Hello dear readers.
Today we will talk about the statues of the Great Teacher - Siddhartha Gautama, which are located in Thailand.
Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand. Thais profess the Theravada teachings - a current that originated from Siddhartha Gautama himself. There is no concept of God in the literal sense of the word, and numerous statues of Buddha in Thailand were erected not for worship, but as a tribute to the Great Teacher and the wisest of the wisest.
How many Buddhas in Thailand
The answer is simple - about the same number as there are Buddhist monasteries, and there are a little less than 30,000 of them in this country. Moreover, in some temple complexes there is not one, but several statues of the Enlightened One.
It is customary to single out the most significant, even to some extent pompous structures:
- Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Bangkok);
- Temple of Truth (Pattaya);
- Temple of Hell and Paradise (Bang Saen);
- Temple of the Golden Buddha (Bangkok);
- Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Bangkok);
- Big Buddha Temple (Phuket).
We will consider them.
Not in every temple complex the statues are unique or have some special history, but European tourists are not always interested in the statues themselves. In about 50% of cases, they come here not even to look at the Enlightened One, but to get acquainted with a unique place. Such are the Tiger Monastery and the Temple of Hell and Paradise.
Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Bangkok)
Thais call it the main, most beautiful and largest pearl in the country's temple necklace. This shrine was built on the territory of the royal palace in Bangkok specifically for the statue of the Enlightened One, which is made of jadeite - a type of jade - and decorated with gold.
The relic was accidentally discovered in 1436 in the ruins of one of the pagodas in Chiang Rai. This small figurine, only 45 cm tall, was covered with plaster and clay and, at first glance, was of no value. She was taken to his chambers by the abbot of one of the monasteries. However, after a while a piece of the "build-up" fell off, revealing to the monk an amazingly green color. Soon, pilgrims were drawn to the monastery.
Today the shrine is well guarded - it is covered with bulletproof glass. She is changed three times a year - events are arranged as solemn ceremonies.
Temple of Truth (Pattaya)
It is considered the largest wooden structure in the whole of Thailand and, perhaps, in the whole world. Built without a single nail. The main feature is endless construction. The author of the idea is the philanthropist Leku Viriyaphan. The construction began in 1981 and is still being built. The estimated completion date is 2025.
A fairly large statue of the Enlightened One is carved from wood and worked out to the smallest detail.
The entire building is also decorated with carvings - religious and mythical heroes, deities. This is a real man-made wooden architecture.
Viriyaphanu was told that as soon as the construction was completed, he would die. The basis eternal construction the idea of reincarnation is laid.
Buddha in the Temple of Hell and Paradise (Bang Saen)
One of the temple complexes near Phuket, 90 km from Bangkok and 40 km from Pattaya, if you move to the east. Exact location - resort town Bang Saen. Here, visitors can look at the numerous Statues of the Enlightened One (for example, at the very beginning they are greeted by a statue of the Laughing Buddha), but they go not only for this, but also in order to study the Thais' idea of hell and heaven.
The monastery is located in scenic location and surrounds the cave, the territory is covered with jungle, because of which the perception of what is happening here is much heightened.
Surprisingly, the place is not listed as a tourist destination, although there is something to see. All the circles of Hell are masterfully shown, which occupy almost 80% of the total area. It remains to be surprised how sophisticated the sculptor's mind was - the figures are grotesque, but worked out to the smallest detail.
The attraction runs until 6 pm. Free admission. Better to visit on weekdays - on weekends Thais come here to get a fair shake in case they suddenly want to sin.
Temple of the Golden Buddha (Bangkok)
The statue is made of pure gold and weighs 5 tons. And this is absolutely true. But until some time no one knew about it - from the outside the statue was covered with a thick layer of gypsum and looked unattractive.
It has been transported many times. Last sent to storage (1957). During the transportation, it was raining, and on top of that, the statue also fell. Here the most interesting thing happened - one of the monks noticed a strange shine, which is in no way peculiar to plaster. This is how the Thais got the golden Buddha.
Experts have estimated the age of the statue. She is about 700 years old. It was filled with gypsum back in the Burmese war. Since everyone who knew about it died, for a long time such a precious relic was unknown to anyone.
Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Bangkok)
The oldest in Bangkok. There are many sculptures of the enlightened one of various shapes and sizes, including the largest in Thailand. The complex has been restored several times, the last time in the XX century. Opened to the public in 1982.
The Reclining Buddha is about 46 meters long and 15 meters high. The statue is covered with gold, and the eyes and soles are mother-of-pearl.
In the temple complex, you can get high-quality Thai massage and study yoga poses in every detail - each statue of the Enlightened One is made in one of them.
Big Buddha Temple (Phuket)
The shrine is located on Nakkered Hill in Phuket. Its height is 45 meters. It is made of white marble (Burmese). At its foot since 2001, a multi-level temple complex has been built:
- Level 1 - a museum, a souvenir shop, a large gong and monks on a pedestal (alive, they perform a ritual, after which they hang an amulet on their hand);
- Level 2 - statues of royalty;
- Level 3 - Big Buddha statue and its 12-meter copper copy.
Excellent views from the top of the mountain. From here it is good to take panoramic pictures of Chalong Bay, Kata and Karon beaches, Phuket Town. If you come here in the evening, you can see the sunset of unprecedented beauty.
The road leading to the shrine is 6 km long. This distance can be walked or taken by taxi or tuk-tuk.
And one more place ...
The largest statue of Buddha is located in the town of Ang Thong, which is lost somewhere in the Thai hinterland. The height of the statue is almost 92 meters. It is one of the ten largest sculptures in the world, the five largest Buddhas, and is the largest statue of an enlightened one in Thailand.
The statue is made of reinforced concrete. It took 18 years to build. The outside was covered with a layer of gilding.
The temple complex includes many buildings and sculptures. At the feet of the Enlightened One is the prototype of Hell and Paradise from the island of Phuket, so people with weak nerves are better off not looking here.
The statues of the Enlightened One have strictly defined postures corresponding todays of the week... For example, lying down is Tuesday, sitting with your hands on your knees is Wednesday, and in lotus position is Thursday.
Conclusion
Dear readers, when traveling to Thailand, make a list of places you definitely want to visit. And let there be Buddha statues among them - not all, at least a couple. It is not necessary to worship them, but in such places there is amazing energy, and you can get very unusual impressions there.
He also possessed
32 PURE BODY SIGNS OF A GREAT HUSBAND.
The most notable iconographic feature of the Buddha
USHNISHA -
a semicircular protrusion on the head, a feature of the structure of the skull, indicating extraordinary wisdom.
In addition to her, it must be present
URNA -
a mark between the eyebrows (a symbol of the endless movement of the Sun),
long, knee-length, HANDS,
FINGERS on hands of the same length and
the same on my feet
long earlobes, reaching to the shoulders.
In countries South-East Asia THREE basic types of sculptural images of the founder of the doctrine are common, you
and you yourself noticed and you will be able to list, so :), that's right:
STANDING Buddha
Sitting Buddha
Lying Buddha
Images of a Buddha who has attained nirvana are usually of the same type:
he lies on his right side, his head rests on his right hand, bent at the elbow, the whole figure personifies peace and tranquility.
One of these figures is shown to all tourists who come on an excursion to the royal palace and the nearest famous temples of Wat Prakeo and Wat Po. In cotton Po, there is a big golden Buddha in this classic pose,
where everyone bypasses it, and throws coins into the bowls, standing along its contour.
There are TWO major seated Buddha postures.
Pose MARAVIDJAY -
means the victory of the Buddha over the demon tempter Mara. In it, the Buddha sits cross-legged, the right hand rests on the right
knee.
Another pose - SAMADHI -
corresponds to the lotus position - a symbol of balance, absolute calmness and the victory of reason over feelings.
In addition, the figures of the standing and seated Buddha, as noted by more attentive art lovers, are different.
MUDRAMI - Skt. GESTURE)
symbolic positions of hands and fingers, each of which carries a deep meaning.
ABHAYA-MUDRA - a gesture of fearlessness -
the right arm is bent at the level of the chest, the palm with straight and pressed fingers looks outward. This gesture shows
that the Buddha's teaching gives protection, brings peace and removes fear.
VARADA-MUDRA - gesture of beneficence -
the right and left hands are half-closed, the open palm is directed downward, which symbolizes compassion and goodness.
The combination of both gestures is especially characteristic of sculptural images in Thailand and Laos.
As a rule, a standing or walking Buddha is depicted with this hand position.
For example, the famous walking Buddha (14th century) which is kept in Bangkok in Pentyamabophit cotton wool.
DHARMACAKRA-MUDRA - gesture of the wheel of dharma -
The Buddha, who has already attained enlightenment, is depicted during the first sermon, when he revealed the dharma to his disciples, otherwise
speaking, turned the wheel of dharma. The index and thumb of the Buddha's left hand touch, symbolically depicting
while pressing the wheel of dharma, three straightened fingers symbolize the three jewels of Buddhism - Buddha, dharma and sangha.
DHYANA-MUDRA - gesture of mediation -
the left or both hands rest on the knees, palms up. The gesture symbolizes meditation. In the art of Southeast Asia
the meditating Buddha is sometimes depicted under the hood of the many-headed serpent king Muchchilinda.
BHUMISPARSHA - MUDRA - gesture of touching the ground -
one of the most common Buddha images in Southeast Asia. The teacher is depicted in a state of deep contemplation,
at the moment of attaining enlightenment His left hand rests on his knees, palm is turned up, right hand is down
down and touches the ground - Buddha calls the earth to witness the accomplished enlightenment.
Well, now we have learned something from some postures and gestures, as it turned out in Hinduism there are many more of them.
But here we looked at images of Buddhas in Thailand.
But the next time, entering the temple, carefully looking at the teacher's hands and fingers,
remembering this text let us release a beautiful sound into space - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VARADA-MUDRA!
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 the 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 on conquest campaign 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 the architecture, sculpture and works of art of the lands he conquered between the Euphrates , Tiger and Indus ... ", and also:" ... 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 Mahayana Buddhism. " Thus, the emergence 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 heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods - to give liberating teachings to his mother, who was reborn there. During 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 stone relief (see illustration) in Pakistan, in the Peshawar Museum - the former capital Gandharas. 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 come to India, found that these very statues are still worshiped in the Yetavana 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 the permission to make his 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 artists during the first hundred years after the death of Buddha 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 Satavahans dynasty (2nd century BC - 3rd century AD), on the territory of today's Andhra Pradesh, a completely independent art school of Amaravati flourished. 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 in the form of a symbol is found. This prompted many art historians 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 has 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 in 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 of 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 authority 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 convened 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 more on this, see his book The Origin of the Buddha Image (Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Ltd, Dehli 2001). It is significant that early Mathura images of Buddha were found in Gandhara, while Gandhara's influence on Mathura was carried out later. Therefore, the images from Mathura should be considered earlier.
Conclusion
The technique of making statues was taken over by Gandhara from Greece, but the content of the art was native 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 quality of statues are completely different from 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 an image of the Buddha. Rather, there was a pronounced influence of Greek and Roman culture on the art of Buddhism. Professor P. Friedlander, 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 emergence of the assumption that the image of the 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. One more important factor- 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.
Among the Buddhist works of art, images of Buddha Shakyamuni were among the first to appear. There is no general opinion about when the first of them was created. According to archaeological data, the depiction of the Buddha began only a few centuries after his departure to Parinirvana. Before that, there were only symbolic images of the chakras, the feet of the Buddha. However, some sources speak of a statue created "from nature" during the Buddha's lifetime. This portrait is known as the "image from Oddiyana." It was created at the request of King Oddiyana. This portrait is said to emanate "divine light." Here is what is written about this statue in the later Mahayana sutras:
“Maudgalyayana Putra, a follower of Buddha, transported the artist to heavenly spaces, where Buddha Shakyamuni retired for three months to transmit the Teachings to his mother. There, the artist saw the excellent signs of the body of the Buddha and captured them in the form of a sandalwood statue. When the Tathagata returned from the heavenly palaces, the sandalwood image rose and greeted the Lord of the World. "
The earliest statues found depict Buddha standing or sitting under a Bodhi tree. In addition, a Chinese monk who traveled to India in the 7th century talks about the statue of the father of Buddha Shakyamuni that stood in Kapilavastu, and about the statues of his mother, wife and son in other places. He also describes the stupas he saw with relics of arhats and their sculptural images. Later, with the rise of the Mahayana, images of Bodhisattvas began to appear. Although aspects such as Tara were known in the earliest times. Vajrayana Indian Buddhism is also characterized by portraits of pandits and siddhis - masters of Buddhism.
In Indian art, statues were carved out of sandalwood or stone. Many such stone statues can be seen in Bodhgaya, as well as in the Sarnath Museum and National Museum in Delhi. Later, the statues began to be cast from metal. The method of casting the statues used in the northern schools of India influenced the artists of the Nepalese tradition of Nevar, who were later highly regarded in Tibet. At the end of the 16th century, a stream of art from Nepal poured into Tibet, which gave impetus to the casting of statues, wood carving, as well as working with silver and gold.
There is a story about the first Tibetan images: “Master Padmasambhava contemplated leaving Tibet and going to Oddiyana. Then the artist Tami Gyonzon made a portrait replacing the Grand Master. Gyongzong created an image from life in the presence of the Master himself. The statue was exactly like Padmasambhava, but the size of a thumb. " When the master blessed the statue, “the earth shook, and the space was filled with rays of light of five colors, and the gods shed a rain of flowers. It was a manifestation of the Master's body, oral instructions born from the essence of all pitakas, an unsurpassable drop of the heart, Great Perfection ”(Five Classes of Exposition). Another story says that Padmasambhava gave each of his eight disciples a bowl of clay and asked for a portrait of him. One of these eight ngadrama portraits is now kept at the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim.
In Tibet, statues of "ngadrama" ("just like me") are highly prized because they were made during the life of the master and blessed by him. First of all, this tradition is closely related to Padmasambhava. A text found in the 11th century reports that the first Tibetan Buddhist statue was made in Samye monastery during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, and it was a portrait of him, which had the title: "The King and All His Queens." Songtsen Gampo considered himself the embodiment of the thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, and the statue was made in accordance with this vision. Subsequently, this statue began to be revered as the defender of the empire. The next Buddhist king was Trisong Detsen, who founded Samye Monastery. A growth statue of the king was placed in this monastery. "The bones of the statue were made of sandalwood, the flesh of googul resin and the leather of silver plating" - such description can be found in Chinese and Indian sources, however, other early sources indicate that this statue was made of silver. Also well known are the bone statues of Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa made by the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje.
Painting statues
The traditional Tibetan way of teaching the visual arts is mostly in the nature of the transfer of practical skills and a very small theoretical part, consisting mainly of Tibetan folklore stories and legends. Theoretical knowledge is given in a scattered rather than a systematic way. Apparently, chronology in the history of Tibetan art for the Tibetans themselves is not particularly important. As for the differences in artistic styles, as Tibetan masters say, “in Tibet, if someone wanted to study painting, he simply went to the nearest master and spent all his time with him. Often, the artists did not go far from their village and did not even know that painting in the neighboring province is called “a different style”. All these differences came later. "
Buddhist statues can be painted in whole or in part; only the head and some attributes can be painted. The painting itself, and especially the gilding of the face or the entire figure, is an offering to the Buddha who is depicted in the statue. Often, when studying especially revered and ancient statues, it is clear that the original outlines of the face are practically erased by numerous layers of gold.
Clothes are also traditionally offered to the statue. It is worth remembering the famous Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Bodhgaya. Every half hour she is dressed in a new dress. In Tibet, it is customary to sew a special costume made of precious brocade for statues. Often the dress itself is sewn separately from pieces of various precious materials. An intricate collar cape is put on top. In addition, Tibetans love to adorn statues with numerous precious stones. Sometimes, due to the abundance of jewelry and clothing, the statue itself is almost invisible. Most often, rare, precious statues are richly dressed and painted, which, moreover, are placed so high that they practically become inaccessible for viewing. But for a Tibetan Dharma practitioner, this is not a hindrance at all, he just knows that a special blessing comes from the statue, and turns to it with devotion in his heart.
The first statues in Tibet were made of clay and painted entirely. The clay surface itself is a very fertile basis for natural pigment paints, namely, they were used for painting. Making mineral paints is a rather laborious task. Nowadays, you can buy a ready-made powder-pigment, but in the old days you had to grind gems and grind them into powder. Also, pigments can be prepared from colored clay or earth. As a bonding element, skin or fish glue is added to the paint.
The metal statues that appeared later were most often painted with gold on their heads. In some cases, the entire statue was covered with gold leaf. In especially valuable statues, the body itself can be covered with gold paint and polished (except for the face), and the clothes are covered with gold leaf. Gold paint is gold that is crushed into powder and mixed with glue. When gold paint is applied, the surface takes on a soft golden color, and when polished it starts to shine. The clay statues also covered the face and exposed parts of the body with gold.
Nowadays, statues are painted in the same way: metal heads, and plaster and ceramic - entirely. Wooden statues, if desired, can be primed and painted entirely. As for the sculptures depicting the defenders, and especially the Mahakala, they are painted in full, and the figure should be covered with a cloth so that only the face and hands remain visible.
The process of painting statues is often referred to as “opening the eyes,” since it is the eyes of the Buddha that are especially important. After drawing the eyes, the statue "comes to life", although this is not enough for complete revival - in order for it to work for the benefit of the enlightenment of beings, it must be properly filled. Once filled, the statue must be blessed with one of the tall lamas.
In the past 30 years, a fairly large number of Tibetan Buddhist statues have appeared in the West, but information on how to "look after" the statue has only recently begun to come. But it is the correct handling of a Buddhist statue that makes it alive in the literal and figurative sense.
Buddhist statues in Vajrayana.
Initially, the sculptural images of Buddha, arhats and great lamas were created to replace their personal presence. In this case, the statue is the basis for the development of devotion. The statue is a symbol of the body of Buddha (there are also symbols of speech and mind). Visualization is very important in Vajrayana practice, and the statue can serve as the basis for it. But here you need to be careful, because often statues of very poor quality, made with errors, come to the West, and such statues are not a very good basis for visualization. Therefore, when choosing a personal statue, it is worth examining it with passion and, if possible, consulting with a specialist. In addition, the statue can be used as a base for the practice of shine. And, of course, the statue is an excellent opportunity to accumulate merit. We purchase or make a statue, fill and paint it, place it on the altar, make offerings - all this creates positive energy.
There are many Tibetan legends that talk about how the statues of Buddhas came to life - they cried at difficult times for Tibetans or talked. At the time when King Langdarma tried to destroy the Dharma in Tibet, many Buddhist sculptures were destroyed, and sometimes blood appeared on the breaks. But this only added devotion to the Tibetans.
In Lhasa is famous statue, which the Tibetans call Jowo. This statue was made in India and shipped by sea to China. The Chinese emperor treated the statue with great devotion and consulted with her in all his affairs and problems, since in those days the statue could talk. The Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo decided to marry the daughter of the Chinese emperor, and, going to Tibet, she took a statue of Jowo with her from China. Miraculously, the huge sculpture has become quite light. However, the princess took Jovo without the permission of her father, and when he discovered the loss, he was upset and made wishes, because of which the statue stopped talking. In the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, there are many similar stories describing miraculous powers ancient statues and showing that for Tibetans, a Buddhist statue is much more than a simple object of art.
Used literature: Portraits of the masters. Serindia Publications, Chicago
Denzong Norbu
Master of traditional Tibetan art, recognized master of thangka painting. He received the transmission of the Menri art style from his teacher Renzing Ladripa, but later independently mastered the karma-gadri style and received specific instructions in this style from the Sixteenth Karmapa, with whom he lived for more than 30 years. He supervised numerous murals in the temples of the Karma Kagyu lineage in India, Sikkim, Nepal and France, as well as the painting of a stupa in Elista, Kalmykia.
Irina Parshikova
Graduated from the art school named after. Roerich in 1997 and a year later met her teacher of Tibetan art Denzong Norbu. She studied thangka painting in India and France, took an active part in the painting of the Buddhist temple in Le Bost and in the activities of the art school created there. She took part in the creation of wall paintings in Kalmykia, Denmark and India. Travels with Denzong Norbu and conducts courses on painting statues in different countries Europe.
The study of Buddhism has inspired people to create masterpieces of art around the world, the most notable of these works are the Buddha statues known as Buddharupa (literally translated as the Awakened One), which adorn Buddhist temples from worship to generation. Here are ten of the most famous and beautiful statues in the world.
Some of these Buddha statues are among the largest in the world.
10. Buddha statue on the Hussein Sagar lake
The Buddha statue is located in the center of an artificial lake in Hyderabad city and is one of the most famous statues Buddhas in India. She is a whopping 17 meters (56 ft) high and weighs 320 tons. It is the largest monolithic statue in all of India and was made from a single piece of stone by a group of artisans. Unfortunately, during the installation of the statue in 1992, it toppled over and fell into the lake, killing 8 workers. The government restored the statue and placed it in the middle of the lake.
9. Tian Tan Buddha
Tien Tan Buddha is sometimes called the Big Buddha and is located on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The statue, made of bronze and completed in 1993, is the main feature of Po Lin Monastery, symbolizing the harmony between man, nature, people and religion. The statue is called Tien Tan Buddha, because its base is an exact copy of Tien Tan - the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The statue sits on a lotus throne atop a three-tiered altar. At 34 meters (110 ft) high, the Tian Tan Buddha is presented in a serene posture. His right hand is raised to deliver disaster. His left hand is resting on his knee, symbolizing happiness.
8. Monywa Buddha
Monywa is a city in central Myanmar. Located on the banks of the Chindwin River. To the east of the city is Po Khaung Taung, a series of hills where you can see the Maniwa Buddha, the largest reclining Buddha in the world. 90 meters (300 feet) long. The head alone is 18.2 meters (60 feet) high. The Maniwa Buddha was built in 1991 and is hollow inside, allowing visitors to walk inside the statue from head to toe. Inside the figure there are metal images of the Buddha and his disciples, depicting various important events in the life of the Buddha.
A giant standing Buddha statue was recently built on top of Po Kaung Hills. 132 meters (433 ft) high and is one of the largest statues Buddhas in the world.
7. Head of Buddha in Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand that is home to one of the most unusual statues of the Awakened (Buddha) in the world. Among the ruins of Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic) are the remains of a statue of Buddha, whose body was lost over the centuries, but the head of this statue miraculously found its refuge among the vines and tree roots. Around this statue, there are many architectural structures that have survived the attacks of the time.
6. Gal Viharaya
Located in central Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa is home to one of the most spectacular Buddha images in the world - Gal Viharaya. This massive rock temple was built by Parakramabah the Great in the 12th century. The main attraction of the temple is the 4 large Buddha statues carved directly into the granite rock. These giant stone figures include a reclining Buddha statue, 14 meters (46 feet) long, and a standing statue that is 7 meters (23 feet) high.
5. Ushiku Daibutsu
Ushiku Daibutsu is located in Ushiku, Japan. The statue, completed in 1995, is one of the most tall statues in the world - 120 meters (394 feet) in height including 10 meters (30 feet) of the base and 10 meters of the tall lotus, which is the platform for the statue. Visitors to the Buddha statue can take the elevator to the platform where the observation deck is located.
4. Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Located in Bangkok, Wat Pho is famous for its Reclining Buddha statue. It is one of the largest temples in Bangkok, as well as one of the oldest, it was built almost 200 years ago, before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. Wat Pho holds a kind of record in Thailand, as it houses the largest Reclining Buddha statue in the country and the largest number of Buddha images. The gilded Reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high and shows the last moments of the Buddha's life before he left for Nirvana. The eyes and legs of the statue are decorated with mother-of-pearl engraving. On the soles of the feet, 108 favorable characteristics of a true Enlightened One are depicted.
3. Great Buddha of Kamakura
Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Shu sect located in the city of Kamakura in Japan. The temple is famous for its large Buddhist statue (or Daibutsu). Cast in bronze. The great Buddha is over 13 meters (40 feet) tall and weighs about 93 tons.
The first mention of the statue dates back to 1252. It is believed that the statue was erected by the Buddhist monk Joko, who also collected donations for the construction of the statue. Although the original Buddha statue was housed in a small wooden temple, the Great Buddha is now in the open air as the temple was washed away by a tsunami in the 15th century.
2. Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Another of the Buddhist temples in Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew - Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located on the territory of the Grand Royal Palace. The main building is the central building that houses the Emerald Buddha, one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.
The jade statue is adorned with a golden robe. The Emerald Buddha is said to have been created in India in 43 BC. in the city of Pataliputra, where he remained for 300 years. In the 4th century AD, it was taken to Sri Lanka by Buddhist monks to save it from destruction. The statue eventually ended up in Thailand and was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1779. The statue has three different sets of golden robes, which are changed by His Majesty the King of Thailand during the changing of the seasons.
1. Leshan Giant Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha is a giant Buddha statue carved into the rock in Sichuan province - Western part China. The majestic sculpture represents the figure of Maitreya, the Bodhisattva traditionally depicted in a seated position. Construction begun in 713 during the Tang Dynasty could not be completed until 803, even with a large labor force.
Thus, 90 years were spent on construction. This statue is immortalized in stories, poems and historical scriptures as the largest Buddha image in the world. The sculpture is about 71 meters (233 feet) high and has fingers 3 meters (11 feet) long on each of its huge hands. Today it is a popular tourist destination in China.
