Mount Wutai

Mount Wutai grew to become a sacred mountain as pilgrimage increased and monasteries grew in importance. The five peaks of Mount Wutai embodied the “true presence” of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī as many monasteries were built with grand representations of the Buddha. One was called the Huayan Monastery which was a seven story pagoda built on a rising hill in the central valley of Mount Wutai. This was the first building in a series of many magnificent halls and pavilions and due to it’s location on the central axis is evidence of the pre-Tang style of monastic architecture. In the image hall of this magnificent monastery stand a grand statue of the Mañjuśrī  seated on the back of a lion. A Japanese pilgrim named Ennin travelled to Mount Wutai in 840 and described this statue in his diary:

“The statue of bodhisattva Mañjuśrī of the Great Sage appears in awesome spirit, and its dignified appearance is without comparison. Riding a lion, the statue [of Mañjuśrī] seems to take up the entire five-bay hall. The lion looked animated and nimble, seemingly ready to move. Vapor came out of his [open] mouth; for a while as I was beholding the view, it felt as if the lion were going to take off.”

This sacred place was meant as a place to revere the iconic statue and as a place of practice and enlightenment. Around the end of the seventh century, Mount Wutai went through a major transition, shifting the focus from the mountains to the bodhisattva. Mount Wutai was eventually converted into a Buddhist sacred site. The manifesta­tion of Mañjuśrī’s “true presence” actually altered the outlook of Mount Wutai.

It’s amazing how definitions and meanings of words, phrases, and places can change over time as the cultures changed. I feel like this change in meaning of Mount Wutai is similar to that of any site in America or around the world in which an important event has happened and changed people’s understanding and perception of that place. Or the meanings has changed of certain locations due to people capitalizing on natural wonders that don’t belong to them. It’s also similar to how meanings of words can change over time. The first word that comes to mind is the word “gay.” This word began as another way to say happy and transitioned to being synonymous with a person who identifies as a homosexual. Also for a while, teenagers would use is as another way to call someone stupid or a whimp but has since been fading out due to the changing veiwpoints of today’s society.

Therefore, as the number of the monasteries increased in the mountains so did Mount Wutai’s association with Buddhism and became a sacred place for practicing the religion. Mount Wutai became one of the most important pilgrimage site in Tang China. Due to it’s remote location the pious believer must travel a good distance in order to engage in the many spiritual experiences to be done at Mount Wutai.

 

SOURCE:
Lin, Wei-Cheng. Building a Sacred Mountain. Seattle, US: University of Washington Press, 2014. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 9 May 2016.

Buddhist Art

The earliest Indian art representations of the Buddha did not depict him in human form but instead his presence was indicated instead by a sign, such as a pair of footprints, an empty seat, or an empty space beneath a parasol. When the human depiction of the Buddha began in the first century A.D., there were many Roman influences in the artistic style with wavy curls and toga-like apparel. One of the most fascinating things about art is that it is typically representative of it’s time and culture. While art can give clues into specific lifestyles of ancient peoples it can also be confusing to historians and to costume designers because one must decide what is historically accurate and what is artistic license.

 

 

SOURCE

http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/hd/budd/hd_budd.htm

 

Buddha Poses and their Meanings

There are over 100 different poses of the Buddha each representing a different important event in the life of the Historical Buddha. The pose is called asana or an Attitude and is accompanied by a hand gesture, called a Mudra. People often place the Buddha statues in their home to provide them with peace and protection and to achieve a feng shui atmosphere in their homes.

Abhaya Mudra

Protection Buddha / Overcoming Fear

Abhaya is translated from Sanskrit as fearlessness. The Abhaya mudra is made with the open palm of the right hand extending outwards at the chest level or slightly higher. This mudra offers the energy of protection, peace and a sense of strong, deep inner security.

This depiction of a seated Buddha with the right hand raised and facing outwards has two common meanings. The first is that of the Protection Buddha, as the raised right hand symbolically represents a shield. The second meaning, Overcoming Fear, is similar to the first (since someone who receives protection is less fearful).

The main features of this pose, aside from the raised right hand, is that The Buddha can be depicted either sitting or standing, and the left hand may either be extended outward or palm up in the lap.  People would probably put this statue near their front door or in the living room since this statue signifies courage and offers protection from fear, delusion and anger.

 

Dhyana Mudra

Meditation Buddha / Amithabha Buddha

This mudra depicts one or both hands in the lap, face up, symbolizing wisdom, possibly accompanied by ritual objects such as an alms bowl. People will usually place a Meditation Buddha in a room used for meditation or as place to unwind as this statue promotes peace and calmness and can be helpful for improving people’s meditation skills.

In this pose, the Buddha’s legs are crossed, either in a Double Lotus pose (with the ankles of each leg tucked behind one another in a locked position), or in a Single Lotus pose (where one leg rests on top of the other leg). As this statue generally represents focused concentration, the eyes of the Buddha are either depicted as halfway closed, or closed nearly all the way. The silhouette of the statue is shaped – more or less – like a triangle, which represents stability.

Many of the largest Buddha Statues in Japan, such as the Great Kamakura Buddha Statue at Kotokuin Temple, and large statues in Korea are in the Meditation Pose. This pose is also known as the Amithabha Buddha, which means “Boundless Light.”

 

Bhumisparsha Mudra

Calling The Earth To Witness / Earth Touching Buddha

All the five fingers of the right hand of the Buddha is seen reaching to touch the ground, symbolizing the enlightenment of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree.

The most common pose you will find in Thai temples is with the legs crossed, the left hand in the lap, and the right hand pointing to the ground with the palm facing inward toward the Buddha. This posture is known as Calling The Earth to Witness, and it is the definition of the moment of enlightenment for the Buddha under the Bodhi tree.

It is the story of how the Buddha, after six years, finally was at the verge of enlightenment. Unfortunately Mara, the Demon of Illusion, tried to dissuade The Buddha from the final last steps. The Buddha meditated all night to overcome the fears and temptations sent by Mara, and then called the Earth Goddess to witness that the Buddha achieved enlightenment in order to share with the rest of the world. Witnessing that, the Earth Goddess wrung her hair, releasing flood waters that swept away the Demon Mara and all the temptresses he had released.

 

The Nirvana Buddha / Reclining Buddha

There are differences in the meaning of Reclining Buddha Statues, and to understand the difference it is important to take note of the right arm position. When the right hand is supporting the head as in the picture above then this signifies that the Buddha is resting, and is related to the story of the Buddha and the giant Asurindarahu who wished to see the Buddha but did not want to bow down before him. The Buddha appeared larger than the giant while laying down, and then showed him all of heaven and all of the heavenly figures that were larger than the giant, thus humbling him.

If the right arm is laying by the side of the Buddha (as in the picture below) then this signifies that the Buddha has passed away at the age of 80 and is entering Nirvana. It is said that an alms giver had accidentally given the Buddha pork that had gone bad, and this eventually led to the death of the Buddha.

 

 

The Silk Road and Buddhist Cuisine

Starting in the third century BCE, people began questioning the ways of sacrificial religions and feasts and began developing universal religions, or religions of salvation. Many religions still held on to some sacrificial practices for some time though. We know that in the Christian bible, Jesus came to earth to sacrifice himself for all people and to eliminate the need for other sacrificial practices. However, Christians still remember this sacrifice by symbolically eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ.

Regardless, with the adoption of these new religions, a new culinary history was under way in which religions adopted specific cuisines for their followers. Monks often would fast or take whatever was offered to them in their begging bowls but a more intricate cuisine was developed for higher institutions. One of the earliest Buddhist cuisines involved steamed or boiled rice, sugar, ghee, and shunned alcohol and meat. Meals that required this restraint were considered high cuisine.

 

Source:

Laudan, Rachel. Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History. , 2013. Internet resource.