The origin of the Buddha image. Architecture and Sculpture Buddhism Statue with Hands Buddha Title

Buddhism as a religious and philosophical movement has become a source of inspiration for many artists, musicians and sculptors from all over the world. Among the most beautiful creations of adherents of Buddhism are statues depicting Buddha located in temples, monasteries and sacred places. Let's remember 10 of the most interesting, unusual and amazing sculptures depicting someone who has attained enlightenment.

In the town of Hyderabad, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, there are many different shrines and wonderful places. One of them is a world-famous artificial lake. In the center of it there is an island on which a statue of Buddha is installed. Its weight exceeds 320 tons, and its height is as much as 17 meters! In 1992, when the statue was being installed, something went wrong and it overturned, crushing 8 workers with its weight.

A huge Buddha statue bearing the epithet Big is located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The Buddha was cast in bronze in 1993, and since that time he has adorned the platform in front of Po Lin Monastery, symbolizing the connection between nature and man, religion and everyday life. The statue is a replica of Tian Tang, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The Buddha sitting on a lotus flower is 34 meters high and weighs about 250 tons. He is calm, his right hand is raised and his left is on his knee. It is interesting that all the Buddhas of the world are placed facing south, this one is facing north. It is also the largest seated Buddha statue in Asia.

Moniwa is a town in central Myanmar that is not the most popular with tourists coming to this country. However, it is fraught with many wonderful treasures: wonderful temples, stupas and statues. On the ridge of hills to the east of the city, there are two unusual Buddha statues. Interestingly, they are hollow inside and anyone can enter them. One statue is a reclining Buddha about 90 meters long. It was built in 1991. Inside it there are other images of the Buddha and his disciples, illustrating events important for the formation of religion. Next to him stands the Buddha, towering 132 meters. This is one of the tallest Buddha statues in the world. It looks like a lighthouse because it is adorned with golden vestments sparkling in the sun.

Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of the state before (Siam). Now on the site of the once great city are the ruins of palaces, monasteries and temples. The city's historic park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most photographed and popular objects here is the head of the Buddha entangled in the roots of an ancient tree. It is located on the ruins of the Wat Mahathat Temple. The body has long been lost, and the face expresses either joy or bliss.

The Gal Vihara Temple, located in the north of the center of the island, is home to one of the most remarkable Buddha statues. The name Gal Vihara belongs to a massive rock in the historical area of ​​Polonnaruwa. There are 4 Buddhas carved in stone - all are hidden in caves and are in different poses. One, reclining, is 14 meters long. The other, standing, is 7 meters high. Once upon a time, each statue was preserved by the walls of the temples, now destroyed. The sculptures date back to the 12th century, and they were first found by Europeans, found in 1820.

The 120-meter statue of Ushiku Daibutsu Buddha is located in Daibutsu town. She stands on a 10-meter platform in the shape of a great lotus. There is an observation deck on the platform, which can be reached by elevator. The statue depicting Buddha Amitabha was built in 1995. It is believed to be the largest free-standing Buddha.

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is one of the ten must-see places in Bangkok. This is one of the largest and oldest temples in the capital. It also houses the largest reclining Buddha and the largest number of Buddha images in the country. The gilded statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. She symbolizes the Buddha who has gone to nirvana. His eyes and legs are decorated with engraving with mother-of-pearl.

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 Maitreya Buddha is carved into the thickness of the rock. For 1000 years, the 71 meter tall 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 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 out 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 to his knees, but he managed to achieve his noble goal.

Cutting the statue into the rock, the 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 cracking of the rock.

In the walls surrounding the statue, stone images of 90 bodhisattvas - the spiritual mentors 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 head of the Buddha 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, above which a gigantic face peeps out somewhere in the sky.

The statue is not created for contemplation: in Buddhism, the entire universe is nothing more than 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) and numerous images of Buddha.

Maitreya is considered the coming incarnation of the Great Teacher of mankind, and he is revered by all Buddhist schools, believing that one day he will appear on Earth, he will definitely reach enlightenment and will preach to people the path of piety - dharma.

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, water flows down when it rains, 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 chance. It fits perfectly 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. That's why 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

Buddhist culture has embodied the teachings of the Buddha. Religious principles are also reflected in the monumental stone sculpture of the territories professing Buddhism. A huge number of Buddha statues were created for brick and stone temples and monasteries.

According to legend, the first sculptural images of the deity were created in India from sandalwood during the Buddha's lifetime. And many statues copied the famous statue from Kausambi. But really Buddha statues appeared much earlier, only they were not anthropomorphic. At first, the god was depicted as a symbolic stupa. In addition, there were other symbols: the victorious throne - enlightenment, the wheel - the first sermon, the stupa - nirvana, the Bodhi tree - the Buddha himself.

With the spread of the Mahayana school, Buddha statues appear. At the same time, the rules for the sculptural image of a deity begin to be developed. Sculpture schools appear.

Buddha images

In different areas, the statue of Buddha could differ depending on the territorial ideas about this character. Buddhist chronicles tell of specific stone statues housed in monasteries. For example, in the Mahavamsa, which tells about the life and reign of King Jetthatissa, it is said: "The great and beautiful stone image, which was once placed in Thuparam by King Devanampiyatissa, King Jetthatissa ordered to remove from Thuparama and install Pacinatissapabbata in the temple." At the same time, Vladyka ordered to erect a new building for the "great image". Subsequently, the stone statue was decorated with precious stones.

The Chinese pilgrim Fa-hsien, who recorded his impressions of what he saw while traveling through the territories of Buddhism, saw a huge seven-meter jade statue in a special hall. The Buddha was depicted sitting with a gem in his hand.

In Buddhist religious sculpture, the canonized position of the hands and fingers was present. "Dhyana-mudra" - the pose of meditation assumed that hands, placed on top of each other, palms up, are placed on the heels and soles of the feet turned up and pressed to the body. At the same time, the legs are crossed in the lotus position ("padma-asana").

The significance of religious canons in Buddhist sculpture was significant. Strict canons held together the traditions of sculpting that passed from ancestors to descendants.

Following artistic traditions, the painter, on the one hand, makes it easier for himself to work in creating the image of the Buddha, and on the other hand, he feels the restriction of freedom of creativity and the manifestation of individuality.

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 in Kapilavastu, and about the statues of his mother, wife and son elsewhere. 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 of these stone statues can be seen in Bodhgaya, as well as at the Sarnath Museum and the National Museum in Delhi. Later, the statues began to be cast in 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 the 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 just 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 precious stones 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 applied with gold paint, 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, 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 a great 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.

There is a famous statue in Lhasa, which the Tibetans call Jowo. This statue was made in India and shipped to China by sea. 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. There are many similar stories in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, describing the miraculous powers of ancient statues and showing that for Tibetans, a Buddhist statue is much more than a mere 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 of Europe.