Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand - Essay Example

?Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo) in Bangkok, Thailand of the Collage/ school INTRODUCTION The temple of the EmeraldBuddha is regarded as one of the most sacred temple in Thailand due to it potent religio-political symbol and safeguard the Thai society. It is situated in the historical centre of Bangkok within the precincts of the gland palace. In the main building is the centre of Ubosoth which host the statue of emerald Buddha which can be historically traced to India five century after the lord Buddha attained Nirvana until it was enshrined in Bangkok in the Wat Phra Kaew temple, in 1782 during Rama I's reign (1782–1809). The Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue is in a standing form, about 66 centimeters (26 in) tall which is carved from a single jade stone in the meditating posture in the style of the Lenna School of the northern Thailand. Due to the holiest nature of the statue except for the Thai King, no other person can be allowed come close or to touch the statue who cloaks it three time a year during winter summer and rain season which is a powerful ritual carried out to welcome good fortunes in the country in each season. Wat Phra Kaeo is believed to be the holiest temple in the kingdom, due to the diminutive Emerald Buddha is the holiest image in Thailand. The coming to be of the image is in dispute among experts where some say it was made in Sri Lanka as believe that it was crafted during the 14th century to what is now Thailand. It is believed to come with good fortune to whoever possesses it, and thus it has been fought over by several kings and empires for legends claims that miracles used to occur in different places it has been interned. Since 1784, the Emerald Buddha has been in its present shrine in Wat Phra Kaeo thus making the Buddha image and the temple remain a fantastic focal point due to the historic royal ceremonies. Other people believe e that ‘”Wat Phra Singh” Bangkok is the holiest temple since it was first to host emerald Buddha despite the many argumentative explanations few people have came into concession about this (Subhadradi,, 25-36). Main Body #1 Emerald Buddha is made out of the finest gems ever known and has some of the most miraculous powers. In Thailand, an image of the Emerald Buddha which is made of gem and stone carving is been associated with extremely uncommon power for along time. This Buddha images has been used as object of ventilation and religious worship in the community. Due to their miraculous power the image of Emerald Buddha has been shown to appear on office and altars in homes, schools, and temples. The image is believed to be a sign of affectiousness of religion from the effective cognition of the ontological communication. The affection is delivered from the ritual of consecration of the can lead to personal presentation. Therefore, it represents the inherent of of the relationship between the inherent and beholder as a simple of contemplation. (Swearer 8-31) Main Body #2 Anthropologists and historian have put across several arguments that the Buddha can go where it is designated to go is where it shall choose. According to the case of sinhale Buddha case the image of the emerald Buddha it travels according to the kingship and kingdom making for it was placed in the inner cycle of the palace. In this case, the travel of Sinhala Buddha is a remarkable occasion for it is associated with the first appearance of pure pali budhisism. The travel of the buddha statue provides a chain of 0geneology of the kingdom and politic which the statues legitimate. It provide a map for the political arena made of the number if principalities changing boundaries and affiliations thus identifying the virtues of commitment to the religio-political ideology. The statue of Buddha is a product of the circumstances of which it’s making, and authenticity is given by its maker (Timbiah 1-15) V. Main Body #3 Emerald Buddha has seen many kingdom and empire fight over it due to it holistic nature. It is believed that the kingdom which posses it prospers in contrast to their opponents. This has seen it change hands from one kingdom to another through fierce wars and battles. Good example of this is it was taken to Sir Lank to save it from civil war after staying in pataloptra for over three hundred years.in the 475 king from Burma sent fro the image from Ceylon to provide an avenue for Buddhism in his country a request which was permitted.the capture of Angkor Wat in 1432 by Thai Emerald Buddha was moved to Ayutthaya, Laos, Phet and then finally Chiang Rai, where it was hidden by the ruler of the city. It remained in Chiang Mai until 1552, where it was to Luang Prabang head city of Lan Xangof the Lao kingdom. When the Prince Setthathirath became king of Lan Xang he returned it home from its previous captures. The image was moved to the new capital at Vientiane by the current king the in 1554. By 1779, the Thai's General Chao Phraya Chakri came up with an insurrection, which saw the capture of Vientiane and returned the Emerald Buddha to Siam, hence moving with it to Thonburi. Later when he became the king Rama I of Thailand, the Emerald Buddha was moved by hosting a fabulous ceremony to Wat Phra Kaew on 22 March 1784 its current home. It is now hosted in the main building of the temple, the Ubosoth (). VI. Main Body #4 The Bangkok’s temple of Emerald Buddha is considered as one of the most sacred temple in Thailand. The temple’s sanctity comes from its possession and enshrinement of the Emerald Buddha which is the nations most religious and political palladium of which the temple is named after. Chronicles puts across that the Emerald Buddha was forged from the Chakkavatti’s (Universal World Ruler) wish ceding jewelry; therefore the emerald Buddha thus became to substantiate a potent image of Buddhism and kingship through its form and medium.it Being enshrined in Bangkok act as a symbol to marks the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as a Buddhist center, and thus its caretaker, Thailand king as the ultimate political and religious leader. Before it was enshrined in the temple of the Emerald Buddha in 1784, the Emerald Buddha was seen as having traveled to historic Buddhist centers throughout South and Southeast Asia. The Emerald Buddha’s movements to and from these specific cities were the direct result of political and religious instability. When a decline in practice and/or faith of particular king and his kingdom was noticeable, the image was transported, either willingly or by force, to a new city. Here, the chronicle simply an intimate connection between Buddhist religiosity and political stability. A king was able to maintain political stability through his active worship and sponsorship of the Buddhist faith (Rod-Ari, 55-64) VII.Main Body #5 The temple OF the Emerald Buddha also called Wat Phra Keow was constructed in 1782 to house the Emerald Buddha which was the most valued possession of the rulings dynast, which is Chakri dynast. 60 cm in height, the Emerald Buddha statue is believed and seen to have a magical power. Due to this, it is said that those who possesses the statue will rule the whole kingdom of Thailand. Despite this whole view and speculation there exist no clear indication of the source of the statue although it was for the first time surfaced in the 15th century Chiang Rai in the northern town. It was then moved to Laos in the mid 16th century and subsequently then moved to Vientiane in east Thailand. the Emerald buddha was then brought to Bangkok late 18th century by the king Rama I, who was serving in general position under Tok Sin, the last ruler of the the previous dynasty. The statue which is made of Jade or nephrite; no clear documentation of the material used since the close inspection of the statute is prohibited of it is shimmered in a glass case high above head of a visitor to the temple since it is only the king who can be allowed to come across the or near it as stated earlier. Unlike most monasteries where monks have a residence , there are no resident monks at Wat Phra Keow for the temple is reserved for the exclusive use of the royal family were prestigious and loyal families hold ceremonies ( Naengnoi, web). VIII. Conclusion The Emerald Buddha is believed to have the most potent power of any Buddha statue. It is made out of some of the finest material and it is believed that the Buddha statue chose where it should reside. There were significant battles to obtain the Emerald Buddha since its discovery in Chiang Mai. Although it was discovered in the Wat Phra Singh, it now resides in the Wat Pra Kaeo which is known as the holiest temple in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha has seen many kingdoms fight over it due to its holistic power it is believed to be attached to it. This has seen many empires and kingdoms fight over the possession of the statute so as to gain the prosperity it comes with. Despite it reach history and divergence of religious believes the temple of Emerald Buddha still remain one of the holiest temple in Thailand. This has gone to the extent that no one is allowed to come across or near it except the king who cloaks it three times a year. This signifies the crucial nature of these statues to the people and the communities of Thailand and the role it plays to their daily life. The above unquestionably proves that the thesis that the temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Pra Kaeo) is the holiest temple in all of Thailand. Bibliography  Naengnoi, Suksri. Palaces of Bangkok: Royal Residences of the Chakri Dynasty. London,  Thames and Hudson Ltd. Extracted from http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/thailand/bangkok/wat-phra-keow.php on 16/03/2013 Rod-Ari. M. Thailand: The Symbolic Center of the Theravada Buddhist World. Los Angeles. University of California, 2009.55-65 Swearer. K.D. Becoming the Buddha: The ritual of image conservation in Thailand. Princeton;  Princeton University Press 2004, 8-31 Subhadradis,M.C. "History of the temple of the emerald Buddha", Thailand Published by the Bureau of the Royal Household, Bangkok. 2003, 25-36 Timbiah.J.T. Famous Buddha Images and the Legitimation of Kings: The Case of the Sinhala Buddha (Phra Sihing) in Thailand. U.S.A. The president and fellows of Harvard collage. 1982, 1-15 http://www.britannica.com.library.morainevalley.edu/EBchecked/topic/185722/Emerald-Buddha Read More