Sculpture and religion. Buddha poses. The history of Buddhist statues Buddhist sculpture

On the night of May 25, during the full moon, Buddhists celebrate Vesak - a holiday in honor of the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha. It was to Buddha that people erected the most grandiose monuments made of stone, bronze and gold. We'll tell you where you can see them

1. Spring Temple Buddha

Height: 128 meters

Where: Henan Province, China

33 tons of copper, 108 kilograms of gold and 15 thousand tons of special steel - this is exactly how much material the Chinese needed to express their respect to the Buddhist heritage and build the largest statue on the planet.

The monument depicts Buddha Vairocana, one of the five sacred Buddhas representing wisdom. The idea to create a grandiose shrine came to the Chinese after the Taliban destroyed two huge Buddha statues in Afghanistan.

The height of the majestic figure is 108 meters, the base in the shape of a lotus flower is 20 meters, the pedestal is 25 meters. And if we add to this the height of the hill, recently transformed into two large stone steps, it turns out that the entire structure rises 208 meters into the sky.

2. Laukun Sectuar

Height: 116 m

Where: Sagaing Province, Myanmar

Laukun Sectuar is considered the second largest sculpture on the planet. Moreover, at the feet of the giant lies the world's largest reclining Buddha statue. The entire structure is located in a remote area of ​​Myanmar, so only a few European travelers know about it.

The construction of the monument can easily be called the construction project of the century. It lasted 12 years (from 1996 to 2008)! During the construction of the reclining Buddha, they used it as a mold to cast the clothing of his vertical counterpart. Workers lifted and connected the gold-plated plates manually, without the help of cranes.

The statue, 116 meters high, depicts Shakyamuni Buddha, and together with the pedestal reaches almost 130 meters.

3. Ushiku Daibutsu

Height: 100 meters

Where: Ushiku, Japan

The Spring Buddha from China's Henan Province has a twin in Japan. This is Ushiku Daibutsu. The incarnation of the majestic deity rises to the sky 120 meters (height with a pedestal), decorating a park in the Japanese city of Ushiku.

The statue is at least 16 meters smaller than its brother in China, but it is also majestic and large-scale. Just imagine 2.5-meter eyes, a 10-meter ear and an 18-meter arm!

The hands of the Japanese Buddha, like the Chinese, are facing the interlocutor, the right one is raised, and the left one is lowered along the body. This is the vitarka mudra position, which symbolizes the transmission of the teachings of dharma. In other words, this is how Buddha shows everyone the path to enlightenment, liberation from suffering and attachments.

4. Guanyin

Height: 108 meters

Where: Sanya city on Hainan island, China

You will see it from the window of a plane landing at Sanya Airport. She gives the impression of a goddess walking on water. It's hard to take your eyes off the white stone figure and the shining golden halo around her head.

This is Guanyin, the female incarnation of the Buddha, also known as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The goddess has three faces: she looks at visitors, holding a book in her hands, the second face is depicted with a rosary, the third with a lotus flower. Thus, the many-faced Guanyin represents the three aspects of the Buddha: past, present and future.

5. Great Buddha of Thailand

Height: 92 m

Where: Miang district, Ang Thong province, Thailand

You can also meet the Great Buddha in Thailand. Ang Thong Province is home to the largest statue in the country and the ninth tallest in the world. The Buddha, sitting in the lotus position, took 18 years to build; all work was completed five years ago. The statue is made of cement and painted with gold. It reaches 92 meters in height and 63 meters in width.

6. Grand Buddha

Height: 88 meters

Where: Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China

And this is the world's largest bronze Buddha statue. The figure froze in the same pose as the Spring Buddha in Henan Province and his Japanese counterpart Ushiku Daibutsu. The height of the statue, which rises on Lingshan Hill, is 88 meters. The giant weighs about 800 tons. To get close to the Buddha and touch his feet, you need to walk 217 steps.

The Grand Buddha is adjacent to the Xiangfu Temple and Taihu Lake, where tourists love to relax. Recently, a Brahma palace and a palace in the shape of Buddha's hand were built here.

7. Maitreya Buddha

Height: 71 meters

Where: Sichuan Province, China

Maitreya Buddha is another ancient Buddhist colossus. The statue of a monk radiating kindness and love is located near the city of Leshan and is visible for several tens of kilometers around. Locals They call him Da Pho, which literally means “Buddha of the Mountain.”

It’s incredible, but the 70-meter sculpture is actually carved thicker than one of the rocks of Mount Lingyunshan. The width of the shoulders reaches 30 m, the size of the head is almost 15 m, the fingers are 8 m, the length of the nose is 5.5 m. Over the course of 90 years, starting in 713, day after day, the rock gradually took on the majestic image of Buddha.

His half-closed eyes look at Mount Emeishan, and his feet rest on the river. At the level of the Buddha's head is temple complex, a park and pagoda 38 meters high. And to the right of the Buddha's head there is a lovers' park. Couples lock padlocks here and throw keys into the abyss so that they will never be separated.

8. Buddha Lantau

Height: 34 m

Where: Lantau, Hong Kong

The Buddhist symbol of clarity of thought and purity of thoughts is also in Hong Kong. This is a bronze statue of Buddha sitting on a lotus. Peculiarity Big Buddha on Lantau Island is that it faces not to the south, like all the large Buddha statues, but to the north.

There are 268 steps leading up to the Buddha, but this does not stop the many tourists and pilgrims who come to Hong Kong to touch his feet.

Among the Buddhist works of art, images of Shakyamuni Buddha 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 Buddha began only several centuries after his departure to Parinirvana. Before this, there were only symbolic images of the chakras, the feet of the Buddha. However, some sources speak of a statue created “from life” during the life of the Buddha. This portrait is known as the "Uddiyana image". It was created at the request of King Oddiyana. It is said that this portrait emitted “divine light.” This is what is written about this statue in the late Mahayana sutras:

“Maudgalyayana-putra, a follower of the Buddha, transported the artist to the heavenly spaces, where Buddha Shakyamuni retired for three months to convey the Teachings to his mother. There the artist saw the excellent signs of the Buddha's body 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.”

Of the statues found, the earliest depict the Buddha standing or sitting under the Bodhi tree. In addition, a Chinese monk traveling through India in the 7th century talks about the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha's father that stood in Kapilavastu, and about statues of his mother, wife and son in other places. He also describes the stupas he saw with the relics of the arhats and their sculptural images. Later, with the emergence of the Mahayana, images of Bodhisattvas began to appear. Although aspects such as Tara were known in very early times. Indian Vajrayana Buddhism is also characterized by portrait images of pandits and siddhas - masters of Buddhism.

In Indian art, statues were carved from sandalwood or stone. Many such stone statues can be seen in Bodh Gaya, as well as in the Sarnath Museum and National Museum in Delhi. Later, statues began to be cast from metal. The method of casting statues used in the northern schools of India influenced the artists of the Nepalese Newar tradition, who were later highly valued in Tibet. At the end of the 16th century, a flow of art objects from Nepal poured into Tibet, which gave impetus to the casting of statues, wood carving, and working with silver and gold.

Regarding the first Tibetan images, there is the following story: “Master Padmasambhava was thinking about leaving Tibet and going to Uddiyana. Then the artist Tami Göntson made a portrait replacing the Great Master. Gentzon 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 rained flowers. It was the manifestation of the Master's body, oral instructions born from the essence of all pitakas, the unsurpassed "drop of the heart", the Great Perfection" (Five Classes of Exposition). Another story says that Padmasambhava gave each of his eight disciples a bowl of clay and asked them to make his portrait. One of these eight ngadrama portraits is now kept in the Rumteka monastery in Sikkim.

In Tibet, “ngadrama” (“just like me”) statues are highly valued because they were made during the lifetime of the master and blessed by him. First of all, this tradition is closely associated with Padmasambhava. A text found in the 11th century reports that the first Tibetan Buddhist statue was made at Samye Monastery during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, and it was his portrait, which had the title: “The King and All His Queens.” Songtsen Gampo believed himself to be the incarnation of the thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, and the statue was made in accordance with this vision. Subsequently, this statue began to be revered as a defender of the empire. The next Buddhist king was Trisong Detsen, who founded Samye Monastery. A life-size statue of the king was placed in this monastery. "The bones of the statue were made of sandalwood, the flesh of gugul resin and the skin of silver coating" - this 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 Chying Dorje.

Painting statues

The traditional Tibetan manner of teaching fine arts is largely in the nature of imparting practical skills and a very small theoretical part, consisting mainly of Tibetan folklore stories and legends. Theoretical knowledge is given in a piecemeal rather than a systematic manner. Apparently, chronology in the history of Tibetan art is not of particular importance to the Tibetans themselves. As for the differences in artistic styles, as Tibetan masters say, “in Tibet, if someone wanted to learn painting, he simply went to the nearest master and spent all his time next to him. Often, artists did not stray far from their village and did not even know that painting in the neighboring province was called “another style.” All these differences came later.”

Buddhist statues may be painted either entirely or partially; 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 have been practically erased by numerous layers of gold.

It is also traditional to offer clothes to the statue. It is worth remembering the famous statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in Bodh Gaya. 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 cape-collar is put on top. In addition, Tibetans love to decorate their 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 are also placed so high that they actually become inaccessible for viewing. But for a Tibetan who practices Dharma, this is not a hindrance at all; he simply knows that a special blessing emanates from the statue, and he 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, and they were used for painting. Making mineral paints is a rather labor-intensive task. Nowadays you can buy ready-made pigment powder, but in the old days you had to grind it gems and grind them into powder. Pigments can also be prepared from colored clay or earth. Hide or fish glue is added to the paint as a binding element.

The metal statues that appeared later most often had their heads painted in gold. In some cases, the entire statue was covered with gold leaf. For particularly valuable statues, the body itself may be covered with gold paint and polished (except for the face), and the clothing covered with gold leaf. Gold paint is gold powdered and mixed with glue. When applying gold paint, the surface acquires a soft golden color, and when polished it begins to shine. Clay statues' faces and naked parts of the body were also covered with gold.

Nowadays, statues are painted in exactly the same way: metal ones have a head, while plaster and ceramic ones have the whole thing. Wooden statues can be primed and painted entirely if desired. As for sculptures depicting protectors, and especially Mahakala, they are painted entirely, and the figure should be covered with a cloth so that only the face and hands remain visible.

Often the process of painting statues is called “opening the eyes”, since special importance is attached to the eyes of the Buddha. 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 by one of the high lamas.

In the last 30 years, a fairly large number of Tibetan Buddhist statues have appeared in the West, but information on how to “care” for a statue has only recently begun to emerge. 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, sculptures of Buddha, arhats and great lamas were created to replace their personal presence. In this case, the statue is the basis for developing devotion. The statue is a symbol of the Buddha's body (there are also symbols of speech and mind). Visualization is very important in Vajrayana practice, and the statue can serve as a basis for this. But here you need to be careful, because often the West receives statues of very poor quality, made with errors, and such statues are not a very good basis for visualization. Therefore, when choosing a personal statue, you should examine it carefully and, if possible, consult with a specialist. In addition, the statue can be used as a basis for shine practice. 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 a lot of Tibetan legends that talk about how Buddha statues came to life - they cried in difficult times for the Tibetans or talked. During the time when King Langdarma tried to destroy the Dharma in Tibet, many Buddhist sculptures were destroyed, and sometimes blood appeared on the broken parts. But this only added to the devotion of the Tibetans.

There is a famous statue in Lhasa that Tibetans call Jowo. This statue was made in India and transported by sea to China. The Chinese emperor treated the statue with great devotion and consulted it in all his affairs and problems, since in those days the statue could talk. Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo decided to marry his daughter Chinese Emperor, and when she went to Tibet, she took with her a statue of Jowo from China. Miraculously, the huge sculpture became completely light. However, the princess took Jovo without her father's permission, and when he discovered it was missing, he was upset and made wishes, which caused the statue to stop talking. There are many similar stories in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition that describe the miraculous powers of ancient statues and show that for Tibetans a Buddhist statue is much more than a simple object of art.

Literature used: Portraits of the masters. Serindia Publications, Chicago

Denzong Norbu

Master of traditional Tibetan art, recognized master of thangka painting. He received the transfer of the Menri artistic 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 paintings in 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 College named after. Roerich in 1997 and a year later met her teacher in 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 Boste and in the activities of the art school established there. She took part in the creation of wall paintings in Kalmykia, Denmark and India. Travels with Denzong Norbu and conducts statue painting courses in different countries Europe.

The study of Buddhism has inspired people to create masterpieces of art around the world, the most notable of these works being the statues of Buddha known as Buddharupa (literally translated as the Awakened One) that have adorned Buddhist temples for generations. Listed here are ten of the most famous and beautiful statues in the world.

Some of these Buddha statues are among the largest in the world.

10. Buddha statue at Hussain Sagar lake

The Buddha statue is located in the center of an artificial lake in the city of Hyderabad and is one of the most famous Buddha statues in India. It is a whopping 17 meters (56 feet) tall and weighs 320 tons. It is the largest monolithic statue in all of India and was made by a group of artisans from a single piece of stone. Unfortunately, during the installation of the statue in 1992, it toppled over and fell into the lake, killing 8 workers. The government restored the statue and placed it in the middle of the lake.

9. Tian Tan Buddha

The Tian Tan Buddha is sometimes called the Big Buddha and is located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The statue is made of bronze and completed in 1993, is main feature Po Lin Monastery, symbolizing the harmony between man, nature, people and religion. The statue is called Tian Tan Buddha because its base is an exact copy of the Tian Tan Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-tiered altar. At 34 meters (110 feet) tall, the Tian Tan Buddha is presented in a pose of calm. His right hand is raised to relieve disaster. His left hand rests on his knee, symbolizing happiness.

8. Buddha in Monywa

Monywa is a city in central Myanmar. Located on the banks of the Chindwin River. To the east of the city are Po Khaung Taung, a series of hills where you can see the Maniwa Buddha - the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world. 90 meters (300 feet) long. The head alone is 18.2 meters (60 feet) tall. Maniwa Buddha was built in 1991 and is hollow inside, allowing visitors to walk inside the statue from head to toe. Inside the figure are metal images of the Buddha and his disciples, depicting various important events in the life of the Buddha.

Recently, a giant standing Buddha statue was built at the top of Po Kaung Hills. 132 meters (433 ft) tall and is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world.

7. Buddha head in Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand that is home to one of the most unusual statues of the Awakened One (Buddha) in the world. Among the ruins of Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic) are the remains of a Buddha statue, whose body was lost for centuries, but the head of this statue miraculously found its home among the vines and tree roots. Around this statue there are many architectural structures that have survived the attacks of time.

6. Gal Viharaya

Located in central Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa is home to one of the most spectacular Buddha images in the world - the Gal Viharaya. This massive rock temple was built by Parakramabah the Great in the 12th century. The main attraction of the temple is 4 large Buddha statues carved directly into the granite rock. Among these giant stone figures is a reclining Buddha statue, 14 meters (46 ft) long, and a standing statue, 7 meters (23 ft) high.

5. Ushiku Daibutsu

Ushiku Daibutsu is located in the city of Ushiku in Japan. The statue, completed in 1995, is one of the tallest statues in the world - 120 meters (394 ft) high including a 10 meter (30 ft) base and a 10 meter tall lotus, which is the platform for the statue. Visitors to the Buddha statue can take an elevator to the platform where the observation deck is located.

4. Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Located in Bangkok, Wat Pho is famous for its Reclining Buddha statue. This is one of the largest temples in Bangkok, as well as one of the oldest, it was built almost 200 years ago, before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. Wat Pho holds a record of sorts in Thailand as it houses the largest Reclining Buddha statue in the country and the largest number of Buddha images. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha Statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and depicts the final moments of the Buddha's life before he passed on to Nirvana. The eyes and legs of the statue are decorated with mother-of-pearl engraving. On the soles of the feet are depicted the 108 auspicious characteristics of a true Enlightened One.

3. Great Buddha of Kamakura

Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Shu sect located in the city of Kamakura in Japan. The temple is famous for its large Buddhist statue (or Daibutsu). Cast in bronze. The Great Buddha is more than 13 meters (40 feet) tall and weighs about 93 tons.

The first mention of the statue goes back to 1252. It is believed that the statue was erected by the Buddhist monk Joko, who also collected donations for the construction of the statue. Although the Buddha statue was originally housed in a small wooden temple, currently the Great Buddha is located on outdoors, since the temple was washed away by a tsunami in the 15th century.

2. Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Another one of Buddhist temples Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located on the grounds of the Grand Royal Palace. The main building is the central structure that houses Emerald Buddha, one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.

The jade statue is decorated with a golden robe. The Emerald Buddha, according to legend, was created in India in 43 BC. in the city of Pataliputra, where he remained for 300 years. In the 4th century AD, it was taken to Sri Lanka by Buddhist monks to save it from destruction. The statue eventually made its way to Thailand and was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1779. The statue has three different sets of golden robes, which are changed by His Majesty the King of Thailand during the ceremony of the changing of the seasons.

1. Giant Buddha Leshan

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a giant rock-cut Buddha statue in Sichuan Province - West Side China. The majestic sculpture represents the figure of Maitreya - the Bodhisattva, traditionally depicted in a sitting position. Construction that began in 713 during the Tang Dynasty was not completed until 803, even with the availability of a large workforce.

Thus, 90 years were spent on construction. This statue is immortalized in stories, poems and historical writings as the largest image of Buddha in the world. The sculpture is approximately 71 meters (233 ft) tall and has 3 meters (11 ft) fingers on each of its enormous hands. Today it is a popular tourist site in China.

He also possessed
32 PURE BODY SIGNS OF A GREAT HUSBAND.
The most prominent iconographic feature of the Buddha

USHNISHA -
a semicircular protrusion on the head, a structural feature of the skull indicating extreme wisdom.
In addition to it, it is definitely present

URN -
mark between the eyebrows (symbol of the endless movement of the Sun),
long, knee-length HANDS,
FINGERS on hands are the same length and
the same on the legs
long earlobes reaching to the shoulders.

In countries South-East Asia THREE main types of sculptural images of the founder of the doctrine are common, you
and you noticed it yourself and can list it, so :), that’s right:

STANDING Buddha
SEATED Buddha
RECLINING Buddha

Images of Buddha who has achieved nirvana are usually of the same type:
he lies on his right side, his head rests on his right arm, bent at the elbow, the whole figure personifies peace and tranquility.
One of these figures is shown to all tourists who come on an excursion to the royal palace and nearby famous temples Wat Prakeo and Wat Po. In Wat Po, the big golden Buddha lies in this classic pose,
where everyone walks around it and throws coins into the bowls along its contour.

There are TWO main postures of a seated Buddha.
MARAVIJAY Pose -
means the victory of Buddha over the tempter demon Mara. In it, the Buddha sits cross-legged, with his right hand resting on his right
knee
Another pose - SAMADHI -
corresponds to the lotus position - a symbol of balance, absolute calm and victory of the mind over the senses.

In addition, the figures of the standing and sitting Buddha, as more attentive art lovers have noticed, differ
MUDRAMI - Skt. GESTURE)
symbolic positions of the hands and fingers, each of which carries a deep meaning.

ABHAYA MUDRA - gesture of fearlessness -
the right arm is bent at chest level, the palm with straight and pressed fingers looks outward. This gesture shows
that the Buddha's teaching gives protection, brings peace and eliminates fear.

VARADA MUDRA - gesture of beneficence -
the right and left hands are half-lowered, the open palm is directed downwards, which symbolizes compassion and goodness.
The combination of both gestures is especially characteristic of sculptural images in Thailand and Laos.
As a rule, a standing or walking Buddha is depicted with this position of his hands.
For example, the famous walking Buddha (14th century) which is kept in Bangkok in the Pentyamabophit vata.

DHARMACHAKRA MUDRA - gesture of the wheel of dharma -
The Buddha, having already achieved enlightenment, is depicted during his first sermon, when he revealed the dharma to his disciples, otherwise
speaking, he turned the wheel of dharma. The index finger and thumb of the Buddha’s left hand touch, symbolically depicting
When pressing the wheel of dharma, the three straightened fingers symbolize the three jewels of Buddhism - Buddha, dharma and sangha.

DHYANA MUDRA - gesture of mediation -
The left or both hands rest on the knees, palms up. The gesture symbolizes meditation. In the art of Southeast Asia
the meditating Buddha is sometimes depicted under the hood of the many-headed snake king Muccilinda.

BHUMISPARSA - MUDRA - gesture of touching the ground -
one of the most common Buddha images in Southeast Asia. The teacher is depicted in a state of deep contemplation,
at the moment of attaining enlightenment, His left hand rests on His knees, palm turned upward, right hand down
down and touches the ground - Buddha calls on the earth to witness the accomplished enlightenment.

Well, now we have learned something from some postures and gestures, as it turned out that there are many more of them in Hinduism.
But here we looked at images of Buddhas in Thailand.
But the next time, entering the temple, carefully looking at the hands and fingers of the teacher,
Remembering this text, let's release a beautiful sound into space - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VARADA MUDRA!

Hello, dear readers!

Today we will talk about the role that art plays in. Having emerged in the 6th-5th centuries BC, it has always reflected a person’s desire to get closer to the ideal.

In Buddhism, such an ideal is served, and adherents of the doctrine believe that it exists in every person. For this reason, Buddhist art since the 1st century AD depicts the Buddha, detached from worldly attachments, in human form.

Unlike the Christian and Muslim religions, Buddhism masterfully represents in visual form concepts that are the highest degree of abstraction.

Tankography

One example of such representation is the visual arts.

Tankais an iconographic image that is used for visual support in various Buddhist practices.

It is usually performed on various types of fabric:

• linen,
• cotton,
• silk.

The first thangka, which depicts the wheel of samsara, comes from India.

Tanka is made with mineral paints: malachite or cinnabar. At the same time, paints from plant materials are also used: roots, petals.

They are mixed with bile and animal glue to give the paint strength. The output surface of the fabric is characterized by dullness and silkiness.

The outlines or decorations of the deity are drawn in gold. The finished work is sewn onto a border made of brocade.

After this, the work of art is consecrated by the lama during a special religious ceremony. The paintings usually depict Buddhas, great teachers, scenes from the lives of Buddhist saints and bodhisattvas, and mandalas.

Thangkas are the size of a book and sometimes occupy the entire wall of the temple. Then such a large work is completed by several painters, and they work on it from several months to several years.

If the thangka is not on display, it may be rolled up into a scroll, which is what the word means in Tibetan.

In India, images of White and Green Tara are popular. They are involved in meditation practices for longevity, health and relief from misfortune.

Previously, tankography was very developed in Tibet. But, not finding government support, this art began to gradually fade away here.

After a significant part of the Tibetans were forced to leave their homes as a result of Chinese aggression in the middle of the last century, many tank painters settled in North India. Forced to live in Dharamsala, they aim to preserve the unique culture of their homeland.

Architecture

A characteristic feature of any Buddhist building is its harmonious fit into the surrounding nature, merging with it, creating conditions for peace of mind, tranquility and meditation.

The first architectural structures in Buddhism were. They are a symbol pure nature mind and enlightenment.

Typically, stupas have:

• square or round base,
• hemispherical, bell- or tower-shaped middle part,
• spire-shaped pommel.

The appearance of the stupa has a complex sacred meaning and personifies the vertical model of the world and the gradual path to nirvana.

The largest stupa on Earth is Borobudur, which means “many Buddhas”. It is located on the island of Java.

Borobudur Stupa

When did they begin to appear Buddhist monasteries, the stupa, as a rule, occupied the central place of the monastery complex and was the object of worship in it.

The monastery buildings were surrounded by a fence. According to the plan, on the main axis in the order of listing were to be located:

• central south gate
• mortar
• main temple
• sermon room
• northern utility gate

The rest of the territory contained bell towers, service rooms for monks, and a library.

Since many temples were previously carved into rocks, the location of the buildings could change. The presence of a path remained unchanged, along which it was necessary to perform a ritual walk around the buildings in a clockwise direction.

Contrasting colorful materials were widely used in the design of Buddhist buildings:

• gold
• silver,
• red and black varnish,
• colored glass,
• porcelain,
• foil,
• nacre,
• gems.

You can read more about temple art in Buddhism.

Sculpture

Usually in the main hall of the temple, on a raised platform, there is a statue of Buddha or one of the bodhisattvas (a saint who was able to achieve nirvana, but voluntarily remained in samsara to help other people break its chains).

The elevation, which is a kind of altar, rests on steps of different shapes: square ones symbolize the earth, and round ones symbolize the sky.

There are niches in the walls of the hall where there are statues of Buddhist deities. Also, the perimeter of the room is decorated with figures of bodhisattvas, decorative stucco and thangka.

Buddhist sculpture reached its peak in the 4th and 5th centuries. The production of countless statues of Buddha and other saints dates back to this period. The material is:

• gold,
• bronze,
• painted tree,
• Ivory,
• stone.

The sizes of the sculptural masterpieces vary from two centimeters to more than fifty meters. It also happens that Buddhist buildings consist entirely of sculptures that represent a pyramid that covers the frame of the building.

Buddhism, having spread beyond India, assimilated cultural characteristics other countries. Therefore, one can often recognize deities belonging to more ancient cults in relief and sculptural images of temples and monastery complexes.

Throat singing of monks

Speaking about Buddhist art, one cannot fail to note the special manner of reading prayers - overtone throat singing.

The origins of this tradition are in Tibetan monasteries, from where it spread among other peoples of Mongolian and Turkic origin.

Monks used such chanting to call upon angry patron deities. Buddhists believe that the overtone throat singing, similar to a roar, came from the god of death Yama.

With this sound, monks terrify evil spirits; it promotes cleansing and healing.

From a physiological point of view, this is briefly explained as follows: while reciting mantras through throat singing, breathing and all processes in the body slow down, energy is released, and as a result, the state of health gradually improves.

In the monastic tradition there are several ways to say prayer:

• Dzo-ke – with the help of an overtone “roar”;
• Ran-ke - slowly, concentrated;
• Yang-ke - drawn-out, loud;
• Gyu-ke is a special throat singing technique used only in tantric monasteries.

Playing musical instruments

In the Buddhist tradition, a large role is assigned to musical instruments. They are used:

• during worship,
• when performing rituals,
• during religious processions,
• in the mysteries of Tsam.

These events may involve around fifty different instruments, most of which are percussion and wind instruments.

Among the instruments there are some outlandish ones. For example, in China, the inhabitants of monasteries are called to dinner or prayer using a suspended wooden fish. They hit her with a wooden stick.

In Tibet, short horns made of human bone. There are metal pipes up to five meters long. Their menacing sounds are designed to attract the attention of the deities to those praying and to frighten opponents of their faith.

A variety of bells, drums and other percussion instruments can exhibit magical properties with their:

• timbre,
• elements of design and decor,
• rhythm,
• separate sounds.

For classical Buddhist music, the use of bowed and lute instruments is more typical. Heroic epics are performed with their accompaniment. different nations and the sutras are read.

garden art

Buddhism did not bypass its influence and gardening art. Originating in India at temples, it spread to other Buddhist countries, absorbing local flavor and characteristics.

Buddhists are very sensitive to nature; they believe that beauty and harmony are initially present in it. Therefore, when creating parks, Buddhist gardeners do not strive to improve something in nature, but to emphasize the existing beauty by contrast.

Great importance is attached to the synthesis of architectural forms and the natural environment.

Conclusion

The art of Buddhism is multifaceted, sophisticated and mysterious. It had a great influence on the culture and traditions of the peoples who joined the Buddhist teachings.

Friends, this is where we will finish our story today!