Friedlander, a professor at La Troba University of Melbourne, in a lecture on Buddhist art published online, adheres to the view that the discovery in the 19th century of images of Gandhara by Western scholars, who then considered Greek art as the source of the development of any art, led to the hypothesis that the image of Buddha arose under the influence of Greek influence. This point of view has survived to this day, since other sources were hardly taken into account.
Nevertheless, Buddhist art was formed not only in the era of Gandhara, on the contrary, the image of the Buddha pervades the spread of Mahayana Buddhism. Another important factor is the opinion of most historians that Buddha, descended from the royal family of Shakyas, is of Indo-European origin. This is indicated by some of the main attributes of a Buddha: athletic build and blue, sometimes blue-black eyes. This also gives some reason to talk about the strong cultural influence of Europe on all styles of Buddhist art in Asia.
Buddhism is one of the oldest and most important religions. Below is a list of the tallest, oldest, most impressive and historically significant Buddha statues in the entire world!
The Big Buddha in Leshan is a majestic and awe inspiring 71 meter high statue that symbolizes Maitreya, the future Buddha. The statue is carved out of a cliff and is located at the junction of three rivers in the Chinese province of Sichuan. This statue was made in the years between 713 and 803 and still attracts tourists today. "Big Buddha" is recognized as a monument and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its historical and archaeological significance.
According to legend, the idea of the "Big Buddha" came to the mind of the Chinese monk Hai Tong, who believed that the Buddha would calm the turbulent flow of the river and protect the ships that descend down the river. Some even claim that in order to secure funding for the project, the monk gouged out his eyes to show his devotion to the Buddha.
However, construction still stalled for as much as 7 years due to lack of funding, the project was completed by one of Hai Tong's students. The Big Buddha statue in Leshan made it possible to achieve the goals of Hai Tong: the stone was moved from the cliff and left in the river, and over time, the structure began to restrain the strong flow of the river, and because of this, the movement of ships became safer.
The monumental statue is located in the Japanese temple of Shobo-ji in the city of Gifu. The idea for the statue originated in 1790 thanks to Kinpuzen, the 11th chief monk of Shobo-ji Temple. He believed that Buddha would be able to help avoid starvation and earthquakes, which were common in those regions.
Unfortunately, the statue was not completed during his lifetime, the project was helped to complete by his successor in April 1832. Ginkgo wood, bamboo nets, clay, lacquer, thin sheet gold - the materials used to build the statue.
Spring Temple Buddha - Buddha Vairochana, is located in Zhaosun Village, Lushan County, China. The monument is located not far from the national highway number 311. The statue was built between 1997 and 2008. The height of the monument is 128 meters (this also includes 20 meters from the lotus pedestal).
For this reason, it is considered the second tallest statue in the world. Below the sculpture of the Buddha of the Spring Temple is located Buddhist temple... The construction project cost $ 55 million.
Ravangla Buddha Park is located in the Indian state of Sikkim. The 40-meter-high statue is the main attraction of the park, it was constructed between 2006 and 2013. The Buddha Park is located on the territory where for many centuries a Buddhist pilgrimage site was located - the Rabong Gompa monastery. The 14th Dalai Lama dedicated this statue on March 25, 2013.
Buduruwagala is an ancient Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, which "sheltered" 7 statues back in the 10th century. The largest of them still holds the remains of the original plastered robe. You can easily guess that the statue was once painted a bright orange, thanks to the long stripe left on its body.
The tallest sculpture is 15 meters high. Mystery surrounds the entire complex of these sculptures. The same rock from which the statues were carved contains carvings in the form of a flame that inexplicably becomes wet with oil.
This standing Buddha statue is carved from massive limestone. The statue was erected in the 7th century on behalf of Prince Agg Bodhi statue, and now its location is Sri Lanka. It was discovered broken into several parts in 1951, reconstructed and erected again in 1980. The height of the statue is 11 meters, it is the tallest free-standing ancient statue in Sri Lanka.
The majestic statue of Buddha is located in the north of Sri Lanka, next to Kekivara. The height of the sculpture is over 12 meters, it was carved from granite in the 5th century. Now she is like a magnet for tourists. The architecture of Aukan Buddha reflects a mixture of styles from the Amaravati and Ganghara schools of art.
These monuments are standing Buddhas, carved out of the rock and located in the central valley of Afghanistan, Bamiyan. The smallest statue was built in 507 AD, and the largest in 554 AD. The two statues were 35 and 53 meters high, respectively. The main parts of the sculptures, the bodies, were carved from sandstone; to complete the details, it was necessary to use plaster mixed from mud and straw.
Sadly, the Taliban blew up and destroyed the statues in March 2001 to raise international protests. However, it is possible that the statues will need to be restored.
The Great Buddha statue is located in the south of the Longshan Mountains in the Chinese province of Jiangsu. This sculpture is one of the most large statues, both in China and all over the world. It reaches 88 meters in height and weighs 700 tons. The bronze, high-standing Amitabha or Amita Buddha was constructed at the end of 1996. To the east of the statue is the Brahma Palace and the Five Seals Palace.
Also known as the Big Buddha, the giant bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is located in Hong Kong on Lantau Island. The construction was completed in 1993, the statue itself reflects the harmony and unity of man and nature, people and their faith. Tiantan Buddha is a cultural site that constantly attracts tourists.
He sits on a lotus on a three-tiered platform that serves as his altar. One big Buddha is surrounded by six small ones, who offer him flowers, rubbing, music, fruit, light and surnames. All these objects symbolize something of their own in Buddhism, they are called "Six Perfections" or "Six Paramitas". The height of the main statue is 34 meters, weight is more than 250 tons, and it is made of 202 bronze parts.
To reach the statue, visitors need to climb 268 steps. In addition to the statue, tourists can visit the nearby Po Lin monasteries and the "Buddhist Kingdom of the South" cable car Ngonping 360 and heading for walking route Lantau. The list of places for acquaintance is not limited to this.
A colossal statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is located near the mountains of Bhutan. The statue was built to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, 4th King of Bhutan. More than 100 thousand small Buddhas, made of bronze and covered with gold, were inside the giant statue. The great Buddha Dordenma stands in the midst of the ruins of the once luxurious palace... Idea to erect giant statue appeared in October 2010. However, it was completed only on September 25, 2015. This sculpture is one of the tallest in the world, its "height" is 52 meters. For its construction, an amount of 47 million US dollars was needed.
In the video, you will not only see with your own eyes the most tall statues Buddha, but also relax to soothing music.
July 6th, 2012
There are such objects in the world about which you seem to know everything, which you repeatedly see in photographs, but all the same, meeting an interesting image again, you admire the people who did it.
Let's take another look and read about this world famous Buddha statue.
In the Chinese province of Sichuan near the city of Leshan, a giant sculpture of Buddha Maitreya is carved into the thickness of the rock. For 1000 years, the 71-meter-high Leshan statue held the first position in the ranking of the tallest monuments in the world. According to ancient architects, the great should be embodied in gigantic proportions, because Maitreya is revered by all schools of Buddhism. Maitreya is the coming Teacher of humanity. Sooner or later he will appear on Earth, attain enlightenment and preach dharma - the path of piety. The Leshan Buddha statue is one of the oldest in the world. It is installed in the place where three rivers merge, the oncoming waters of which create dangerous whirlpools.
As the legend says, the monk Hai Tun decided to appease the elements by carving a sculptural image of the supreme deity in the rock. For many years the monk wandered through the cities and villages, collecting money for the construction of the statue, and in 713 he began construction. Hai Tun died when the statue of Buddha was made only up to his knees, but he managed to achieve his noble goal.
Cutting the statue into the rock, workers threw stone fragments into the river, as a result of which they partially filled up the water streams. Thus, it turned out that the Buddha tamed the stormy nature of the river. According to legend, when the local ruler demanded that Hai Tun give him the donations collected for the construction of the statue, he replied: "I'd rather gouge my eyes out than give away the Buddha's treasures." Soon the ruler came to the monk for money, but he drew a knife and fulfilled his oath, depriving himself of an eye. The confused extortionist backed down. After the death of the monk, his work was continued by the rulers of Sichuan, and 90 years later, in 803, the statue of the Enlightened One was completed.
Leshan Buddha statue - the embodiment of the universe. The giant, 70-meter high Buddha sits facing the expanse of water with his hands on his knees. His huge, 15-meter head rises flush with the rock, and his feet rest against the river. The ears of the Buddha (7 meters each) are carved from wood and skillfully attached to the stone face. The enlightened one is "dressed" in a stone tunic, the folds of which drain rainwater, preventing the rock from cracking.
In the walls surrounding the statue, stone images of 90 bodhisattvas, the spiritual guides of people, are carved. At the head of the giant there is a pagoda and a temple complex with a park. Against the background of the monument, viewers seem like tiny insects.
The stream of tourists, like a swarm of bees, surrounds the Buddha's head on all sides and cascades down the cliff to his feet. A small group of tourists can sit on any of the giant's toes (toe length - 1.6 m). Each viewer tries to find the most convenient point of view, but is forced to examine the statue only from the side view. From the top of the cliff, the impartial face of the Enlightened One is visible, while his legs and body are hidden under the ledge. Below, the entire panorama is occupied by the knees of the Buddha, over which a gigantic face peeps out somewhere in the sky.
The statue is not created for contemplation: in Buddhism, the entire universe is nothing but the body of Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of Truth (dharma-kaya), and it is incomprehensible with the help of the senses or the mind. But it is precisely dharma-kaya that connects a person with true existence, allowing him to attain the purest and highest state of "transcendental" being. As they said in China: "We attain Perfect Enlightenment when the heart merges with the base of a stone monument." Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, the body of Buddha was hidden under a 13-tier temple-tower, but this building burned down during a fire.
Big Buddha impresses not only with its size, but also with its expressiveness: the appearance of a giant literally breathes nobility, greatness and kindness.
Maitreya Buddha in Leshan - pacifier of the water element.
Inside the sculptural work, a drainage structure is skillfully carried out, which is almost impossible to notice from the outside. The grottoes and grooves, hidden in the folds of clothing, on the arms, head, chest of the Buddha, serve as drainage systems and protect the sculpture from weathering and destruction.
Upstairs, on the mountain itself, at the head of the Buddha there is a 38-meter-high pagoda of souls, as well as a temple complex and a park. The walls around the giant are carved with images of Bodhisattvas (there are more than 90 of them) and numerous images of Buddha.
Maitreya is considered the coming incarnation of the Great Teacher of humanity, and he is revered by all Buddhist schools, believing that one day he will appear on Earth, will surely reach enlightenment and will preach the path of piety - dharma to people.
Leshan Buddha statue installed at the confluence of three rivers. Once upon a time, their swift streams, meeting, whipped violent and dangerous whirlpools. According to legend, the Buddhist monk Hai Tun, seeing this, decided to pacify the elements by carving a giant sculpture of the Teacher in the adjacent mountain gorge.
Now, having arrived in Leshan, any tourist can admire the impressive statue. The face of Buddha Maitreya faces the river, gigantic hands are folded on their knees; its 15-meter head reaches the top of the cliff, and its huge feet (toes about 1.6 m long) almost hit the river. The Master's 7-meter ears, carved from sturdy wood, are artfully fitted to the stone face. The Buddha is dressed in a tunic, through carefully carved stone folds of which water flows in the rain, preventing the destruction of the rock.
A temple complex with a small park is built at the head of the colossal monument, and sculptures of 90 bodhisattvas - the spiritual mentors of mankind - are carved in the rocks surrounding the statue.
In the Middle Ages, the sculpture of Buddha was hidden under a 13-tier temple built over it, but this building was destroyed by fire, and now, as before, the rocks are the only walls for the giant statue.
Interestingly, it is almost impossible to fully gaze at the statue of Buddha in Leshan: an impartial face is open from above, but the legs are hidden under a mountain ledge, and from below the legs can be seen perfectly, but the face of the statue is almost completely covered by huge knees. The best vantage point is from the side, but even this does not allow us to see the entire monument in detail.
This feature is not given to the sculpture by accident. It is in perfect agreement with the Buddhist doctrine of the universe, according to which the whole world is the body of Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of the Law (Dharma-kaya), which is incomprehensible from the point of view of the senses and the mind. So Buddha statue in China not meant to be looked at. As the material embodiment of Dharma-kaya, it connects people with true existence, allowing them to achieve a special state of the purest transcendental being, which, according to Buddhists, is the true goal of every person's life. In this regard, the Chinese say the following: "We attain Perfect Enlightenment at the moment when our heart merges with the base of the stone statue."
And you can definitely be sure that this statue is missing
Can sit or stand. With his right hand, Buddha makes the warada mudra gesture, if he stands, he holds the hem of the monastic robe. This image demonstrates the altruistic qualities of the Buddha, there are no specific stories associated with it.
Buddha in royal dress
In this image, the Buddha is adorned with royal attributes (including the crown) and jewels.
The image has several options. First, Buddha can stand, depicting with both hands making the abhaya mudra gesture, or only the right hand can be raised in abhaya mudra, and the left hand can hang freely below. Secondly, Buddha can sit in any of the above positions. Anyway, main feature This image is the royal attire of Buddha.
The story associated with the picture tells how the Buddha was summoned by King Bimbisara, who patronized him, when he was threatened by King Jamburati from a neighboring kingdom. The enlightened one was in the bamboo forest and watched the invasion of the kingdom of Bimbisara, and then showed himself in full royal regalia to King Jamburati and demonstrated beneficent powers so that he became his loyal disciple and never again claimed the territory of King Bimbisar.
This image in the image of the Buddha spread at the end of the 16th century, when the decorative and ornamental art of Ayutthaya reached its peak. It would seem that both religious and artistic value the image should suffer from the excessive colorfulness of the outfit. Most likely, this was done in order to decorate and soften the strict formulaic physique of the Buddha figure. It cannot be denied the sophistication, complexity, beauty of design and skill of execution, however, numerous gems, decorating the image from head to toe, perhaps, are superfluous.
At the same time, the use of royal regalia to emphasize the divine origin of the characters and to enhance the impression is found in other cultural religious traditions, including to Catholicism, Greek and Russian Orthodoxy.
In the original version, the royal attributes were limited to a crown on the head, but in the end they covered the entire body of the Buddha. Moreover, the outfit is depicted in two versions: either a monastic robe covered with jewelry, or a full-fledged prince's outfit. V latest version executed some of the most famous Buddha images in Thailand. Among them, for example, the so-called Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
Buddha eats from the alms pot
The Buddha had just ordained the son of a rich man and is now quietly eating rice from the alms pot (baht).
Buddha eating rice pudding from the alms pot
The Buddha is holding a ball of rice pudding in his left hand, and his right hand rests on a pot. The rice was cut into forty-nine pieces to make it last for seven weeks.
Buddha on Banaspati
The Buddha stands on the head of Brahma, who, in turn, knelt on the back of Banaspati.
In sad thoughts
Buddha stands with his arms crossed on his stomach (left below, right above). Under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha is busy pondering his attainments in perfect knowledge. Mara tempted him to immediately enter Nirvana, but Buddha refused, wanting to convey genuine knowledge to the whole world.
Taking the shroud of the dead
The Buddha took off the shroud from the rotting corpse, shook off the worms from it, washed it in the river and thus got his clothes.
Entering Nirvana
Buddha died when he was eighty years old and entered Nirvana.
Forgiving
Buddha forgives a person who comes to him, who realizes the wrongness of his actions. There are many variants of this pose, among them, for example, Buddha stands with both palms turned outward, or raising one hand (sometimes the left, sometimes the right) with the palm turned outward.
Giving the first law
Making a footprint
Buddha makes an imprint of his right foot. Its symbolic meaning is the movement and spread of Dharma throughout the world.
Demonstration of miracles to the Sakri family
The elders of the Sakri family did not show respect to the Buddha when they entered his father's palace, and the Buddha demonstrated his power to them: among other things, he caused a heavy rain that wet only those who did not show him respect, but those who treated him with respect , left dry.
Holding a begging bowl
The Buddha stands upright and holds the begging pot with both hands at belly level.
This pose refers to the first morning in Kapilavastu after a visit to the Buddha's father's palace. Relatives of the Buddha were ready to receive in Nigrodharam, but leaving him in the evening, not one of them called him for breakfast. And in the morning Buddha went to the city to beg.
Protected by Mukalinda
A huge snake protects the Buddha, the hood of a seven-headed cobra rises from his back and hangs over his head. The Buddha himself, while in deep meditation, sits on the rings of a snake, which serve as the basis for the image. In some cases, the Buddha can be depicted completely entangled in the rings of a snake, so that only the head remains visible - this image was led to the literal understanding of history by the artists.
For 42 days, the great serpent king Mukalinda guarded and protected the Buddha, immersed in bliss and not knowing that a terrible storm was coming. A huge snake wrapped seven rings around the body of the Enlightened One, and opened the cobra's hood above his head so that nothing would interfere with it. The storm allegedly raged for seven days. This image was widespread in central Thailand, and was also popular with the masters of Khmer and Burmese iconographic art. In India, on the contrary, it was rarely used. The Thai masters of Sukhothai also preferred not to refer to him from around the 14th century. In Thailand, this provision is called Phra Nak Prok.
Walking in meditation
Buddha walks, left ankle raised, palms crossed (left below, right above) on the upper thighs. The Buddha received comprehensive knowledge and after that devoted himself to teaching the Dhamra to suffering and unhappy people all over the earth.
Walking or walking buddha
The Buddha walks, slightly raising his right foot above the ground, and with his left firmly standing on the ground, holding his left hand at chest level (bestowing enlightenment, blessing all beings, dispelling fear), while the right one hangs gracefully and naturally at this time. The body forms a balanced pose, bent in three places - tribhanga or S-shaped, which is very popular in Indian sculpture. The Buddha is about to preach a sermon on his illumination. The figure is in a dynamic position, as if it froze in motion, as in a paused video recording. This symbolizes the care and attention of the Buddha to every action. He knows that he will not be reborn again.
A statement of a great truth
Both hands are in the vitarka mudra position.
Hair touch
In this position, the Buddha raises his right hand, intending to pluck eight hairs from his head to give the merchants Tapusa and Bhalika as relics. After enlightenment, the Buddha did not eat for forty-nine days, and they offered him rice, and later became his first disciples.
Bathing in the rain
With his right hand, Buddha pours rain water on himself.
During the drought in Kosala, the Sravasti people turned to the Buddha for help. Seeing rice suffering from a lack of water, the Buddha asked to wash his clothes. On the way to the pond, the heavens opened and a downpour fell on the earth, under which the Buddha bathed.
Meditation
The bodhisattva is in a yoga pose: hands rest on the feet, the left palm rests on the right and takes a bowl-like shape. The eyes look at the tip of the nose or are completely closed. As a rule, the statue in this position expresses a blissful state. This is one of the most popular postures in Thailand, where it is known as the "sharp pain of samadhi".
This position depicts an important and heroic episode when the Bodhisattva vowed not to get up until he attained enlightenment and received higher knowledge. He seeks to find the cause of suffering and the possibility of abandoning it, and in the process of searching becomes a Buddha. Having entered the deepest stage of immersion in thoughts - dhyana, a state of complete calmness, in which both pain and joy are absent, he achieved complete and final enlightenment.
According to Thai tradition, Buddha in a state of meditation is most suitable for people born on Thursday. They most often become judges, lawyers and teachers.
Meditation in the diamond position
The Buddha is in the closed lotus position, the soles of his feet are turned upward, while his legs are tightly crossed, and his hands are on his knees.
This pose was especially popular in the north of Thailand, in which statues found around Chiang Sien were performed.
Direction of the Five Disciples
The Buddha sits in a yoga pose with his hands in the position of teaching mudra. There are four position options in total, which differ in the use of the hands. Firstly, Buddha can be depicted with the left hand lying on the knee, and with the right hand, located at chest level in the vitark position (the big club is connected to the index, the other fingers are slightly bent and directed outward). Secondly, Buddha can be depicted in the dharmachakra mudra ("turning the wheel of the law"), in the process of delivering the first sermon to five disciples. Third, he can simply sit in a state of meditation. Fourthly, it can be depicted with a raised right hand, which attracts the attention of students and encourages them to come closer.
Having achieved enlightenment, Buddha left Bodh Gaya and went in search of five ascetics, with whom he spent six years. He shared with them his newfound knowledge in the Dhammachakra Pavattana Sutta. Here he explained to them the "Middle Way", the Four Noble Truths and the doctrine of the Eightfold Path, the basis of all forms of Buddhism. Buddha's friend Kondanna gladly accepted this knowledge and then convinced four others - Vappa, Bhuddyu, Mahanana and Assaja.
Contemplating old age
The Buddha is in a resting position (open lotus position) with his hands on his knees, palms down.
In the last year of his life, the Buddha spent the rainy season in Veluvan, a grove on the peak of Rajagriha Vultures, donated by King Bimbisara. By the time he was eighty years old, he was seriously ill, but heroically endured his illness. Moreover, she served him as a theme for a sermon on the transience of life. They talked about old man Anand, who compared his body to a wagon that needs to be repaired with belts and bamboo, and insisted on the inevitability of old age and death for all that exists.
Teaching a mother in heaven Tavatimsa
Combining four alms pots
The guardians of the four directions came to the Buddha and offered alms, each in his own bowler hat. The Buddha did not want to show any preference to any of them, so he combined all four bowlers into one.
Stopping Maru
The bodhisattva is in a yoga pose, the left hand is on the knee, the right hand is raised, as if to repel the attacks of the three daughters of Mara. This position has two different options. One is sitting, with his left hand on the hem, and with his right hand at chest level (as in abhaya mudra), as if forbidding Mara's daughters to seduce. The second is a meditation position with both hands on the knees.
This image also has two different interpretations. The first corresponds to the Bodhisattva repelling the attack of the daughters of Mara. The second refers to the moment when the Bodhisattva was in bliss under the Banyan tree, and Mara himself tempted him to immediately enter Nirvana. However, the Bodhisattva refused, saying that the time was not yet time for that, because people had not yet received the teachings, and the righteous way of life had not yet spread.
Keeping relatives from enmity
The Buddha is standing, his right hand is in the abhaya mudra position, and his left hand hangs down, while lightly touching the clothes.
The image refers to the episode when the Buddha, after a three-month absence, returned from the heavens of Tavatisma and stopped the enmity of the relatives of his father and mother over the ownership of sections of the river that flowed between their possessions. The relatives agreed and peacefully divided the plots and, through the mediation of the Buddha, ended the confrontation.
Stop Sandalwood Statue
The Buddha is standing with his right hand hanging along his body and his left hand raised to stop his sandalwood image from approaching. An imposing depiction of this pose is found in Phutthamonton Park in Nakhon Pathom province. There, this gesture is connected with the movement of the walking one. Another sculpture from Ayutthaya, ancient capital Siam, is now in Bangkok, in the eastern viharn of Wat Po.
This position can be accidentally confused with "Keeping Relatives from Enmity", but these are different positions.
According to legend, while the Buddha stayed in the heaven of Tavatimsa for three months and preached there for his mother, on the top of Mount Meru, which is in the center of the universe and where thirty-three gods who are responsible for the welfare of people live, King Udayana created an image of Buddha from sandalwood and placed in the large hall in the Jetavana garden in Shravasti, in the place where the Buddha used to sit. When the real Buddha finally returned, the statue miraculously came to life and welcomed him. However, the Buddha with his left hand stopped the wooden image and ordered him to return to the place in order to serve as a model for future statues that will be made after his death.
Resting or Sleeping Buddha
The Buddha lies on his right side, his feet and right hand are parallel to each other. His monastic robes traditionally reveal his right shoulder, which, in this depiction, usually rests on a pillow. In this case, the left arm is parallel to the body, and the left shoulder is closed.
In Indian tradition, this position of Mahaparinibbana is the end of the life of the Buddha and entry into nirvana. However, in Thailand after the Sukhothai period, it is perceived differently. There, this position means that Buddha is simply resting. In addition, again, according to Indian tradition, the image of the figure in the supine position should be the same as in the standing position, only horizontal. This explains the presence of a "flying floor" in the monastic robe, which creates an "unearthly" impression.
Opening the world. Connecting three worlds: Heaven, Earth and Hell
Descending from the heavens of Tavatimsa, Buddha performed a miracle: he united the three worlds - Heaven, Hell and Earth, and the inhabitants of each of them were able to see each other.
Removal of Vakkali
The left hand of the Buddha lies on his knees, and with his right hand he makes a gesture of detachment.
Brahmin Vakkali was impressed by the appearance of the Buddha, but the Buddha told him that the appearance and physical condition should not be paid attention to, for sooner or later they will fade and decline, instead, they should follow the dharma.
First Sermon
The Buddha appeared at the Deer Park in Isipatana near Benares, where he delivered his first sermon to the Five Disciples.
Lord of the Waters or Stopping Ocean
The Buddha is standing, both palms raised, as if he is trying to push something away. The pose is similar to "Return from Heaven Tavatimsa" with double vitarka mudra, but should not be confused.
In Thailand, this pose is called "Stopping the Ocean or Preventing Rise of Water", but it also comes from the flooding in the Sahara, which is located on the banks of a river in India.
The Buddha came to the Cazuara camp, where there were about a thousand fire-worshipers, and asked for an overnight stay. He was settled in a dilapidated house on the banks of the river, which was often flooded. To prevent this, the Buddha made the waters subside and thus showed Cazuara and his followers the true path.
Submitting Maru or Calling Earth as a witness
The Buddha sits in a yoga pose, holds his left hand on his foot, palm turned up. The right hand is located on the knee and points to the ground, sometimes touching it slightly.
This pose, also known as Calling the Earth as a Witness, is most popular in Thailand. Mara with her horde tempted the Bodhisattva: the demons promised him power, wealth and carnal pleasures. However, Buddha rejected them all with contempt and continued his meditation. This rejection of Mara symbolizes victory over oneself.
Pointing at the corpse
Buddha delayed the cremation of the corpse for three days, he wanted people to look at him and reflect on the transience of life and the temporality of their stay in this world.
Receiving water
On the way to Kapilavastu, Buddha overcame an illness. He asked Ananda to fetch some water from a nearby river. However, on that day, many carts had already moved across the river, so the water was incredibly dirty and hardly drinkable. But when Ananda scooped up the water, it turned out to be clean.
Obtaining bunches of grass
One evening after supper the Bodhisattva received eight bundles of cut grass from the brahmana Sotthya. On this grass, Buddha was able to comfortably sit under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya.
Initiation into the ordination of the first disciple
Upatissa and Colita were ordained to the priesthood, at the same time receiving the highest rank.
Predictor
Calling Earth as Witness or Suppressing Mara in the Crystal Palace
Calling Rain
The Buddha is standing, his right hand is at chest level, in the vitarka mudra position, and as if calling for rain, and his left palm is gathered in a handful, as if asking for an offering, rainwater should collect in it. In some variants of the position, the Buddha can sit with crossed legs (the position of the arms is preserved). The style of clothing can be either Kandahar or Northwest India: the monastic attire falls in symmetrical waves. The feet are set naturally, not as formally as is usually the case with other Thai statues of the same time.
This pose gained popularity during the Dvaravati period. The seated version was created by order of King Rama I, since then this image has been used in the procession of the plowing festival in mid-May. The standing version was introduced by Rama V.
Mango host
The Buddha sits in a yoga position and holds a mango in his right hand, his hand resting on his knee.
When Buddha was in Veluvan, some people demanded that he show them a miracle, thereby proving his power. Then Buddha took a mango fruit and squeezed it into a pot, drank the juice, and planted the seed in the ground, from which a huge tree immediately grew and immediately began to bear fruit abundantly.
Taking a rice treat from Sujata
The Buddha sits in a meditative position with his palms open and turned outward. After the Bodhisattva realized that mortification of the flesh is not the path to enlightenment, he accepted food from Sujata, thereby ending his extreme asceticism. After that, he left the hermits in Urvel, with whom he traveled this path, and he himself went to Bodh Gaya.
Taking an ink nut
The Buddha holds a small ink nut in his right hand.
On the seventh week after his enlightenment, Buddha sat under the ket tree. At that moment, Indra offered him an ink nut.
Taming the Wild Elephant Nalagiri
The Buddha is standing, his right hand is at waist level, the palm is turned down. A certain ill-wisher sent his elephant Nalagiri to the Buddha, so that he would harm him. However, Buddha tamed him.
Threading a needle
Both of the Buddha's hands are in front of his chest, he is focused on threading the eye of a needle.
The Buddha makes clothes from rags taken from a dead man. Engaging in this business and concentrating on permeation, he receives illumination, which leads him to understand the last of the Four Noble Truths - the Eightfold Path.
The preacher of Angulimale
Angulimala was a bandit and serial killer who had to pay his mentor a debt - a thousand fingers of his right hand. To pay off this debt, he killed innocents, cut off their fingers and made a garland out of them. But one day he met a lone Buddha in the forest. The killer took out his sword and ran after him, but despite the fact that the Buddha walked slowly, Angulimala could not catch up with him. When the robber began to run out of strength, he shouted to Buddha to stop, but that he replied: “I am already standing, Anugulimala, and always stood. Because I am merciful to all living things, and you are merciless. That is why I am standing, and you are still not. " After that, Anlugimala threw down his sword and received the blessing of the Buddha.
Preaching to the father
Buddha preaching for the last time
On the last day of Buddha's life, Ananda, on his orders, went to the city in order to carry his word to the people. A traveler of another faith named Subhadda came to the Buddha to ask a few questions. Buddha explained to him that it is impossible to achieve enlightenment outside of Buddhism. Subhadda was imbued with his ideas and even decided to become a monk. Although for followers of other religions, as a rule, there is a "probationary period" before entering the dignity, but for Subhadd an exception was made, and he immediately became the last direct disciple of the Buddha.
Farewell to Vesali
The Buddha stands, looks over his right shoulder (sometimes over the left), holds his right hand on his stomach.
After recovering from the illness caused by the contaminated pork, the Buddha decides to leave Vesali for good. Knowing that he will never return, he looks at the city for the last time.
Running an empty alms pot on the water
After eating all the forty-nine portions into which the Bodhisattva has divided the rice, he lets the empty alms pot float down the Neranjara River. If the bowler hat does not sink, but floats against the current, then this is a sign that Buddha will attain enlightenment. If the bowler hat floats against the current and does not sink, it will mean that enlightenment is attainable for the Bodhisattva.
Travel by ship
The Buddha is seated in the so-called western position, also known as the European one. The image can have two options. In one hand, they lean on their knees, in the other, the right hand is at chest level, and her palm is turned outward.
Having achieved enlightenment, the Buddha was going to visit his father, but for this he needed to cross the river.
Clarification of omens
The Buddha's right hand is on the knee, the palm is turned. In this case, the left hand is at chest level, and her palm is turned outward.
The Buddha informed Ananda that it was in his power to prolong his life if he asked. However, Ananda twice rejected the Buddha's proposal, as he fell under the influence of Mara. Then Buddha sent Ananda away and made him a prediction that he would inevitably die and enter Nirvana.
Examining food in the alms pot
Eight days after the Bodhisattva became a monk, the local ruler gave him food for the first time.
The decision to enter Nirvana
Buddha holds his right hand on his chest.
The Buddha is immersed in reflections on his own old age and the intimacy and inevitability of death. He decides to enter Nirvana on the full moon night, three months before his death.
The decision to become a monk
Despite the increased security, Siddharta leaves the palace for Kapilavastu on horseback, accompanied by his charioteer Chandaka.
Descending from heaven
Indra created three ladders that connected heaven and earth. One for myself, one for the Buddha, and one for the brahmanas.
Standing buddha
The eyes of the Buddha are lowered, he himself stands with his arms hanging along his body.
This posture of the Buddha testifies to his complete confidence in his actions.
Solitude in the woods
The Buddha was tired of the Kosambi monks, who split into two groups and lost their harmony, and he preferred solitude in his own forest.
Here the elephant Palilaika drew attention to him and invited the Buddha to drink water, while the monkey brought him a hive with honeycombs.
Pointing to Mara
The Buddha holds his right hand bent at the elbow, her palm is directed outward, and the index finger points up. The left arm hangs freely along the body.
The Buddha visited the recently deceased and pointed to Mara, looking around in the clouds in the vain hope of catching the spirit of the deceased.
Mortification of the flesh
A thin and emaciated Buddha sits in a meditation posture. For six whole years he practiced extreme asceticism and was on the verge of death from exhaustion. Eventually, however, he realized that between extreme asceticism and worldly existence there is also a "middle way."
Miracle in Sravasti
Buddha sits in a "European" manner, as if on a chair. The legs are slightly apart, the right hand is at chest level and folded into the vitarka mudra position (the thumb is connected to the index finger, the rest are slightly bent), the left hand lies on the knee. In this case, the feet of the Buddha rest on the lotus. In addition, in some cases, the Buddha may be depicted in a standing position.
A miracle in Sravasti is a manifestation of power in front of unbelievers in order to convince skeptics and representatives of all kinds of religious sects. The Buddha showed them his heavenly halo and revealed himself in an exalted form, which was accompanied by storms of thunder and lightning and earthquakes. Also, Buddha created himself by making a Double Appearance.
