Key Points to Discuss
✔ The Birth of Buddha
✔ Young Siddhartha’s Proclamation
✔ The Compassionate Shakya Prince
✔ The Prince Becomes Ascetic
✔ Discovering the Middle Path
✔ The Last Challange: Mara’s Attack on Buddha
✔ Dhammachakrapravartan: The First Seremon at Sarnath
✔ Preaching the Dhamma
✔ Mahaparinirvana: The Last Message of the Buddha
A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the context of Indian culture, a sculpture is worth an entire legend. Many standalone icons, sculptures, and artworks from different periods and regions of India, contain the immortal tales of its heritage and history. On the walls of temples, in the niches and corners of caves, and on the pillars of sacred architecture, these statues and sculptures remain for centuries, as a rich visual narration of the beauty and depth of episodes from Indian history.
A brilliant case in point is the sculptures of the Buddha in Indian art, where the stories of Buddhist literature, Jataka, and folklore have been visualized with aesthetic splendor by the master artists of ancient times. Encapsulating the illustrious life story of the Buddha, these sculptures continue to inspire the modern artist and guide the followers of Dhamma to date, with their artistic grandeur and profound message.
21" Tibetan Buddhist Maya Devi Brass Idol - Mother of Shakyamuni Buddha | Handmade | Made in India
The legends of Buddha’s birth begin with the prophecy of an Ajivika ascetic in the court of King Shuddhodhana, who tells the king that his son will either be a great world conquerer or a world renouncer, a foretelling that causes the Shakya king to keep his son away from the realities of the world for a long time. Buddhist texts such as Diggha Nikaya tell the miraculous experiences of Maya who was able to see the baby inside her womb, “as through the crystalline state of a precious stone one can see the blue, yellow or red thread on which it is strung”.
Amongst the many popular tales related to the birth of Buddha are the dream of Queen Maya, who sees a white elephant entering her womb, and the birth of Siddhartha in the grooves of Lumbini. In sculptures, the episode of Siddhartha’s birth is often depicted through a youthful Maya or Mahamaya standing with her hand raised, sometimes holding the branch of a tree for support.
8" Baby Buddha Idol in Brass | Handmade | Made in India
Comparatively rare and adorable icons of a newborn Siddhartha standing upright, with one hand raised to the sky and the other pointed downward are the depictions of the first seven steps of the young prince in the grooves of Lumbini. Siddhartha directing toward the sky and the earth proclaims that in all the realms, he is the supreme being. According to the Buddhacharita (the Life Story of Buddha), he says that in his birth as Buddha (Enlightened One), he will save all from the turmoils of life.
9" Buddhist Deity Siddhartha Nursing the Wounded Swan | Handmade Brass Statue
Warned by the prophecy of the Ajivika and having his hopes for his son as his heir, King Shuddhodhana gave all the luxuries possible on earth to Prince Siddhartha. He was married to a young and beautiful princess Yashodhara and had a son Rahula. However, even before going on his journey to enlightenment, Siddhartha displayed great compassion and familial love for all living beings, which are the virtues of great world leaders.
A popular legend from the days of his youth describes his conflict with his brother Devadatta over a wounded swan. During their playtime, Devadatta shot the swan which fell in the lap of Siddhartha. Overcome by affection for the feeble bird, Siddhartha took him and nursed him back to health. Devadatta saw this as an infringement of his right over his hunt and called an assembly of elders to claim his prize.
However, the kindness of Siddhartha won hearts, who looked after the bird, only to free him ultimately. Beautiful sculptures of Siddhartha as a royal prince, with the swan lying in his lap are popularized by artists, who were touched by the universal compassion of Buddha, which became one of the essential virtues of Buddhism.
19" Emaciated Buddha Assuming the Uddiyana Bandha, On Homage Pedestal | Handmade | Made in India
The attempts of Shuddhodhan were tedious but what can stand between great men and their destiny? On one of his journeys around his royal town, Siddhartha saw what came to be known in Buddhist literature as the “Four Great Sights”. Seeing a sick man, an aging man, a dying man, and an ascetic, the prince was struck by the reality of human life- ever-changing and prone to decay.
Cutting his hair, giving up his princely attire, and leaving his family and kin behind, Siddhartha began his journey to find a solution to the decay and death he witnessed. For a long time, he traveled, interacted with learned men, and survived on as little as one grain of rice a day. This extreme austerity weakened his body and his will. This severity of Siddhartha which represents his unwavering commitment to his inner quest, is presented in the statues and artworks that show him in a meditative pose, emaciated yet tranquil.
Labeled as “Emaciated Buddha” or “Fasting Buddha”, this aspect of Siddhartha Gautama has been depicted by the classic Gandhara artworks, which capture the feebleness of his body and strength of his mind through the visual representation of this episode.
27" Black Stone Buddha Idol in Meditation Mudra on Wooden Base
Soon Buddha realized the uselessness of extreme measures in the quest for inner wisdom. He was served a bowl of kheer (milk and rice) by Sujata, a local lady which refreshed and strengthened him. Discovering a balance between incomprehensible austerities and worldly desires, in effortless mediation or Dhyana, Buddha found the Madhyam-Marg, or the Middle Path, which was to become one of the founding elements of the Buddhist fold.
21'' Demons Attacking Lord Buddha Wooden Sculpture | Nepalese Handicrafts
Seeing Buddha on the brink of Enlightenment, the lord of desires, or Mara, a demon in Buddhism, became anxious. With his army, containing his beautiful daughters who tried to tempt the meditating prince and demons who roared to cause fear in his heart, Mara approached Buddha and challenged him to prove his virtue.
Unshakable and firm in his Dhyana, Buddha calmly touched the earth, making the “earth-touching gesture” or Bhumisparsha mudra, to call upon the goddess Earth or Vasudhara as his divine witness. The ground trembled and so did the hearts of Mara’s soldiers as the earth goddess appeared and declared Buddha to be worthy.
In sculptures, Buddha is often simply depicted with one hand in his lap in Dhyana mudra while the other dangles to reach the ground, but in other, more dramatic and visually rich instances, one can find the armies of Mara surrounding Buddha, who is sitting in the center, with a heavenly calmness on his face. This gentle yet firm manner of Buddha in defeating Mara has been immortalized in art as “Buddha Mara-Vijaya” (Buddha who conquered Mara).
21" Lord Buddha Brass Idol Seated in Padmasana | Handmade | Made in India
Slowly, the suffering of the world, its cause, and its cure were realized by the Buddha through mediation. For four weeks, he reevaluated his wisdom and at last, walked to Sarnath where he gave the First Sermon which is known as “Dhammachakra pravartana” or “turning of the Wheel of Dhamma”. With his hands in the Dhammachakrapravartana mudra, Buddha is depicted in sculptures, bestowing upon his followers the pure, enlightened wisdom he attained. He talked about the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, laying the foundation for Buddhism with his powerful words.
48" Large Lord Buddha Idol in the Cosmic Colors of Life and Death
Having set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, Buddha himself began a lifelong journey across the country, meeting with people of different regions, castes, genders, and faiths. He was greeted by followers and admirers in some places and met with conflict and conspiracy in others, but never stopped his virtuous journey to spread the cure of suffering or Dukha amongst all living beings.
Statues of Buddha sitting with his hand in Vitarka mudra or the gesture of imparting knowledge, are a universal symbol of the eternal strife of the Enlightened One, who remains in the human realm through his visual and literary descriptions, to salvage beings from the endless cycle of time or Kaal-chakra.
48" Large Relaxing Lord Buddha Brass Statue
Reaching the age of 80, the Buddha called Ananda, his disciple, and told him to call his followers in the grooves of Kushinagara, for his time in the human realm was about to end. Surrounded by his followers and anyone who wished to witness his departure, Buddha said, “If a man is tormented by fear of what he will experience at the moment of death, let him listen to the preaching of the law, and no longer will fear rise in his heart…After my death, preach what is right, do good, and behave rightly. Wherever things are done well, I shall be found” (Mahaparinirvana Sutta).
He discussed briefly the Four Noble Truths and finally proclaimed, “All composite things pass away. Strive onward vigilantly”. After having solved all the questions of the people around him, Buddha asked Ananda to prepare his bed, and lying on his right, he peacefully left the human realm. Till his last breath, the sole focus of the Buddha was to make his followers fearless in the face of death and understand the transient nature of human form. Sculptures of the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, depict him in a reclining pose, smiling divinely to tell the onlookers to be unafraid and at peace in their final moments.
“See for yourself and then believe”, is one of the simplest messages of the Buddha for his followers. From the earliest artistic depictions of Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati, Nagajunkonda, and the marvelous statues of Gandhara and Mathura, Buddhist art has translated the wisdom of the Buddha into stone and metal. Condensing his immeasurable virtues and venerable life in art, sculptures of the Buddha offer a chance to the followers of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, to witness the aura of the Enlightened One, and be guarded by his light to the supreme brilliance of Bodhi.
Sources
✶ Life of Buddha in Indian Sculpture by Ratan Parimoo
✶ Making Sense of Buddhist Art and Architecture by Patricia Eichenbaum Karetzky
✶ Buddha the Enlightened One by Gabriel Mandel Khan
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