Buddhism 5

Buddhist Life and Culture

Although monasticism forms one branch of Buddhist devotion, the everyday lives of lay persons is very much permeated with the teachings of Buddha.The belief in karma,for instance, plays an important role in one's day to day actions. It motivates Buddhists to behave compassionately and to seek the path that will disengage them from the endless cycle of birth, death and suffering. Acts of compassion include conscious efforts against doing harm to other humans, animals and even in some cases to the enivironment. Many Buddhists who the practice of vegetarianism are the motivated not by health concerns but by the reluctance to do harm by taking the lives of animals. It is thus not unusual in some cases even for monks and nuns (who depend on others to provide them their meals and are not permitted to refuse offerings of food) to eat meat on occasion. The evil in this case is seen not in the consumption of meat but in the act of killing an animal.

Meditation, chanting, rituals,the observation of particular holidays such as Buddha's birthday, pilgrimages and study of the Buddhist texts are also part of the lives of those who embrace the Buddhist faith. Even the healing arts and medicine in countries such as Tibet have evolved in close conjunction with the teachings and principles of Buddhism.

Buddhist Architecture

Phra Sri Ratna
in Bangkok

Stupa in the
Bagan Plain

Throughout Asia, many of the Buddhist temples are built in the form of stupas.Stupaswere originally burial mounds. After the death of Buddha, mounds purportedly containing his relics , and, therefore held to be sacred, began to appear. Over time these mounds evolved and became architecturally integrated into Buddhist temples. The stupa as an architechtural form is not unique to Buddhism:several cultures have incorporated this structure into their buildings. In Asia, the geometric configuration of the stupa is supposed to be associated with a shape that is capable of generating, amplifying and storing energy. In Tibet, the stupa evolved into the chortenconsisting of a spired bell-shaped dome mounted on a five level platform. In China, Japan, and other countries in Southeast Asia, thestupa eventually developed into what is better known today as the pagoda. Buddhist temples, stupas and other architectural forms are all considered to be "visual architecture" in that the structures are all built to meet symbolic specifications and decorated with icons of Buddhism that can be as surely "read" by adherents as if they were actual texts. One of the best-known stupas still in existence is the Sanchi stupain Madhya Pradesh.

Buddhist Art

"Art expresses the perceptions of a people. Sacred art reveals their deepest insights and their highest aspirations. So, to encounter our works of sacred art is to experience for yourself some of our most profound visions."

the Dalai Lama

Buddhist devotion through the centuries has also resulted in artistic and architectural expressions. These expressions may be seen in stupas and temples, paintings, sculpture, mandalas, and visual articulations of various texts.

Buddhist Symbols and Iconography

In artistic representations of the Buddha, certain symbols are repeatedly used not only for aesthetic purposes, but for the purposes of signifying particular aspects of Buddhist teachings and characteristics unique to the Buddha.

The Three Jewels
The Three Jewels of Buddhism, or the triratna, symbolize the Buddha, his teachings (the dharma) and the community of monks and believers (the sangha.)By definition a Buddhist is one who "seeks refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha."

The Lotus
Buddha is usually represented in sculpture or painting in the meditation posture or asana. He is sometimes seated on a meditation throne or lotus. The lotus is particularly associated with Buddhist teachings. In some instances, it represents the community of monks (the sangha) who rise out pure in the midst of worldliness. As a symbol of Buddhism, the lotus also represents the possibility of beauty and purity in the midst of filth and corruption.

The Dharma Wheel
Atop A Temple in
Tibet

The Wheel
The Wheel is usually seen as an outer and inner wheel.The inner wheel the symbol of Buddha's Teachings which sets the dharma in motion.

The Marks of Buddhahood

Sculptures and paintings of Buddha generally represent him as bearing special marks of his status:his hair is usually worn in the style of the ascetic; his long straight toes are said to be the mark of supreme enlightenment and theswastika,or svastika,a Hindu symbol of good fortune are usually found on his palms and soles of his feet.

Buddha Showing
the Vitarka Mudra
Illustrating the Dharma Wheel

In Mahayana Buddhism, paintings and sculptures of bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteshvara/Kuan Yin, Manjusri, or Green Tara are usually also depicted in the meditation posture with variations in the arrangements of their hands. These gestures, known as mudras.

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