Analysis of The Meeting of Bodhisattvas Essay - 638 Words

Tianna Ferroni! Art 102! Amiko Matsuo! Museum Paper! Meeting of the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra! ! Bodhisattvas in Buddhist culture are deemed enlightened and are worshiped as deities. Therefore it is logical for one of the biggest Buddhist cultures to have constructed a sculpture in their honor. Created during the Tang Dynasty in 742 by an unknown artist in China, the sculpture â€Å"Meeting of the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra† pays homage to the bodhisattvas Wenshu and Puxian. This sculpture made of limestone is roughly a foot and a half tall, nearly two feet long, and ten inches in depth. Used for spiritual practice, this piece was meant to offer viewers a means of being closer to their bodhisattvas. ! ! This piece†¦show more content†¦The elephant can also correspond to earthiness by the human figures that stand by them, allowing an earth dweller to be so close to a deity. The human to the left is looking up to Wenshu, with an admiring look upon their face. On the back of the elephant to the right is what appears to be a lion. In Chinese culture, lions are a symbol of strength and power and are known guardians to the elite. ! ! At the head of each deity is a very prominent halo. These halos show how each is an enlightened being, elevating their divinity. This can reinforce the idea that viewers would pray to this sculpture to feel more connected to their enlightened bodhisattvas. Between Wenshu and Puxian are seven small figures. They are set in three rows, with two rows of three and a solitary figure atop. Each figure is sitting cross-legged with their arms folded in their laps. The top, individual figure is slightly larger than it’s counterparts. The face has been eroded but viewers can still make out the general shape. It is possible that these seven figures stand for the seven factors of enlightenment. ! ! This image of Wenshu and Puxian sitting in a fearless manner, upon ! elephants is one not likely to be forgotten. Boddisattvas were revered during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) as Buddhism was now dominant and prosperous. This dedicated sculpture does more than just depict Wenshu and Puxian meeting, it allows religious followers to feel moreShow MoreRelatedEnlightening Kibyoshi, Not Just for Children2388 Words   |  10 Pagesmany of the sects differed in some practices and beliefs, the core principles of Buddhism often remained prominent. One core principle from Mahayana Buddhism, one of the main two branches of Buddhism, was the pursuit of becoming a bodhisattva (Andreasen, 4). Bodhisattva was literally a â€Å"Being of Wisdom†, which meant one who is close to achieving enlightenment, or Nirvana, but delays enlightenment in order to help others achieve enlightenment (Wangu, 52). Another core principle of Buddhism was theRead MoreConfucianism in Journey to the West31834 Words   |  128 PagesUniversity of Leiden 14 June 2012 Department: Language and Culture of China Course: Visual Political Communication (BA3) Semester: Summer Semester 2011/2012 Lecturer: Florian Schneider Journey to the West A Textual-Visual Discourse Analysis Name: Stefan Ruijsch (Student No. 0620203) Major: Chinese Studies, BA 3 E-mail: s.ruijsch@umail.leidenuniv.nl Phone: 06-48369645 Address: Vrijheidslaan 256, 2321 DP Leiden Word Count: 9,387 Table of Contents pageRead More The Carnal Prayer Mat by Yu Li3331 Words   |  14 Pageslifestyles that they must reject in order attain enlightenment. While The Carnal Prayer Mat is laced with Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist doctrine, this paper aims to understand Buddhist concepts of destiny, karma, and enlightenment through an analysis of representations of masculine ideal beauty in late Imperial China. Vesperus’ and Siddhartha’s parallel life journeys, particularly with respect to experiences in the sexually lascivious, inner feminine spheres, are important in distinguishing theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film My Neighbor Totoro 2176 Words   |  9 Pagesselected scene of the girls meeting Susuwatari, a black creature in the old empty house, I want to illustrate that Miyazaki’s use of a familiar fear from many people’s childhood introduces the audience to a magical and unknown world, but also makes the audience feel the world is familiar and acceptable. The sacredness of nature is presented through a comparison between Japanese religions and ritual practices and the symbols in the film. This section fo cuses first on the analysis of selected scenes thatRead MoreCountry Notebook for South Korea7606 Words   |  31 PagesCountry Notebook for South Korea James Jones Dallas Baptist University Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Culture Analysis 7 Introduction 7 Brief discussion of the country’s relevant history 7 Geography setting 8 Area Comparative: 9 Land boundaries: 9 Coastline: 9 Climate: 9 Elevation Extremes: 9 Natural Resources: 9 Natural Hazards: 9 Social Institutions 9 Family: 9 Education 10 Literacy Rates 11 Political System 11 Legal System 12 Six Basic Codes