Buddhist iconography in and outside India (Study)
by Purabi Gangopadhyay | 2016 | 47,446 words
This essay represents a a comparative study of Buddhist iconography in and outside India, focusing on regions such as China, Korea, and Japan. The study is divided into four chapters, covering: 1. The emergence of Buddhism in India and its spread to other countries; 2. A historical account of Indian Buddhist iconography and the integration of Brahm...
Sakyamuni Buddha
The figure of Sakyamuni Buddha is one of the important sculptures belonging to the Northern Wei dynasty of China (5th- 6th century). The height of the deity is 16 cm. In this representation the statue and the pedestal are cast together, but the halo is separately cast. The The deity sits in padmasana on a round pedestal. dress he wears is like that of an ascetic, leaving the right side of the body bare. He exhibits abhaya-mudra in his right hand. His left hand holds a bunch of flowers. His tuft of hairs is like that of the hairs of a sage. Two animals are guarding the two sides of the seat. The simplicity of the designs on the pedestal and the floral motifs on the seat are also remarkable. The leaf-shaped halo depicting the flame-like design behind the deity looks proportionately larger as compared to the size of the deity. The three Buddhas on the halo appear to be on the three sides of the image. Two Buddhas are on the sides and one at
-70the top. Manjusri or Wen-Chu and Samantbhadra or Pu-Lien are also worshipped by the Buddhists in China. A discussion should also be necessary for a comparative study of the icons of Indian and Chinese Buddhist deities, mainly of the Brahmanical deities in China in Buddhist garb.