18 August 2017
It’s impossible to deal in world art on any scale and not have frequent encounters with world religion; primarily because there aren’t five religions in the world, but somewhere around 4,200! Each of those religions usually has its own rites and rituals, daily ceremonies, and celebratory special occasions; and in turn, implements and visual symbols associated with their realization...
4月28日2017
The original Buddha, Sakyamuni Gautama, or Gautama Siddhartha, was born in India in the 6th-5th century BCE. Born into a noble family, he left his privileged life to lead the life of a wandering ascetic and thinker. Meditating on the human condition one night while sitting under a Bodi tree, he awoke to find he had realized nirvana, a heavenly state of absolute beatitude and would not be rebo...
20 January 2017
Looking at Buddha’s face and head can also give an indication of whether you are seeing Gautama Buddha or a different Buddhist figure entirely. The original Buddha’s facial expression is typically serene and his mouth is usually shown smiling slightly. His earlobes are usually shown long where they were once weighed by his heavy jewelry as a prince. Later, the long earlobes bec...
25 November 2016
In the 2,500 years since the historical Buddha lived, his story has been told countless times and his teachings became the basis for one of the world’s great religions – Buddhism. Although there is general agreement among historians that Buddha was an actual person, the actual times of his birth and death are uncertain as are many details of his life. There are simply too many conf...
04 December 2015
The second meaning of bodhisattva can be found in Mahayana Buddhism, where bodhisattvas are considered beings that are committed to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of others. In other words, this is a reference to enlightened individuals who devote their time to helping others out of compassion, and to help eradicate the suffering of all living entities. The third meaning of ...
10 July 2015
The five Dhyani Buddhas are popular subjects of Buddhist art. Each of them represents a different skandha, or aspect of existence. This can also be interpreted as different qualities of Buddha himself. The Dhyani are sometimes referred to as primordial Buddhas, each representing an abstract aspect of enlightened consciousness. Some depictions of Dhyani Buddhas are almost impossible to dist...
29 May 2015
Looking at Buddha’s face and head can also give an indication of whether you are seeing Gautama Buddha or a different Buddhist figure entirely. The original Buddha’s facial expression is typically serene and his mouth is usually shown smiling slightly. His earlobes are usually shown long where they were once weighed by his heavy jewelry as a prince. Later, the long earlobes bec...
12 December 2014
Though there are many mudras with fascinating meanings and stories. Here are several of the most common ones: