Buddha Seated in Meditation - Essay Example

Buddha Seated in Meditation Buddhism is dominant in the art and culture of the island kingdom of Sri Lanka as influencedby the south Indian models. Andhra Pradesh was a stronghold of Buddhism in the south and had the greatest influence to the Sri Lankan art and culture. The Sri Lankan sculptural tradition is divided into two phases, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruva, which were named after the kingdom’s capitals. These sculptures also contain stylistic influence of the Tamil Nadu kingdoms of Pallavas and Cholas. The Chola kings ruled Sri Lanka in the eleventh Century and constructed copper-alloy sculptures of Hindu gods in the Chola style. Currently, Buddhism is widespread in India, China, Korea, and Japan. The sculptures of Buddha describe the various positions and activities practiced in Buddhism during worship. These positions include meditation, praying and activities such as offering sacrifices and protection. Buddha seated in meditation, is one of the Indian gods created by the Sri Lankan artists. It is one of the art products of the sixteenth-century. The figure sits on a lotus-vine pedestal, deep in meditation. The body contains several lakshana, numerous auspicious marks that are a sign of his Buddhahood. The sculpture has thirty two conspicuous marks referred to as mahapurusalakshana. There are also eighty lesser marks such as the forehead mark (urna) and the flame protuberance (ushnisha). Other marks in the meditating Buddha are contained in the extended earlobes, locks of hair and the lotus marks on the hands and feet. The sculpture has a height of 48.7 centimeters, width of 36 centimeters, and a diameter of 20 centimeters. The figure is displayed in a glass case placed directly on the museum floor. The front end of the case contains transparent glass that gives a clear view of the sculpture. The sides of the case are made of brownish concrete for protecting the sculpture. The interior of the case is white in color, which creates a high contrast with the copper sculpture. Buddha started Buddhism, a religion practiced in India, Sri Lanka, and other parts of Asia. The work is made for the Buddhist followers where meditation is the seventh step in the eight fold path. The eight fold path contains the teachings that guide Buddhists through their faith in order to experience peace in this world and the afterlife. The sculpture is seated in a lotus position, which is the recommended position during meditation. The meditating Buddha is seated in a lotus position with the feet resting on the opposite thigh. The hands are loosely placed on the lap, and the thumbs are lightly touching. His eyes are open and focus on a spot on the ground ahead of him, with the head held uprightly. This position is referred to as Samadhi in Buddhism, which is a one-pointed meditation that involves intense focusing of consciousness. The base of the sculpture contains a lotus pedestal in an oval shape. The sculpture is made of cheap copper alloy with gilding. Copper was a cheap and readily available metal in the sixteenth century. Copper alloys are malleable, which explains the reason the sculpture was constructed using a copper alloy. The brownish figure is over life size, constructed in the sixteenth century. The sculpture has a smooth polished surface and contains several marks. The marks depict his beauty and the perfectly smooth finish serves as an outer reflection of his inner spiritual power. The ears have elongated lobes which are pierced. This symbolizes the precious jewels worn by him that stretched his earlobes. The lotus base contains flowery marks for decoration. The flowers can be interpreted as the symbol of purity and beauty of the religion. There is a bump on the head, which signifies wisdom and enlightenment in spirituality. The locks of hair on his head point upwards and the shoulders are gently curved. There is a third eye between the eyebrows that signifies spiritual insight. The sculpture has interlocking flat-footed feet and long toes and fingers. The feet and palms contain webbed lotus marks and the knees are perfectly rounded. The space between the left hand and the ribs is completely filled up with copper, which indicates the scarf worn by the monks. The hands are resting on a solid surface that looks like the robe worn by Buddhist monks. The sculpture contains the tradition as well as imagination of the image of Buddha. The images of Buddha were constructed between five and six hundred years after his birth. The sculpture is based on the ideals and principles taught by Buddha that govern meditation. This regards the upright posture, closed feet, rigid head, and touching fingers. The marks drawn on his body are drawn from the Indian concept of the cosmic being. The dressing contained in the sculpture is derived from the traditional mode of dressing of the religious leaders. The artist’s creativity is evident in the enshrining of his face and divine posture. Buddha was believed to sit upright with his feet crossed under the bodhi tree during meditation. The elongated earlobes also signify the artist’s imagination of the effect of the heavy earrings worn by Buddha. The hair locks pointing leaning towards the right also represent the imagination based on the belief that each follicle produced only one hair. The sculpture of seated Buddha in meditation has defined the ideal position of meditation among Buddhists. The teachings and practices of Buddha form the basis of Buddhism, which include meditation. The meditation process is believed to give Buddhists a spiritual encounter with the gods and has to be performed according to the teachings of Buddha. The posture depicts his enlightenment, which influenced the way he changed the lives of the people. Meditation is one of the eightfold path and helps people retrace their path towards the divine path of meditation. Buddhists perform meditation to gain consciousness of their inner self by creating a peaceful mind and insight that helps them understand their suffering and spirituality. Meditation is performed for fifteen minutes daily early in the morning or late at night. Read More