Vicky

__BUDDHIST STATUES__

Buddhist art first originated in the Indian subcontinent before spreading to other various Asian countries in the 5th to 6th century. When Buddhist statues/ paintings were first introduced they didn’t look very human like but later on during the “Iconic period” Buddhist art slowly evolved into human form.

In India Buddhist art flourished and inspired the development in Hindu art. Buddhist art also bought many new techniques and materials for paintings. By the 16th century the Japanese had been so influenced with Buddhist statues that they started placing them outside of the religious contexts. There a few well known statues like the one of Shakyamuni Gautama and Pu-tai; Pu-tai is a statue that originated from an old Chinese folktale in the 10th century. It was about a Ch’an monk called Ch’i-t’zu. This character was known for being able to predict the weather. Before Ch’i-t’zu died he reviled himself to be an incarnation of Maitraya Buddha. The word soon spread throughout China and that’s when he got the name of Pu-tai (Buddai) which meant “hemp sack”. Pu-tai would always carry around a sack of good things for people like treats for little kids. He helped people who were poor, unhealthy or just too young to care for themselves. The statue of Pu-tai represents happiness, generosity and wealth.

The Buddhist statues are very well proportioned and they have to be specific lengths, like the nose and the ears. Buddhist statues also have to have a great amount of detail for them so they can show the characteristics of the statue. Every detail on the statue represents harmonious proportions.

The greatest enlightenment of the statue is the thing on top of its head which is called the enlightenment-elevation.

__ PHYSICAL MARKS __ Ushnisha: this is the enlightenment-elevation on top of the head, it is defines as that which emerges from the head of the enlightened one. Urna: this is the dot in the middle of the forehead; it is meant to represent eyes of wisdom. The Buddhist statues are all sitting in a meditating pose and most of them have the soles of the feet showing. __THE SUBTLE ENERGY-SPHERE OF THE BODY__ The enlightenment-centre: is the sphere of 1000 pealed lotus flowers. Urna: the curable centre of thinking and conscious power. It is the centre of the lotus. Base of throat: sphere of speech. Centre of chest: the emotional sphere of the inner voice.