Art Work: a Folktale of China - Essay Example

Art is one of the most important genres in society. It helps in reflecting and depicting people’s culture as it is. Thus, it can be a useful tool for the preservation and transmission of culture to benefit the current and future generations. To achieve this, far-sighted minds should use their creativity to depict culture through writing, painting, sculpturing, and drawing.

Also identified is a well-curved sculpture of Buddha. This is quite symbolic because it has a significant role to play in the lives of Chinese Buddhists who regard the Dragon Monkey as a spiritual figure in their religion. Basically, as already hinted, the artwork can be related to the book Money: A Folktale of China in which the author was aiming at providing a detailed story of the mysterious and magical paths of the Dragon Monkey in his pursuit for heavenly powers. As examined by Wu in this book, the Dragon Monkey passed through a very long journey before eventually becoming a spiritual figure in Buddhism.

At one point, Wu describes the dragon, ‘This determination it was that led him to leap clear of the toils of Re-incarnation and turned him at last into the Great Monkey Sage, equal of Heaven’ (Page 14-15). This shows that he was a respected religious figure whose powers were legitimately granted and above those of anyone else. From this statement, the Dragon Monkey was indeed a respected and revered deity amongst the Buddhists. The descriptions given in the book relate to the panting. The compound shown in the painting clearly shows how religious these people were. Also, the attachment given to the dragon indicates that it was Buddha himself who would determine how he would control the life of his followers. When he chose to use the Dragon Monkey, everyone had to accept because he was their overall father.

In conclusion, the lessons learned from the Ceiling from the Hall of Great Wisdom (Dazhidian) at the Temple of Wisdom Attained (Zhihuasi), Beijing and Monkey: A Folktale of China proves that art is of course a powerful tool in society. Despite that the artwork was made in c. 144, it still remains relevant up to date. People in contemporary society can rely on it to understand how important the temple compound, Dragon Monkey, and Buddha have been in the lives of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhists. Their relevance is timeless as they depict the true nature of the Buddhists, their Buddha, and revered deities like the Dragon Monkey. Therefore, they are so invaluable in understanding such facts.