FROMEMPTINESSTOFORMANDBACK

anintroductiontotheartoftheDharma

JoanDePaoli&TonyBernhard

TableofContents

Introduction...................................................................1

EarlyImages...................................................................3

InfluenceofCulturalInfluence....................................27

Architecture.................................................................49

ArtofZen....................................................................67

ModernDharmaArt.....................................................91

INTRODUCTION

InthetwentyfivehundredyearssincetheawakeningofShakyamuniBuddha,followershavebeenstudyinghisteachingsandpracticingthepathheprescribedineffortsatrealizingtheBuddha’sinsightandputtinganendtothesufferingthatseemstocomealongwiththeconditionofbeingalive.

Any historical review of Buddhist philosophy and practice over the centuries will reveal substantialdevelopmentandchange.

AstheBuddha’steachingsspreadfromtheBuddha’shomelandinnortheasternIndia,practitionerscametoemphasizeonefeatureoranotherofhisteachingsinaccordancewiththedifferentculturalinterestsandpredispositionsoftheirparentcivilizations.Today,aswiththeBurmese,Chinese,Japanese,andTibetans,WEarealsoseeingtheheartoftheBuddha’steachingsadapttotheculturalconditionsinthewest.

ForyearsafterthedeathoftheBuddha,noimagesinhumanformweremadeindeferencetohisrequest.Heclearlystatedthathewasnotadietyandfearedthatanimageinhislikenessmightbecomesubjecttoidolworship.

So,forseveralhundredyears,theBuddha’steachingswererepresentedbyfootprints,dharmawheels,pillarsandnumericalreferencestothetriplegemoftheBuddha,thedharmaandthesangha(thecommunityoftheBuddha’sfollowers).

Later,whenimagesoftheBuddhacametoberegardedprimarilyasremindersoftheawakenedbeing,theBuddhaandhisstorywereportrayedintheuniqueaestheticstyleofindividualcultures.Muchaswestern,ChristianartadorningthewallsofcathedralsinthewestrecountedthestoryofJesus,narrativeimagesandstylizediconographydepictingtheBuddhaandinterpretinghislifeandteachingsappearedintheeast.

Over theyears,when reflectingon theBuddha’s insightand teachings, artists andcraftsmenhavebeenas articulate in translating the Buddha’s insight as have anyone engaging in conventional writing andcommentary. Sculptors, painters and architects aswell as gardeners, potters and such ritual leaders asteamastershavepointedtoaspectsofthedharmainwaysunavailabletomoreconventionalinterpreters:displayingthedemeanoroftheBuddhainatranscendentmentalstatebecamethepointofmanycommonlyrecognizedrenditionsofthesittingBuddha

Artistic stylesmovedwithartistsandartisanswho traveledalongwithadventurersandslowlymigratingpopulations.Artisticstylesmixedas teachings tookroot innewculturalsoilandhybrid formsgrewandtransformed.

Representationsofburialmounds,forexample,whichwereknownasstupaswereoriginallydesignedbyarchitectsinIndiatocreateasacredspacefordevoteestopracticethedharmabysimplecircumamabulationofthemound.

Onthetopsoftheearliestofthesestupas,artisanswereerectingornamentalfinialsthatrepresentedtheBuddha’senlightenedmindinthesamewayasdidthebulgingprotuberanceatoptheheadsofstatuesofthebuddhahimself.

Later, in Japan, this symbolismevolved intopagodaswhichon theirown stood for thepresenceof theenlightenedmind.

Today, the interpenetrationofcontemporarycultures isbringingandmixingalldharma traditions in thewest,andthecomminglingofartisticstylesandtraditionsismirroringthecombinationofteachingsfromthevarioustraditionsintonewdharmaformations.

ThehistoryofdharmaartreflectsthedevelopmentofBuddhistthoughtandexperienceoverthepasttwenty-fivehundredyears.

ThisbookisdesignedasanorientationtothistraditionandasastartingpointforinvestigatingthedharmathroughthegatewayofartistswhocelebrateandexplicatetheBuddha’steachingsthroughtheirindividualandculturalaestheticexpression.

1

EARLYIMAGES

TherewerenoimagesmadeoftheBuddhaduringhislifetimesowehavenocontemporaneously-createdvisualrecordofwhathelookedlike.

Thiswas—perhapstosomeextent—intentional:

Concernedthatimagesofhimselfmightdistractpeoplefromtheirownpursuitofawakening,theBuddhadiscouragedthecreationoficonswhichwouldrepresenthimself.

ThefirstobjectsandimagesthatrepresentedtheBuddhaandhisteachingsappeartohavebeencreatedroughlyahundredandfiftyyearsaftertheBuddha’spassingduringthereignofKingAshoka.

The King erected pillars in various parts of the kingdom that were cappedwith symbolic objects andinscribed with images that referenced the Buddha, the Dharma--his teachings--and the Sangha--hiscommunityofmonks.

Amongtheearliestofsuchsignificant,symboliccreationswerestupasorsymbolicburialmoundsrecalling,orrepresenting,theburialmoundoftheBuddha.

Inaddition to remindingusof theBuddhaandhis teachings, such stupasprovideda focus forwalkingmeditationwhichwasrituallypracticedbyproceedingclockwisearoundthemound.

Noneoftheornamentationassociatedwithearlystupas,itshouldbenoted,containanydirectrepresentationoftheBuddha.

Bythe2ndcenturyofthecommonera,philosophersoftheMahayanatraditionarrivedatthenotionthatartworkcouldfunctionasareminderoftheDharma,oftheBuddha’steachings,andnotnecessarilyasafocusforworship.

Thiswas helped alongwith thematurationof theMahayana ideaof shunyata; voidness; emptiness... aqualitythatcan’tpossiblybedirectlyrepresented.

Consequently,wentthethought,sincenorepresentationcouldeverbemistakenforthehighestrealizationofBuddha-mind,itbecamepermissibletocreateimagesthatcouldfunctiontorecallthedharmaandkeepitinmind.

ThefirstimagesofthepersonageoftheBuddhaappearedaroundthe2ndcenturyofthecommoneraduringtheKushanDynastyandthereignofKingKanishka.

Imagesfromthattimearefoundattwoprinciplesites:Mathura(southofDeli)andGhandarainthenorthnearPeshawar.

Artisticstylesdifferedbetweentheseregions

InbothregionscraftspeopleappliedtheirexistingpracticesandsensibilitiestothetaskofcreatingimagesoftheBuddha.

Mathuranproductions,coming fromfurthersouth,and thus less influencedby thecraftsmenwhocamealongwithAlexanderthegreat,grewoutofthenativeIndianyogictraditionsandemphasizedsomesensualaspectsofthebody.

ThisemphasisreflectedthetraditionalYogicinterestinthelifeforceandthebreathastheymanifestinthebody.

Mathurancarvingswerecharacteristicallydoneinredsandstone.

On theotherhand, theGhandaran images from northern India includemanyGraeco-RomanelementswhichhadbeentakenupbycraftsmenandusedintheregionsincethetimeofAlexandertheGreatandtheinfluxofEuropeancraftspeoplewhocamewithhim.

Thisfirstsetofimageswillbringusuptothosecreatedinthe4thcenturyofthecommonera.

3

WhentheBuddhasatundertheBodhiTreetwenty-fivehundredyearsago,andawakenedtothe

waythingsactuallyare,heissaidtohavefirstexplainedhisnewunderstandingtofiveascetics

withwhomhehadbeenpreviouslypracticingforseveralyears.

Thisfirstteaching,whichsetinmotiontheentiresubsequenthistoryofBuddhism,ischaracterized

asthemomentatwhichtheWheeloftheDharma–theadvancementofTheBuddha’steachings

throughouttheworld–wasinitiallysetinmotion.

SincetheBuddhahadaskedthattherebenoimagesofhimselfashewasnotadietyofanykind,

artisansseeking todisplay theDharma in theirownmanner,usedsymbolswhich include the

wheeltorefertohisteachings.

Thiswheelwascarvedseveralcenturiesbeforethecommoneraandreflectsamixtureofcontent

andstylethatistypicalofthecraftsmenofthetime.Suchartisansoftenworkedforavarietyof

patronsandusedmanycommoniconsinassemblingtheircreations.

ThiswheelisasymbolfromtheJaintradition,anasceticreligioussectthatwasprominentatthe

timeoftheBuddha.

Thepiecehasornamentalearthspirits–whoweredrawnfromindigenous,animisttraditionsof

thetime–holdingupthewheel.Thismannerofmixingstyleandcontentfromdifferenttraditions

affectsmanyoftheearlyartisticworksinspiredbythedharma.

Over time, thewheelevolved intoaprinciplesymbol for theDharma itselfandyouwillfind

imagesofwheelsinmanyearlyworks.

Thewheel, as it later became a common Buddhist symbol, eventually standardized at eight

spokeswhichreferredtothedistinct,butnotseparate,elementsoftheeightfoldpath.

4

Less than a few hundred years after the Buddha’s passing, the Indian KingAshoka became a

followerofhispathofawakening.Althoughhedidn’trequirehissubjectstofollowtheDharma

Pathalongwithhim,hedidattempttoruleaccordingtohisunderstandingofthedharmaandhe

constructedmanypublicmonumentsencouragingpeopleinthedirectionofthedharma.

Thisornamentisknownasacapital,andthisparticularoneoncecrownedapillarthatAshoka

onceplacedinacitysquareinSarnath,India.

Aswiththewheel,theimageofalionwasusedasareferencetotheBuddha.Itmayhaveoriginated

withthedescriptionoftheBuddha’senlightenmentasa‘lion’sroar’orinthedescriptionsofthe

Buddhaashavinga‘lion’torso.

Noticethattherearewheelsandanoxonthepedestaljustbelowthelions,andthatallarearising

fromthepetalsofastylizedlotusflower.

Atthattime,wheelswerefrequentlyassociatedwiththesymbolismofthePersiansundisc,radiating

inalldirections.InthecontextoftheBuddha’steachings,wheelsalsowereassociatedwiththe

‘wheelofthelaw’orthedharmateachingsthemselves,teachingswhichwereoftencomparedwith

thepurelotusflowerofenlightenmentgrowingoutofthemudofoureverydayexperience.

Finally, the stylizedqualityof the lions – theyaren’t crafted to lookphysically like a real lion

–reflectstheinfluenceofPersianideasonthecraftsmenofthetimewhousedthevisuallanguage

inwhichtheyweretrained.

5

Thismoundiscalledastupa.ThisoneislocatedatSanchiinIndia.Thecomplex

surrounding it is the first example of an architectural complex relating to the

Buddhaandhisteachings.

RepresentingtheBuddha’sburialmound,suchsstructuresaremodeledafterthe

moundsthatwerecreatedwhen,afterthedeathofaholyman,thesittingbody

wascoveredwithearth.

ThisparticularstupawasconstructedduringthereignofKingAshokainthe3rd

centuryBCE.Therailings,gatewaysandtheelementatopthestupaitself–called

thefinial–wereaddedafewhundredyearslater

6

This is one of the four gateways

whichwereaddedsubsequenttothe

construction of the original stupa.

The gatewayswere built as part of

thesurroundingwall,eachgateway

facing one of the four directions.

One finds a rich array of symbols

thatwereusedatthetimetoreferto

theBuddhaandhisteachings.

Among the various elements appearing on thise

gateways can be found such things as images of

the bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved

hisenlightenment; thechair fromwhichhe taught

andwheels referring to thewheel of the law, the

dharma.

It’s interesting to note that craftsmen at this time

werestillincludingimagesfromtheearlieranimistic

religions, examples of which are the dwarfs

who were traditional earth spirits holding up the

superstructure.

Thisisadetailoftheeastgateway.

The mixture of symbolism on structures

throughout the stupa complex shows the

integration of the native spiritual traditions

alongwiththeemergingsymbolicvocabulary

usedtorefer tothedharmateachingsof the

Buddha.

7

Thisgardenstoneisagoodexampleofthekindofobliquelysymbolicartisticreferences

thatweremadetotheBuddhainthefirstcenturiesafterhispassing.

This stonewas created around the 2nd century of the common era and is located at

theMahabodhiTempleinBodhGaya,India,thesitewheretheBuddhaissaidtohave

achievedhisawakeningandrealizedNirvana.

TheideaofusingafootprinttorepresenttheBuddhamightinitiallyhaveoriginatedwith

thewalkingmeditationpracticestaughtbytheBuddha.Inanycase,bythetimethisstone

wascreated,itrepresentedafootprintleftbytheBuddhaashepassedthroughtheworld

Symbolically,suchafootprintwouldbethedharma,thebodhyoftheBuddha’steachings

whichhaveimprintedthemselvesontheworldforthe2500yearssincehewashere.

Noticethepresenceofthedharmawheeletchedintothemiddleofthefootprint.

Footprintsandwheelswereamonganumberofso-called‘aniconic’imagesofthetime,

called‘aniconic’becausetheydidn’tdirectlydepict–theywerenotan‘icon’oranimage

of–theBuddhahimself.

Thisoneisetchedinblueshistanditstextureconveysthegrainy,organicfeelingofearth

itselfinwhichtheBuddhamighthaveleftaprintofhisfoot.

8

ThisstonewithitsdoublefootprintisalsolocatedattheMahabodhiTempleinBodhGaya

andwascreatedduringthesametimeframeasthesinglefootprintinthelastimage.

This stone presents some additional symbolic content in addition to the footprints

themselves.Noticearoundtheedgeofthisstoneareengravedthepetalsofalotusflower

–lotusesgrowinpondsandinmudandthelotuscametosymbolizethepuredharma

mindemergingfromthemudofexistence.

Overtime,thewheelitselfevolvedtobecomeahighlydevelopedsymbolofthewheelof

thedharma,andheretheroundstoneitselfmightserveasareminderofthewheelofthe

law,thewheelofthedharma.

AswithmostsuchartifactsreferringtotheBuddhaandhisteachingsduringthistimeframe

thisstoneisn’tsigned.

These objectswere created for the purposeof prompting the observer to recollect the

dharmaratherthanadmiringthehandiworkofparticularartists.

9

OnceimagesoftheBuddhabegantobemade,theyappearedinthecontext

ofstorytelling,recountingincidentsfromhislife.

This stonepanelwascraftedduring theKushanperiod in India.The relief

sculptureisassignedtothefirstorsecondcenturyofthecommonera.

The image here depicts one of themiracle-birth stories of the Buddha in

whichtheyoungBuddha-to-beisbeingbornfromhismother’sside.

Manyreligioustraditionshavesuchmiracle-birthstories.

TheportrayalofthiskindofscenefromtheBuddha’slifebecameanearly

practiceamongthecraftsmenofthetimeandtheyoftendrewfromcommon

mythologyfortheirinspiration.

Thesiteofthispanel’soriginalcreationisnowknown:itiscurrentlypartof

theAveryBrundagecollectioninSanFrancisco.

10

Therewere twocenterswhichproducedearly imagesof the lifeof theBuddhaas the

common era came to pass. Mathura (pronounced MOOT-ra) in southern India, and

Ghandara (gan-DAH-rah) in the south. Each center developed very different visual

styles.

ThisisaGandaranimagefromtheKushanperiodinthe2ndcenturyofthecommonera

anditportraysasceneoftheBuddhabeingwelcomedbyhisfamilyafterreturningfrom

hissix-yearsearchforenlightenment.

TheGandaranimageswerecraftedinnorthernIndiawherelocal,Indiancraftsmenwere

significantlyinfluencedbycraftsmenwhoarrivedinIndiawithAlexandertheGreat,and

so Gandaran styles reflect Graeco-Roman elements that are reminiscent of European

work.

Notice the detailed articulation of facial features, musculature and clothing on these

figures.ThemanwiththeswordlooksalmostmoreRomanthanIndian.

NoticealsothattheBuddha’srobesarenot“offtheshoulder”astheycametobelater

depicted;andthereareelementsthatrecallthefolkstorythattheBuddha’sbodyshowed

throughhisclothesasifglowing–therobestheBuddhaiswearingrevealthecontoursof

his‘glowing’body.

Itisinterestingtonote,too,thattheBuddhaisnotcarryingabeggingbowlinthisimage

althoughheisbeingofferedfood.

11

Here isanotherKushanperiodpaneldepicting theBuddha’sfirst sermon through

symbolsotherthandirectimagesoftheBuddhahimself.

This was a transitional period for artists making images of the teachings of the

Buddha.ThepresentationhereismoresimilartothesculpturalreliefsatSanchi.

Thefigures arepresented in a stylized, symbolic fashion. In symbolic form,deer

were frequentlyused to refer to theDeerParkwhere the “wheelof thedharma”

wassetinmotionwiththeBuddha’sfirstsermon.Thenumberthreecanhavemany

referencesinBuddhism:thewheelsatopthepillarcansuggestthethreejewelsof

Buddha;dharma;sangha (SAHN-gah); theycanalso refer to the threepartsof the

eightfoldpath,orthethreecharacteristicsofexperience:dukkha(DOO-kaa),anicca

(ah-NEE-cha);anatta(a-NAH-tah)–suffering,impermanenceandpmpersonality.

Themonksstandinforthesangha,boththecommunityoftheBuddha’sfollowers

generallyaswellasthemonkswhoheardthatfirstsermonmorespecifically.

12

Another piece coming from the 3rd century Kushan period again reflects theGraeco/

RomaninfluencesofGandaranstyle.Notetheinclusionofthecolumnonourleftand

themeanderornamentationalongthetop.

ThispaneldepictstheBuddhateachinghiswife–Yasodhara(yah-SHOW-da-ra)–and

son–Rahula(ra-HOO-la)–alongwiththeirattendants.

The image of the Buddha here shows the beginning of a process by which some

characteristicsofBuddhaimagesevolvedtobecomestandardqualities.Someofthem

visible here include the third eye, or urna (OOR-nah); the elongated earlobeswhich

would have been characteristic of a person of royalty who would have worn heavy

earrings;theprotuberanceoftheskullonthetopofthehead,calledtheushnisha(yoosh-

NISH-ah),whichwastakenasindicationofawisebeing.

HeretheBuddhaholdstherobeitselfinonehandwhilemakingtheformalgestureof

fearlessness(theabaya[a-BYE-ah]mudra[MOO-dra])withtheother;noticethattherobe

isstillnotyetshownintheoff-the-shoulderstylewhichlaterbecomesthenorm.

13

Thisparticularreliefcarvingonastandingstonemarkershowstheupper torsoof the

Buddhawithanattendantoverhisleftshoulder.

ThispiecereflectsthecharacteristicsoftheMathura(MOO-tra)styleoftheearlyKushan

periodfromthe1stor2ndcenturyofthecommonera.

TheMathuran style appeared further south in India than the work of the Gandaran

craftsmenwhowereinfluencedbythesensibilitiesthatcamewithAlexandertheGreat

andwhichdidn’treachthroughoutthesubcontinent.

TheMathuranstyleshowslessattentiontothearticulationofspecificphysicalqualities

than Gandaran style. Features like wavy hair, mustache and more clearly defined

musculaturedidnotusuallyappearintheworkofthoseIndiancraftspeoplewhohadnot

beentouchedbytheGraeco-Romaninfluences

Mathuranimagesfocusedonthemoregeneral,sensualqualitiesofthebodyandgave

yogicattentiontothephysicaltensionofthebreath.

Inthisexamplethefacehasgeneralizedfeatures,withdowncassteyesandfulllips.Itis

stylized,notattemptingtolooklikeitisportrayingaparticularlyspecificface.Thered

sandstone,withitsgranularsurface,givestheeffectofanapparition.

Noticehere,also,theappearanceofemergingstandardizedelements:thetopknowon

thehead,theelongatedearlobes,theso-calledliontorsoshapeandtheindicationofthe

foldsoftherobeovertheleftshoulderandupperarm.

ThesewerebecomepartofthevisuallanguagethatwastobetheconventionalmeansofdepictingtheBuddha

14

ThisGhandaranimagefromthe2ndor3rdcenturyreflects

theGraeco-Romaninfluencesonthecraftspeopleinthe

northernareasofthecountry..

Since theobjectcomes from theearlyperiodwhen the

specific symbolicelements for indicating the identityof

the imagewerenotyetstandardized, the identityof the

figure, whether it is a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, is not

entirelyclear.

Forexample,thisimagedoesnotshowtheelongatedear

lobeswhichisoneofthesignificantmarksoftheBuddha

andwhichbecometypicalonlaterimages.

Notice, too, thewavy hair,moustache and portrait-like

qualityofthefeaturespresented.

AnotherexampleofGandaransculpture from the late2nd

century,thisonereflectstheartoftheearlyMahayana(MA-

ha-YAH-nah)tradition.

In this case, we can identify it as an image of a

Bodhisattva.

We can identify the image as a Bodhisattva because it

displayssymbolicelementsusedindepictingsuchbeings.

In thishead, thewavyhair isstylizedanddecoratedwith

jewelry which suggests a Budhisattva since the Buddha’s

attireismorelikelytobejustasimplerobe.

InthetraditionsoftheMahayana–anevolutionofBuddhist

thoughtandpracticethathadfullyemergedatthistime–a

BodhisattvaisonewhorenouncesfinalNirvanainorderto

helpothersfindthepath.

Thegoaloftheartisanhereseemstohavebeensoshowthe

serenityofdemeanortypicalofanidealbeing.

15

ThisGandaranimageoftheBuddhaofthefuture–Maitreya(my-TRAY-

yah)–wascreatedinthefirstorsecondcenturyofthecommonera.

Here Maitreya is portrayed with wavy hair, more portrait-like facial

treatmentandfullyarticulateddrapery.

ThisisalsosaidtolookliketheKushandressofanoblemanofthetime,

richlyadornedwithjewelsandfinefabric.

Theelementswhichidentify thefigureasMaitreyaincludethewater

flaskinthelefthandandthestupapresentinthecrown.

ThefutureBuddhastandsinfrontofaflatdisc,orhalo.Suchhaloswere

usedinPersiandepictionsofthe‘sungod’andwereimprtedalongwith

otherGraeco-RomanelementsappearingintheGandaranstyles.

ThisisanimageoftheBuddhafromthe2ndor3rdcenturyofthe

commonerawhichshowsamixtureofboththeGandaraand

Mutrastyles

Notice that the facial features are portrait quality in the

Gandaranstyleandincludeamustacheandwavyhairwhich

covers the ushnisha, the skull bulge which signals Buddha

wisdom.Notice,toothattheleftfootpeeksoutfromunderthe

robe,afeatureincreasinglycommoninallstyles.

Reminiscent of theMaturan style, the robe falls over the left

shoulder,exposingabroadlycraftedlion’storso.

The Buddha here is seated on a pedestal and is shownwith

figuresbelowhimlisteningtohisteaching.

TheBuddha’shandsareheld in thedharmachakramudra–a

gesturesometimescalledthe‘teahing’or‘turningtheweeklof

thelaw’mudra.

16

Manyof theearly imagesof theBuddhadepictedelementsof stories

abouteventsinhislife.

This is a Mahayana image from the 2nd century of the common era

depictingamiraclewhichwassupposedtohaveoccurredinShravasti

whereflamescamefromtheupperpartofthebodyandwaterflowed

fromhisfeet.

Thecarving is in thegandaran stylewith thearticulateddetail in the

robesandheaddressesofthefollowers.

AsartisansbecamemorecomfortableportrayingimagesoftheBuddha

–acomfort that emerged fully in theMahayanacommunities – such

freezesbecamemorefrequentlyusedasremindersoftheBuddhaand

histeachings

17

thisKushanerafreezefromaroundthe2ndor3rdcenturyofthecommoneradepictsthestory

ofthedeathoftheBuddhaandhisachievementoffinalnirvana

craftsmenof the timehadbegunimprovising in theirdepictionofdharmastories,adding

headdresses to some characters for identification aswell as standardizing some physical

elementsoftheBuddhahimself

themixtureof craft styles and influences isnoticeablehere:on the left there is a roman

columnandafigureinromandress,

noticethehaloaroundthebuddha’shead...

intheMahayana,haloscamefromsundeitiesofneareasternfolktraditions;theyalsowere

usedinacultofthegodkingofthepersiancivilization

laterrepresentationsofthebuddha’sdeathscene—aswellasinotherelementsofthebuddha’s

story—wouldincreasinglycontainsimilarsymbolicelementsusedinsimilarways,

this consistency created familiar forms and even some rudimentary functionality as a

visuallanguagewhichcouldbedrawnuponbyartisanswhentheysatdowntopresentthe

dharma

18

thispanelrecallsthestoryofthecremationofthebuddha’sbody,

and the funeral pyrewhichwould not ignite until a final senior

disciplehadarrived.

nowthatthecremationhadbegun,theflamesareherebeingfedby

oilfromflasksonlongpolesheldbyattendants

there are a number of symbolic decorations to be noticed here:

the lotusblossomson thebaseandcoffin framedbyromay type

columns,andthetraditionofdisplayingoneofthebuddha’sfeet

19

Anotherbust fromtheGandharanperioddisplaying

thegraeco-romanstylisticelementsthatweretypical

duringtheearlyperiodinnorthernIndia.

particularly, such elements include the naturalistic

treatmentofthehair,thedetailinthefoldsoftherobe

andtheattentiontothefigure’smusculature.

notice, too, that by this time the robehas come to

coveronlyoneshoulderandthehandgestureofthe

BuddhahereisthatwhichindicatesthattheBuddha

isteaching.Thismudraisknownas‘turningthewheel

ofthelaw’.

this mudra came to be used extensively where

craftsmen wanted to indicate that the Buddha was

teaching.

This image of the Buddha shakyamuni,

thehistoricalBuddha,isanotherexample

oftheGhandaranstyle.

A number of things are particularly

well illustrated in this example: there

is the sculptural modeling of the body

underneath the roge; then there is the

detailed articulationof thedrapery and

the relaxed ‘hip shot’ stance which all

reflectgraeco-romanstylisticelements.

The robe here covers both shoulders,

a style which remained common for

standingimagesatthetime

Thepositioningof thehands is another

exampleoftheabayamudra,thegesture

offearlessness.

20

ThisimageofaseatedshakyamuniBudhaillustratesthemergingofelementsof

theMathuranandGhandarantraditionsandreflectsthenew,emergingunified

stylethatwasrootedinelementsofbothearliertraditions.

Herethenaturalistictreatmentofthebody,thedetailinthefoldsoftherobes,

andtheportrait-likequalityoftheface–typicalworkofghandarancraftsmen

–aretoneddowntoeffectamoretranscendentquality.

Also,thesemi-closedeyesandhairinthesemi-circularwavepatteraretypical

ofthelateghandaranperiodbuttheyarematchedwiththesenseofyogicbreath

inthebodywhichismoretypicaloftheMaathuranstyles

Ascraftsmencreatedworkswithelementsofboththeolderstyles,theybeganto

settleonsomenewconventions.

21

Thiswellpreservedimage,doneinhighrelief,wascutfromawalltowhich

itwasoriginallyattached.Althoughwedon’tknowwherethatwallwas,this

statueisnowlocatedintheIndianmuseuminCalcutta

Createdinthe2ndor3rdcentury,thecarvingshowsagainthemergingofthe

ghandaran and maathuran styles which were the two principle traditions

duringtheKushandynastypriortotheGuptayearswhichfollowedtheKushan

dynasty.

In this image, theBuddha iswearingmonastic robeswhichcoveronlyone

shoulder; themoustache isgonehere,and thehair isstylized,appearing in

waves.

Thehandsareheldintheteachingmudra.

22

thisnaturalisticimagefromthekushanperiodwascreatedinthe3rdcenturyand

recallsthestoryofsiddhartha’sasceticismduringhispursuitofenlightenment

the accounts of this period of his training tell that he practiced intensive

fastingforyearsand,accordingtothemythologies,consumedonlyasingle

sesameseedandasinglegrainofriceuntilhecametoappearasshowninthis

example.

thestorycontinuesthatwhenherealizedthatthesepracticeswerenotleading

toliberation,hebegantoeatricemilkagaintoregainhisstrength

Afterrecoveringfromtheasceticausterities,andhavingfledtheindulgences

ofhisearlypalace life,hewent tomeditateunder thebodhi treewherehe

attainedhisfinalawakeningandthediscoveryofwhathetermedthe‘middle

path’

23

thisstandingbronzeimageofshakyamuni–the

historicalBuddhaweknow–comesfromthelate

Kushanperiodaround400ofthecommonear.

the elements of the style are fully developed

and suggest the direction of development of

sculpturesinthelaterGuptaera

such elements include the quality of the facial

features,thehairstylizedinsnailcurlsandarobe

suggestingalmostatranslucencythoughitisstill

fullyarticulatedandcoversbothshoulders

the halo – with flaming spikes in this case –

representingtheemanationoflighthadbecome

a common element in this kind of ghandaran

work

in this standing pose, the Buddha displays the

abayamudra, thepositioningof thehands that

proclaimfearlessness.

24

This bronze piece was created in the

fifth or sixth century and also reflects

the merging of the Ghandaran and

Mathuranstyles.

The head is topped by hair that is

styled in snail curls and generalized,

non-detailed treatment of features are

elementsofthemathuranstyle.

The fullyarticulatedheavy robesarea

moretypicalGnahdarancharacteristic.

One of the unusual features of this

particular image is the ‘double halo’

whichframestheBuddhawithstylized

flames,perhapsaresidueofthePersian

sun-godtraditions

The hands display the mudra of

fearlessness.

25

MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURAL INFLUENCE

ThefirstimagesoftheBuddhaandthefirstexamplesofdharmaartwerecreatedinIndia.

Suchearlyartworkappearedintwodistinctstyles:theMathurastyle–whichgrewoutofthesensibilities

ofthenativeIndiancraftsmen–andtheGhandaranapproach,whichwasbuiltonelementsoftheGreco-

RomantraditionthathadfoundtheirwayintotheAsianworld.

As Buddhist practices spread throughoutAsia, they underwent changes in emphasis and style as they

becametranslatedintotheculturallanguagesoftheirnewhomes.

Suchchangeswerereflectedintheimagescraftedbytheartisansofthenewculturesastheybroughttheir

own,indigenoussensibilitiestothetaskofinterpretingthe“importedmodels.”

ThenewimagesoftheBuddhawereneverconsideredtobeportraitsnorweretheyintendedtobeobjects

ofworship.

They were created to illustrate particular spiritual qualities of the Buddha and to symbolically display

principleelementsofhisteachings

Theimagesinthefollowingcollectiondisplaythenextstagesinthedevelopmentofdharmaart--theartof

Buddhistculture--astheBuddhadharmatookrootthroughoutAsia.

InthemwewillseethemanifestationsofinfluenceandtheimprintofindividualculturesfromAfghanistan

andChina,Japan,KoreaandthroughoutSoutheastAsia.

However,evenasimagesoftheBuddhawererenderedthroughthevariousshadesofAsianculture,some

featuresbecamestandard,althoughonlya fewwereconsistent inallcountries.Theprimary features,or

marks,thatwereeffectivelycodifiedinclude:

theushnisha(theprotuberanceatthetopoftheskullwhichwasamarkofwisdom),

Theurna(themarkofthethirdeyebetweentheeyebrows)whichstoodfor???

theelongatedearlobes(themarkofaprince)whichwouldhavebeencausedbytheheavyearringshewould

haveworn

thelipscurvedlikeabowandtheso-calledliontorso(bothofwhichweretakenasmarkingswhichindicate

aparticularlypowerfulbeing).

AsthecomplexityofteachingsmaturedintheMahayanatradition,agalleryofimagesevolvedtoarticulate

andgiveformtothenewteachings.

ThefollowingimagestracetheevolutionofdharmaartthroughthevariousregionsinAsiaandoverthe

courseofadozencenturiesoftime.

27

This unique Colossal Standing Buddha, was carved from a cliff in Bamiyan,

Afghanistaninthe4thor5thcentury,andstandsover150feettall.

Itandoneother,similarstatuewascarvedoutofarockycliffalongwithrows

ofchapels.

Thoughtheimageisextraordinarilylarge,itwascreatedusingthesame,stylized

languageusedinthecraftingofsmallersculpturesthatrepresentedtheBuddha.

fHereinAfghanistan,thedetaileddraperyandthesuggestionofamusculartorso

beneathitreflecttracesofthelateGhandaranstylefromIndia

Increatinganimageofthissize,therobewasseparatelymodeledinclayand

thenattachedtoacrudestonecorebymeansofropesandwoodenplugswhich

werehiddenbypaintandgoldgilt.

ThisisoneofthestatutesthatwasrecentlydestroyedbytheTalibanregime.

28

This bronze sculpture is an image of Maitreya Buddha, the

next Buddha who—it is told—will appear 5,000 years after

Shakyamuni–roughly2,500yearsfromtoday.

ThelegendofMaitreyabeganalongwithanumberofsimilar

messiahlegendsthataroseduringthetimeofChrist.

This imagewas crafted around 525 and, althoughwe don’t

knowwhereitwasoriginallylocated,itwouldlikelyhavebeen

oneofvariousimagesandstatutesinatemple.

It isacomplex imagewithanarrayoffigures that isagood

exampleoftheChinesestyleofitstime.Thefiguresareslender,

verticalandgraceful.

InthissceneMaiatreyaisimmediatelyflankedbytwomonks

whoarethemselvesboundedbytwobodhisattvas.

Flamingdevas,orangels,surroundthebodyhalowhichitselfis

madeofflames.Allaretoppedwithapavilionpopulatedwith

imagesofPrabudaratanaandVairocanainrecollectionoftheir

wellknowndiscussionofthedharma

ThisisanotherChineseimagefromaroundthebeginningofthe

7thcentury.Itwascarvedfrombuffedmarbleandtherearebitsof

pigmentandgiltthatremainonitssurfaceindicatingthatitwas

originallypaintedandthengilded.

ThepieceshowsstheChinesepreferenceforcreatingimagesthat

are symmetrically balanced. The various symbols in this piece

revolve around the Shakyamuni andPraBUtaRATna: that is, the

BuddhaofthepastsittingalongsidetheBuddhaofthepresentera

inthecenterofthetableau.

AbovethemisAmitabhaBuddha,aBuddhawhoistocomeinthe

future.

Belowandupholding the central display are two lions flanking

a chair which supports a lotus shaped censor – these figures

are carry-overs fromolder Indian iconography.This kind of riot

of symbolicelements is frequently seen indharmaart since the

varietyofsymbolsserveasreminderseventootherwiseilliterate

practitionersofthevarietyofelementsoftheBuddha’steachings.

Aninscriptiononthebackreads:“fortheemperor,monks,parents

andallsentientordinarybeings.:”

29

ThisunusualimageisfromtheTangDynastyinChinaaround

the8thcenturyandrepresentsoneoftheBuddhasofthefuture,

Vairocana.

Muchvisualsymbolismisgraftedontothisimageinanalmost

didactic,encyclopedicfashion.

ThehaloismadeofagroupofimagesofseatedBuddhasknown

as ‘transformation Buddhas’ because thevy recall particular

qualitiesofourBuddhanature.

themantlewornoverhis robe shows scenes from the lifeof

Shakyamuni–thehistoricalBuddha--aswellasrepresentations

oftheBuddhistcosmos.

TheanimalsatthebottomareservingasbearersoftheBuddha

intheolderIndiantraditions.

Theestheticusedtocraftthefigurereflectsanidealbodytype

which was typical in theT’ang imperial court: a somewhat

portlyfigurewhichwastheiridealofbeautyandtheBuddhais

presentedinaccordwiththesetastes.

This is a tenth centuryChinese imageof thebodhisattaof

compassion,anotherimageofKuanYin.Whenthedharma

came to China from India, the gender of the Bodhisattva

of Compassion changted from male to female, from

Avolakitesvara(AV-ah-low-KIT-ish-VAR-ah)toKuanYin.

This imagecanbe identifiedas thatofabodhisattaby the

headdresswhichcontainsanimageofshakyamuni(SHAK-

yah-MOO-ni)Buddha.

This piece is typical of theT’angdynastywhichhadbeen

underwayforseverslhundredyearsbythetimethispiece

wasmadeinthe10thcentury.

ElementsoftheImperial,T’angstyleincludedapreferencefor

portlyfigureswhohavefullyfleshedbodiesandfaces.

Thoughthisfigurehasanandrogynousquality,manyofthe

KuanYinfiguresfromthisperiodandonwardsappearmore

decidedlyfemale.

30

This image of Kuan Yin, comes from near

theendoftheTangDynastyaroundthe11th

century.

In this statue, the face retains a somewhat

portly presentation – which reflects

thesensibilities of the Chinese court during

the early part of the dynasty – while the

body is slender and graeful and reflects the

beginning of changes into the styles of the

laterparatoftheperiod.

ThisstandingBuddhacomesfrom10thcenturyinJapanandreflects

theMahayanatraditionofthemedicineBuddhawhoseemphasiswas

onhealing–heholdsamedicinebowlinhislefthand.

The style contains echoes .of Ghandaran India passing through

AfghanistanandChina.Notice theportlyqualitiesof thebodyand

facialfeatureswhichwerecompatiblewiththeJapaneseaestheticof

thetime.Fromaboutthe8thcenturytothe14th,JapanmirrorsChinese

styleswhichweresubtlyalteredwithitsowntastes.

HeretheBuddhastandsonalotusflower;hisrighthandisheldin

themudra of fearlessness; and themedicine bowl held in the left

handisnotsomethingthatwouldhavebeenplacedinthehandofa

traditionallyportrayedshakyamuniorhistoricalBuddha.

Different aspects or qualities of the Buddha were coming to be

suggested by objects in the hands, headdresses and a variety of

symbolicelementsthatwouldbedisplayedintheheaddress.

Its robes, facial features and the articulation of the body are

harmonized,balancedandabstractlystylized.

This isawooden imagewithaheavyphysicalqualityaswellasa

strongandspiritualpresence.

31

Thissmaller,JapanesefigurefromtheHeian(pronounce?)Dynastyisabout

12”highandismoadeofnutmegwoodfinishedwithblacklacquer.

Itwascraftedattheendofthe11thcenturyatattimewhenartisanswere

trying to push the formal, stsylized elements of their Buddha images to

displaysomemeasureofexpressivespirituality.

The lightness of presence of this figure will contrast with the heavier

Buddhas,likethelargeKamakuraBuddhatocome.

The various styles used in picturing the Buddha change over timewith

emphasissometimesbeingplacedonspiritualqualitiesandsometimeson

morephysicalones.

Oftenthesechangescorrespondtochangingsocialandpoliticalconditions:

when social life ismarked by turbulence and unrest, images tended to

emphasizethelighter,spiritualqualities.

32

Thisisaalsoan11thcenturyJapanesecreationfromthetraditionofthe

PureLandSchool.

Noticethelightfeelofthefigureasitfloatsonalotusflowerwhich

itselfisheldaloftbytiersofotherlotuselements.

This image is typical of the Japanese effort to maintain a balance

betweenthespiritualandphysical.

Notably,thesnailcurlsintheushnisha,therobewhichistracedaslines

onthebody,thedowncasteyesanddelicatehandswhichareheldas

theywouldbeinmeditationdonotprojectanysensualreferencesbut,

rather,astatebetweenthephysicalandspiritual.v

33

ThislargebronzestatueislocatedinKamakura,Japan.Itsitsover35feet

high.

constructed in the year 1252, it was cast in several parts and then

assembled: you canmake out someof the seams across the chest and

upperarms.

AswithJapaneseimagesingeneral,asetofstylizedelementsisassembled

to portray a sitting, meditating Buddha in a manner which conveys a

ssense of weight – grounded centeredness and the spiritual power of

focusedattention.

The subject matter here is not the personal, physical qualities of a

meditatingBuddha,butratherthefeelingoffocusedspiritualpresence.v

34

This16thcenturyJapaneseimageisoftheAmitabhaBuddha.

Serene and focused, the image sits atop a lotus flower and is

surrounded by a flaming halo with a complex design that is

composedofsymbolsofenergyandgrowth.

Inthecenterofthissystemofpulsating,vibrantenergytheBuddha

sitsquietly.

The figure displays the Japanese preferences for abstract, stylized

imagesandorganizationbyline,asiftheimagewereadrawingin

space.

35

ThisisalaterexampleofJapanesestylefromaround

the19thcentury.

ItisanexampleoftheShintoinfluenceontheartistic

representations of the Buddha in Japan with an

increasedemphasisonnatureandthequalitiesofthe

naturalworld.

In this case thefigure is carved fromwood,and the

faceisshownasslightlysmilingduringthemeditative

experience.

Thesmallstatuehasaratherrough-hewnsimplicityto

it.Itdoesnotmakeanyattemptathidingordisguising

the nature of the material from which this image

is made. Instead, the crafting of the image almost

emphasizesthequalitiesofthewooditself.

Emphasizingandfeaturingthequalitiesofthenatural

worldarecentralthemesinJapaneseBuddhistart.The

imageand itsmaterial arebothgivena shareof the

experience.

ThisfigurecomesfromKoreaofthe7thor8thcentury.

Generally,theKoreanaestheticsharesmanyelements

withChineseartfromtheearlyT’angperiod.

Thissomewhatportlyfigureismadeofgildedbronze

and has a rather heavy, earthy presence which

is reminiscent of the Chinese and Nara Japanese

sculpturesofthetime.

Overall,theKoreanaestheticsharesmanyelements

withChineseartfromtheearlyT’angperiod.

In this figure, the hands are held in the ‘teaching’

mudra but by the positioning of the hands, the

craftsmanissuggestingamorecomplexmetaphysical

relationship between the empirical and spiritual

worlds.

36

ThisisanexampleofaSukhotai[SOO-koh-TIE]figure,theclassicThaistylewhich

wasproducedduringtheperiodfrom1281–1310.

The style consolidated a variety of qualities that were typical of the different

kingdomsintheregionatthetime–includingboththeBurmeseandCambodian.

Theyallcametogetherinthenewly-emergentThaiempire.

Once characterized byThai prince Suphat as “the blow-up rubber look,” the

smooth, rounded surfaces that display little physicalmusculaturedo look abit

liketheyhavebeeninflated.ThereisanechohereoftheoriginalMathura,Indian

stylethatfocusedattentiononthebreathbycraftinganexpanded,so-calledlion

torso..

In this style, the features are generalized and stylized – they are composed of

elementsfromalimitedpalletoffeatures:theskinhasnotablysmoothcontours;

thetorsohasbroadshouldersandnarrowwaistwhichissometimesdescribedas

the‘liontorso’;thefacehasaformal,ovalshape–thereisnoattempttodetail

specific,naturalisticorportrait-likefeatures.

The Sukhotai style is one of the most commonTYhai styles currently used in

depictingtheBuddhatoday.

37

thesetwosukhothaiimagesaresimilarinformbutquitedifferentinsize:theoneonthe

leftisatabletopsculpturewhiletheoneontherightisatleast20feettall.

it is noteworthy that theThais are theonly artisans tohaveproducedan imageof a

walkingBuddha

Asinthepreviousimage,noticetheconsistencyofstylehere,withnoefforttoreflect

actualhumanproportions–therightarmsandhandsareparticularlyunrealisticinterms

ofdimensionsandshape.

InthisThaistylethesymbolismofenlightenmentisuniquelyhighlightedbytheflame

whicharisesfromtheushnisha,thebulgeonthetopofthehead.

Thisflaming‘spire’ischaracteristicofftheclassicalThaistyle.

38

This isa laterexample fromThailand in the14th

century.

ReferredtoastheUThong[OOO[asinthrough}-

TONG]style. Itevolvedafter thesukhothai style

andreflects influences formCambodianartisans,

presentingabroaderfaceandanoverallstockier,

heavierimage

Herealso, the snailcurlsare smallerand tighter

thantheSukihothai,andthehairisformedmore

likeaheaddressorcrownthanhumanhair.

Yettheimagekeepsthesmoothskin,stylizedform

oftheearlierSukhothaistyle.

ThisisaThaiimagefromthe19thcenturyandreflects

acompositeofall thestyles thathavecomebefore

includingtheinfluencesfromCambodiaandBurma.

Noticed the increased emphasis on the hair and

flameonthetopofthehead:they’vegottenlargerin

proportiontotherestofthebody.

andnotice,too,thedecreasedsizeoftheshoulders,

andthelargerhandswithmorevisualemphasison

themudra;

still, it continues the smooth skin and the stylized,

iconicshapeoftheimagetypicaloftheearlierThai

styles.

39

This Thai image portrays the Buddha’s physical state

duringtheasceticdaysofhissearchforenlightenment

whenhesubjectedhimselftosuchsevereausteritiesthat

hisbodybecamequiteemaciated.

With the spread of the Buddha’s teachings from India in

theeastwarddirection, towardsSoutheastAsia,wesee the

elements of the Mathuran Indian tradition developing in

a different direction that what evolved with the teachings

spreadingnorthwardintoChina.

Thisisaheadfrom13thcenturyCambodia.

It reflectsqualitiesof theKhmer taste thatwere current in

Cambodiaatthetime.

The headdress contains an image of the Buddha,

shakyamuni,andthusidentifiesTHISface/headitselfasthat

of thebodhisattvaofcompassion,knownasavalokitesvara

in southeasts Asia and India. In China the Bodhisattva of

Compassionwasportrayedbyafemalefigure,Kuan[Kwan]

Yin.

In comparison to some of the images spearing in other

southeast asian countries, the face of the Khmer of

Cambodianstyle iswiderwithbroad lipsandnose,anda

squarejaw.

ThesewereadjustmentsoftheIndian,Mathuranstylemade

byKhmerartisanstofitwiththeirownaesthetic.

40

ThisbronzeimageofthehistoricalBuddha,ShakyamuniwascraftedinCambodiaaround

thethirteenthcentury,attheheightoftheKhmerstyle.

The accepted intention for the creation of images of the Buddha had come to be

recognized as creating an abstract, conceptual reminderof thedharma rather than an

imageevokingimpulsesofworship.Noneoftheseimageswereintendedtobeportraitsor

eventorepresentaspecificindividual.Instead,imagesalmostcametobe‘assembled’out

ofasetofsymboliccomponents.

ThisCambodianexampleofthematureSoutheastAsianstyledemonstratesthemostrefined

characteristicsoftheMathuranIndianaestheticastranslatedintotheKhmerculture.

Noticethesmoothsurfacesofthebody;theskinheldinatensionwhichseemstosuggest

theelasticcontainmentof thebreath, theyobic life force.Notice, too, that the robe is

transparentandonlysuggestedbytheedges.Theelongatedearlobesareexaggerated;the

smallsnailcurlsofthehairandthetieredushnishare,bythistime,conventionaldesign

elementsinthefabricationofimagesoftheBuddha.

Allofthesestandardizedsymbolicelementswere‘flavored’byestheticelementsalready

presentinthenewculturesintowhichthedharmawastakingroot.

ThisclassicalimageoftheBuddhainameditativeposturehascometobetheprimary

imagethatpeopleeverywherehaveoftheBuddha.

41

ThisisanCambodianpiecefromtheAnkorPeriodinthe12thcenturyontheleftandfrom

14thcenturySriLankaontheright.

Bothdepictanincident intheBuddha’sbiographyinwhichhewasshelteredfromthe

weatherbythekingoftheserpents,Mucalinda,whilehesatinmeditation.

TheCambodianimageontheleftisparticularlystrikingbecauseoftheunusualpresence

ofacrownontheBuddha’shead.Insoutheastasia,crownslikethisdenoteaqualityof

royalty.

InCambodiafromthe9thto13thcenturies,thesevenheadedserpentbecameanarchetype

whichalsocametorepresentspiritualenergyrisingthroughthe7chakras.[CHA-kra]

TheSriLankanimageontherightshowsadifferentpreferenceforbroadshouldersand

slenderwaist.

42

ThisstandingBuddhafromCambodiadatesfromaroundthe

14thcentury.

Cambodian images are typically symmetrical and almost

geometricallyangularasopposed to thesmoothnessof the

Thaistyle.

The broad face, broad nose, full lips and the exaggerated

earlobesalongwiththeformalcrownaretypicalfeaturesof

theworkoftheKhmer/Cambodianartisans.

Theslenderbody,howeverisunusualinthistradition.

Noticetheimprintsofthewheelofthelawonthepalmsof

thehandsofthisfigure,recollectingsimilarmarkingsonthe

earlieststatuesfromIndia.

ThisisanotherpiecedepictingthescenefromtheBuddha’slife

when hewas sheltered by the serpentMucalinda [MOO-kah-

LIND-dah].

It is a lacquered, tabletop-sizedwoodenBurmese image from

the 14th century which reflects some of the qualities of the

Burmese styleof the time: thehead isoversized in relation to

thebody; there is thesmoothhaircap, theshortneckandthe

slightlyforward-leaningposture,withthebodyheldalmostasif

listening

Rather than sitting in ameditative posture, the gesture of the

right hand recalls themoment of the Buddha’s enlightenment

whenhe‘touchedtheearth’tocalltheearthitselftowitnesshis

entitlementtoenlightenment.

Thispositioningofthehand,thismudra,iscalledbhumisparsha

[BOO-mis-PAR-sha].This image represents the moment when

theBuddha touched theearth, asking it tobearwitness tohis

righttoenlightenmentatthemomentofhisawakening.

Protectedbytheserpentkingcoiledupbelowhimtoprotecthim

fromthefloodstheBuddhaisalsothushelpedtofrightenaway

Mara,thetempter.

43

ThisMahayanapieceis fromeasternJava–itselfaMahayanaculturerather

thanaTherevadanonesimilartoother,nearbycountriesSoutheastAsia.Itis

fromaround1300wherefemininequalitiesaregivenmoreemphasisthanthey

wereinnorthernIndia.

ThisimageisknownasthemotherofallBuddhasintheMahayanasutrasand

it follows theprescriptionsof the ritual iconography:bothhandsare in the

gestureofteaching;thefigureisseatedinmeditativepostureandiswearing

jewelry

Thefigureisseateduponalotus;theforeheadisadornedwithanurnadenoting

thehighestlevelofenlightenment.

AsacreationoflaterMahayanapractice,theimageisnotdrawnfromanyof

theelementsoftheoriginalPaliCanon,theearliestscripturalresourceonthe

Buddhaandhislife.

Instead, this image, with all its symbolic and ornate complexity, presents

elements thatmatured inBuddhismas it lateradvanced throughChinaand

Japan.

44

Thisisanstatuefrom15thcenturyTibetwhichmanypeoplemightinitiallyidentifyasanimage

oftheBuddha.

It is not, however, an image of the Buddha but rather ofAvolokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of

compassion.

ThelexiconofTibetaniconography–aswithTibetanphilosophyitself–issomultifacetedthat

verysubtledistinctionsoftenconveysignificantdifferences.

inthiscase,aninscriptiononthebottomofthestatuteidentifiesitspecificallyasthebodhisattva

ratherthanastheBuddha.

NotethatthisearlyimageofthebodhisattvahereismasculineincontrasttotheChineseandlater

TibetanimagesasthefeminineKuanYin.

Thebluehair,auniquelyTibetancharacteristic,referencesthevastnessoftheskyandannounces

thepresenceofanenlightenedmindwithin.

Noticethelotusstemthatisattachedtoandentwinedaroundtheleftarm.

Thisalsoidentifiesthisfigureasthebodhisattvaofcompassion–whenthelotusisassociated

withtheBuddhahimselfitisalmostexclusivelyincludedaspartofthepedestaluponwhichhe

issitting.

Notice, too, theuniquelyTibetan facial features: theeyesaredowncastbutslightlyopen; the

eyebrowsareconnectedandintheshapeofalongbow;thenoseissculptedinastylized(as

opposedtorealistic)mannerwithapointedtip“likethebeakofaneagle”;andthemouthisheld

inaslightsmile.

Theelongatedearsandhairinsnailcurlsalongwiththeurna–themarkinthecenterofthe

forehead–areallpartofthebroadervisuallanguage.

45

ThisisanotherTibetanimagefromthe14thcentury.

KnownasVairocana[VIE-ro-CHAN-ah]– theRadiantOne– this

imageistypicalofthepantheonofTibetaniconswhichrepresent

variousstatesofconsciousnessinanarrayofpersonifications.

This image isnotof ShakyamuniBuddha,but ratheroneof the

cosmic Buddhas --Vairocana– which appears in the complex

Tibetancosmology.

This image was created to sit on an altar in the midst of four

other imageswhere theentire tableau functionedasamandala

representingtheentirecosmos.

Thefigurespersonifythelifeforceinvariousmanifestations.

Boththedetailsonimageslikethisaswellastheoveralllayoutof

largerelementsfunctionasapictogramintendedtobereadalmost

as a passage of text describing the complex relationship of the

particularsetofcosmicprinciples

This is another image that clearly shows the complexity of the

iconographyofTibet.

Portraying the male Kalachakra [KA-la-CHAK-ra] and female

Vishvamata[VISH-va-MA-ta], the image displays the union of

complimentaryelementswhichcomposethelifeforceitself.

Symbolic elements here are also meant to be read almost

encyclopedically:initstotality,theimagerepresentstheembodiment

ofcompassionandwisdomthroughthevarietyofelementsmakingup

thetwoembrackingfigures.

Noticethattheyarestandinguponfiguresrepresentingignoranceand

delusion.

Kalachakrameansthewheeloftime:Kala(time)expresseshisrelative

aspectandChakra(wheel)expressestheeternalvoid--Kalachakrais

thusbeyondduality.

Vishvamata,thefemaleelement,has8armsandrepresentstheWorld

Mother.

Kalachakra,ChakraandVishvamataarealsonamesofHindudeities.

TheTibetan text –Kalachakratantra–mayhavebeena synthesisof

HinduandBuddhisttantricideaswhichappeartohaveoriginatedin

the10thcenturyinNalandainIndiaandthenspreadtoTibetwhere

it took on a profoundly influential position in theTibetan Buddhist

pantheon.

46

This is one of 108 different versions of the 11-headed Bodhisattva of

compassion:Avalokitisvara.

Thisonecomesfrom18thcenturyTibet.

Theaestheticisoneofrepetitionandmovementinthepartsaswellasthe

whole.

The effect is a pictogramof energywhere the 8 arms are referring to the

8 directions (this is distinct from the more conventional depictions of 6

directions).

ThesymbolismincorporatessomeHinduconceptsofuniversalcompassion

(“somovedwasthebodhisattvabythesufferingofsentientbeings,thathis

headsplitinto10pieces”)

TheBuddhaAmitaba(displayedattheverytop,completewithbluehair)then

turnedeachpieceintoacompleteheadandaddedhisown.

The relationship of the features on the faces are of typically Tibetan

proportions

Theoverallpowerandmovementsuggestsenergyincompassion

47

ARCHITECTURE

Creatingarchitecturalstructuresthatevokeareligiousorspiritualresponseisauniversallyoccurring

form of esthetic expression. In the Buddhist tradition, this led to the widespread construction

throughoutAsiaofmemorials, temples and temple complexesdedicated to theBuddhaandhis

teachings.

TheproportionsofthebodyoftheBuddha,considered“perfect”andharmonious,weretakenasa

guideforthedesignofearlyarchitecture.Architecturalplansareintendedtosettheenvironment

forthevisitortofollowthepracticestaughtbytheBuddha.

There are threebasic typesof structures, the stups, thepagodaand later the temple. Since the

Buddhainsistedthathewasnota‘god’andnottobeworshipped,theearlyformsweresimplymade

asremindersofhisburialsite.Theybecameplacestopractice.

Thestupacameoutofthepre-BuddhistIndianburialmoundsfor‘holy’beings.Thebodieswere

seatedonthegroundandcoveredwithsoil.Thesesiteswereconsideredsacredandbecameplaces

forpilgrimages.

Thestupa formevolvedand themoundwasoftenmadeofbrick,coveredwitha typeof stucco

and painted. A crowning element was added. The crowning element symbolized the steps

to enlightenment. In some cultures elaborate symbolism evolved to explain the stages of

enlightenment.

ThePagodaisamulti-tieredbuildingwitheachtiersymbolizingastageofenlightenment. Each

culturehastheirownsymbolickeytotheaspectsofeachpartofthebuilding.Thisformbecame

verypopularinJapanwheremanyvariationsareseen.

Thetemplearchitecturegrowsoutofvariouscombinationsofthestupaandpagodaelements.When

templeswereeventuallybuiltformeditationandcommunitygatherings,theytookonavarietyof

formsdependingontheculturefromwhichtheysprang.Therangeofscaleofsucharchitectural

creationsrunsfromthedelicateJapaneseTeaHousetothemonumental,man-mademountainof

BorobudurinIndonesia.

Ofthecountlessexamplesofarchitecturewewillbelookingatmonumentswhichhaveprovento

besuccessfulinallowingthevisitortoexperiencetheteachingsoftheBuddha.

ThemonumentatBorobudorinIndonesiaisespeciallysuccessfulasthearchitectureandsculpture

acttogethertoguidethevieweralongthepathoftheteachingsoftheBuddha.

In china, the Chan tradition emphasized a meditative connection with nature and focused on

awarenessof the moment. The teaceremonyevolved for thispurpose. The Japanese took the

tradition, Zen, in Japanese and refined it with expressions in painting poetry and especially

architecture. The architecture reflectsmanyaspects of theBuddha’s teaching inboth gross and

subtleways.

49

Thisgrass-coveredstupastandsonapilgrimagesiteinKatmanduinNepal.

ItwasconstructedjustbeforetheturnoftheCommonEra.

Thelowerpart,whatlookslikeadirtmound,isatypicalTherevandanstructure

symbolizing theBuddha’sburialmound. Itwasalso intended tobeused for

walkingmeditation.

Eachof the four cardinal directions ismarkedwith a small shrine, a feature

whichevolvedovertimeintomoreelaborategatewaysandarches.

ThewhitecrownontopofthemoundisaMahayanaadditionwhichstandsfor

theushnisha–theprotuberancealmostuniversallyseenonthetopofthehead

ofBuddhaimageswhichisintendedtobethemarkofanenlightenedbeing.

Thecrownisshapedwith13stepswhichsymbolizestagesofenlightenment.

50

HereweseetheearlystupaatSanchiinIndia.

OneofthefirstmonumentsbuiltbyKingAshoka,thekingwhoadopted

the Buddha’s teachings as guidelines for his kingdom, dates to the 3rd

centurybeforethecommonera.

Thismassivecentralstructureismadeofbrickandencasedinsandstone

–itwassubsequentlypolishedandpaintedred.

Therailingsandgatewayswereaddedseveralhundredyearslaterandare

madefromyellowish-graysandstone.

Thegatewaysfacethefourdirectionsandincludeawealthofsymbolic

carvingsabouttheBuddhaandhisteachings.

Thesymbolic imagesdonot includedepictionsof theBuddhahimself

since at that early date the builderswere still respecting theBuddha’s

admonition against creating images of himself thatmight become the

focusofworship.

51

ThisisanaerialviewofaTibetanstylestupalocatedinNepal.Itisone

ofthelocationsoccasionallyusedbytheDalaiLama.

This perspective shows how the stupa site is laid out to reflect the

compoundformsofacosmicdiagraminthestyleofTibetanmandalas.

The geometry of the cosmos is displayed through both the bounded

squareandtheboundlesscircle.

The‘burialmound’canstillbeseenatthecenterofthestructure,but

thecrowningprotuberance,calleda‘finial’,iselaboratedsignificantly

morethanonthemoundattheearlierSanchistupa,andtheentiresite

is richlyornamentedwithsymbolicreferences to theBuddhaandhis

teachings.

ThisstupaisdecoratedwithstringsofthetraditionalTibetanprayerflags

whichrunfromthetopofthefinialtothesurroundingwall.

52

Historically, the construction of stupas would be

offered by wealthy patrons to local temples as a

methodofaccumulatingmerit.

HereisonesuchThaistupafromthe17thcenturythat

sitsinatemplecomplexinBangkok.

Itsdesign follows thestylesetseveralhundredyears

earlierintheSukothaiperiod.

It also reflects the Thai aesthetic which shows a

preference for verticality and slender forms. The

dramaticfinialstandsatopthesymbolic‘mound.’

Thestyleofthefinialparallelslargeflamingushnishas

thatappearonThaiimagesoftheBuddhahimself.

This 14th century Sukhothai stupa stands

withinaThaitemplecomplexandillustrates

the slender verticality and emphasis

on repetitive paterns typical of the Thai

aesthetic.

The Sukhothai style of the 13th and 14th

centuryistheclassicalperiodofThaiart.

LaterThaiBuddhistartdrawsheavilyonthe

stylesdevelopedduringthisperiod.

53

Hereweseeafieldofstupas,builtinaccordance

with thewishesof thedonorswhofinanced their

construction.

Somestupas–asinthecentral,lightcoloredone,

are marked with symbolic gateways marking the

fourdirections.

The steps leading to the gateways are symbolic

only:theycan’tactuallybeusedphysicallyasthe

stupahasnointeriorspace.Thestepsareintended

torepresentthestepstoenlightenment.

Stupasliketheseareusedassitesforcontemplation

and places to practice walking meditation. The

symbolicimageryandinscriptionsincorporatedin

theirconstructionreflectavarietyofteachings.

Thisisabasreliefcarvinginthesideofatemple

wallinSukhothai,Thailand.

Sukhothai was the first capital city ofThailand

and was devastated during 14-15th century

Burmesewars.

Sukhothai images tend towards the vertical,

slender, graceful and they often suggest the

motionofdance.

Walking Buddhas are a specificallyThai image

–ThiswalkingBuddhaiscrownedherewithan

architecturalelementasanenhancement to the

ushnishaandareferencetotheumbrellaformsin

traditionalThaidance..

The slender – and notably unrealistic --

proportions of the body alongwith the smooth

surfacesandnoarticulationofmusclesorbones,

enhancetheoverallgraceofthefigure.

Asanobjectofcontemplation,thefiguredoesn’t

project the importance of any single feature,

but overall suggests the graceful flow of a

brushstroke

54

This bronze, votive stupa from Nalanda, India, was created in the 9th or 10th

century.

It stands only about 8 inches high and is an example of the way in which the

influenceofolderformscontinuetobecarriedforward.

Thehemisphericalstupaitselfrestsatopacircleoflotusleaves.

Thestupasupportsaplatformofthreelayers(reflectingthethreecharacteristicsof

experience)andtheeightdisksofthefinial(whichreferstheeightfoldpath)

The square, stepped base refers to the four directions and contains niches with

bodhisattvafigures.

Thefigureson the8 sidesof thebase representprinciple stages in the lifeof the

Buddha,fromhisbirth(ontheright)tohisvictoryoverthetemptationsofMara(on

theleft).

TheBuddhaplacedtotheleftofcenterissittinginthebhumisparshamudra,calling

theearthtowitnessatthemomentofhisawakening.

55

Ontheleftisanothersmall,table-sizeddevotionalobjectcarryingallthesymbolic

contentofthestupa.

ThisobjectisalsoThaiinoriginandismorestylizedinitspresentationoftheburial

mound.

Theflameat thetop,similar tothoseseenatoptheheadofThaiBuddhasandcan

refertoavarietyofconceptsincluding:thevoid,alotusortheflamethatextinguishes

attachmentsanddefilements.

OntherightisanotherstupawithinalargetemplecomplexatSukhothai.

Thejuxtapositionhereshowsthesourceoftheimageryforthedesktopstupasasit

comesfromthelarger,stylizedburialmounds.

ThislastoftheSukhothaiimagesisanexcellentexampleof

thestupaformwithaBuddhaimageintheforeground.

Notice the relationship between the two forms: the

structureofstupabehindtheBuddhaparallelsthatofthe

Buddhaintheforegroundfromthepointedushnishaatthe

toptothebroad,geometricbase–youcanalmostimagine

theBuddhaseatedwithinthemound.

The human figure here is stylized and not intended to

reflect the featuresofanyspecific individualbut is tobe

readasthepersonificationoftheBuddha’steachingsand

thepotentialforanyhumantobeawakened.

56

Thismulti-storiedpagodadatesfrom7thcenturyJapan.

Itispartofatemplecomplexandshowstheevolutionofthefinialportionofthe

earlierstupaswhichalsoparallelstheushnishaatopthesittingBuddhas.

Astupa–andinthiscaseapagoda–isasymbolicre-creationoftheBuddha’sburial

moundandso,traditionally, inthebaseofastupaorpagodaareincludedsome

symbolicrelicsoftheBuddha.

Here,thepagodaisintentionallydesignedsothattheskywillappearinthespaces

ofthestructure.Thearchitectureisessentiallydrawinginspace.

This is in accordwith the Japanese esthetic of contrasting formand voidwhich

appearsinmanyfacetsofJapaneseBuddhistart

57

An interior of a Japanese tea house demonstrates the

contrastingqualitiesofformandvoidinordertoprovide

a context for revealing the dharma. In themidst of the

traditional,ritualizedteaceremonythereisanopportunity

toexperienceseveralaspectsofthedharma.

At the entrance to the tea house itself is a half door

throughwhichonecanpassonlybykneelingorbending

inapostureofhumility.

Theinterioroftheteahouseisdesignedtocontaindistinct

spaceseachofwhichareintendedtofocusthemindon

aparticularaspectofthedharmaandinspireameditative

stateofawareness.

Materialsusedintheconstructionoftraditionalteahouses

arenaturalandretaintheirnaturally-occurringqualities.

Theoverallpreferenceinthelayoutisforasymmetry.

Theemptinessoftheteahouseinteriorcombinedwiththe

simple,naturalformsoftheconstructionweretohavea

significantimpactonwesternartistsinthe20thcentury.

Thisinteriorviewofateahouseshowsthetokonoma

section which contains a painting and a flower

arrangement. All are chosen by the tea master.

Attentionisdirectedtothetokonomaatvarioustimes

duringtheceremony.

Theobjectschosenforinclusioninthetokonomaare

carefullyselectedforcontemplation.

Thescrollmaycontainpoeticcontentformeditation;it

mayshowalandscapeortheremaybenohangingat

allandonlyasimpleflowerarrangement.

Thesimpleitemoritemsinanotherwiseemptyspace

again illustrates the Japanese theme of forms and

voids.

58

ThisisanexampleofaJapanesezengardentypicalofwhatwouldbeconstructedoutside

ateahouse.

Whatlookslikearandomdisplayisactuallycarefullycraftedtosuggestamicrocosmic

representationoftheentirecosmos.

Thegardencontainsnatural,irregularshapesandtextureswhichareintendedtoreflect

the natural forms andelements of the universe: form/void; high/low; all dualities are

collapsedintheperceptionofthedynamicrelationshipsamongalltheparts.

Therakingofthesmallstonesinthespacesbetweenthelargerrocksisdoneinpatterns

whichintentionallyimpacttheperceptionoftheviewer.Somehowwiththisdisciplined,

stylized process, the whole landscape looks like it ‘just happened’ – much like the

universeitself.

59

thisThaitempledatingfromthe18thcenturycontainsmanyoftheelementswhichdate

backalmosttwomillennia.

thetemplecomplex,whichisbuiltonafabricatedislandandissurroundedbywater,

displaysthefourgatewaysthatareweretraditionallyfoundsurroundingastupa.

thecrownofthetemple–acontinuedreferencetotheushnisha–isstillincorporated

inthearchitecturaldesignandisintendedtorefertothestepstoenlightenment.

Atthetopofeachroofgableisplacedanagaserpentwithanagabodyformingthe

edgeofeachroofgable,recollectingthenagawhoentwinedhimselfasaseatforthe

Buddhaandprotectedhimfromafloodwhilehewasmeditating.

templedesigns change significantly in the19th century leavingbehindmanyof the

traditional,architecturalreferencestothestupa.

60

hereisa19thcenturyThaitemplelocatedinBangkok.

Herethetempleisconstructedwithoutthefinialorstupa-likecrownsatthecenter,

although the naga design along the roof gables have become amore prominent

designelement.

the four directions are referenced with overlapping roofs rather than separate

gateways.

notice, too, the inclusionofChinese guardian liondogs standing at the gateways

61

Thisuniqueconstruction in Indonesia is, effectively, amanmademountain

whichwasbuiltinthe8thcenturyinordertoteachthedharmausingthetools

ofarchitecture.

Located at Borobudur, this colossal monument to the Buddha’s teachings

is meant to be experienced by following a path from the entry steps,

circumambulating the central stupa monument at the lower levels, and

eventuallyascendingtothesummit.

Sponsored and funded by the ruling upper class at the time, this huge

monumentleadsthevisitorupwardsthroughlevelscarvings.Theexperience

ofthelowerlevelcarvings,liketheconfusedlifeinsamsara,isacrowdedand

confusingplace.Movingupwardthroughlevels,thesculpturalenvironment

becomes increasinglycalm.As thevisitorclimbs through the9 tiersof the

constructionthereisamoreharmoniousrelationshipbetweentheformsand

voids.Thebusinessofthelowertiersturnstoquietspaceforcontemplation.

62

The path, with the focus

inward, towards the bas

reliefsculptureisintended

totakethevisitorthrough

theexperienceofsamsara

tonirvana.

onthewallsalongthepatharebasreliefcarvings like thisonewhichdepictsscenes

fromtheRamayana,amoralstoryoflifeinaccordwiththedharmawhichbeginswitha

normal,dailylife.

thescenesherearecrowded,busywiththehubbubofourdaytodaylivesandrepresent

theworldofsamsara–therealmsofexperiencecharacterizedbyceaselesswantingfor

thingstobebetter.

noteherethatthefiguresstandinavarietyofposturesandwithcomplexgesturesall

reflectingtheunfocusedenergyoftheunawakenedmind.

63

thisisaviewfromthebeginningofthesecondtier.

thislevelrepresentsscenesfromthelifeoftheBuddhathroughhisenlightenmentandup

tohisfirstsermon.

thisparticularimagerepresentstheBuddhabathingbeforehisfirstsermonassistedbythe

fiveasceticswithwhomhepracticedforsomeyearsbeforestrikingoutonhisowninafinal

efforttowardsenlightenment.

thestyleofthesculpturesherecomesdirectlyfromtheearlierguptaIndianstylewhichby

thistimehadcometosoutheastasia.

Asone follows thepathbeginning at the lowest level, one’s attention is directed towards the

centerofthemonumentbecausetheviewofthesurroundingcountrysideisobstructedbyawall

whichonlyoffersoccasionalopportunitiestolookoutthroughnarrowslitslikethese.

whenlookingat these‘windows’,one’seyeflickersbackandforthbetweenseeingtheslitsas

backgroundandasforegroundinthefashionofacontemporaryopticalillusion.

thisillusioniscreatedintentionallyinthearchitectureheretosuggesttherelationshipbetween

formandvoidwhichisacentralthemeintheMahayanatraditions.

architecturally,byallowingonlyglimpsesofthesurroundinglandscapethroughthewindowslits

frominsidethestructure,thelessonisthatonlyglimpsesofthetrutharevisiblefromthemind

statesofsamsara

64

arrivingatthetopofthestructure,onecomestoafieldofstupas.

eachofthesmallerstupashousesanimageofaBuddhawhichisvisible

throughthediamondshapedopeningsinthestupashell

proceedingalongthepath,circumambulatingthestupaswhilefacingthe

centralstupaenableglimpsesofthestatueswithinthestupasand,aftera

shorttime,thevisitorunderstands,orhasaflashofinsightastowhatis

containedwithin.Afteronlyseeingbitsandpiecesofthevariousimages,

themindputsthemtogethertoimaginethelookofthewholeimage.

Visitors often peek in through the openings to get a better view of the

sculptureswithin inorder to compare their imagined image to theone

inside.

In the foreground is one of the Buddha images which stands exposed

becausethesurroundingshellhasbeenremovedordestroyed

65

this is a closer view of an image like those

containedwithineachofthestupas.

onthebellshapedstructurebehind,it iseasyto

makeoutthediamondshapedopeningsthrough

whichthesculptureswithinbecomevisible.

turningoutwardatthetopofthestructureitisnowpossibletoseethesurroundinglandscape

vthechangeinperspectiveisdramatic.

insteadofbeingsurroundedbysymbolic representationsofspiritualdevelopment, theentire

surroundingworldbecomesopentodirectview,unmediatedbysymbolicrepresentations.

thisissimilartothewaythatthegoalofalleffortstowardsenlightenmentisthedirectperception

ofrealityunmediatedbythesymbolicrepresentationofthought.

inBorobudur,ascendingtheterraceshasledthepilgrim/visitoralongapathtowardsawakening

whichhasallbeenlaidoutinstone

theprogressionalongthispathwayhasbeendescribedasapsycho-physicalrepresentationof

thepilgrim’spath

66

THE ART OF ZEN

The aesthetic of Zen art in Japan grew out ofMahayana conceptions of emptiness and out of

MahayanaBuddhistpracticeitself.

WhatisknownasChanBuddhisminChinabeganaround500AD.Chan--andeventuallyZen--

carrywiththemformsofartthatuniquelyaddresstheflavorofMahayanadharmaunderstandings

aboutemptiness.

Astheseelementscametomixwiththetraditionsoftheprevailingculturetheycreatedtheirown

uniqueexpressionofthedharma.

The example ofmist in a landscape, partially hiding a mountain, points at the meditative

realizationofthevoid--themind--asthefieldoutofwhichallthingscomeandintowhichthey

alldisappear.

By the late 12th century -- in Japan -- all forms of artistic expression had come to incorporate

elements of the Zen esthetic: architecture, gardening, sculpture, painting, the tea ceremony,

potterycrafting,flowerarranging,martialarts--allsuchdisciplinesalsobecameopportunitiesfor

recollectingtheBuddha’sdharmaandforthepracticeofmeditation.

Andallcametobebuiltontheoftenparadoxicalqualityofdisciplinedspontaneity.

Asplashed-inkbrush-markonapieceofpaper,forexample,--whereinkdropsareliterallyflungat

thepaper--mightsubsequentlybeshapedintoalandscape,aflower,ortheBuddha....itsfinalform

dependingontheperceptionandintuitionoftheartistduringtheprocessofcreatingthework.

Particularlynoteworthyisthatthisaestheticalsomadethespecificsubjectmatteroftheartwork

--animageofaBuddha,perhaps;orapaththroughagarden--intotheintentionaldisplayofthe

materialsthemselvesthatmakeupthework--thisincontrasttothepracticesocommoninwestern

artofattemptingtocreatethe‘illusion’ofanotherreality.

Thephrase‘integritytomaterials’referstothispracticewherebythemediumoutofwhichthework

isfashionedbecomespartofthesubjectoftheworkitself.

ElementsoftheZenartisticaestheticarereflectedinliteraryworksaswell.

Inpoetry,forexample,Haikubecameanopportunityforrecollectingthedharma

Sittingsilently

Doingnothing,

Springcomes,

Andthegrassgrowsbyitself

writtenbythepoetOsho,thishaikureflectstheZenaestheticsetintheprecisionofaformalliterary

structurecharacterizedbythenotionthat“lessismore”.Thedepthofthesubjectmatterbeliesthe

extremesimplicityoftheexpression:theuniverseappearstous,unfoldingonitsown--byitself

--aswemakenoeffortonourownbehalf.

67

As with the haiku, other art forms aimed at what was not explicitly depicted -- the cosmic

emptinessoutofwhichallthingscomeandintowhichtheyallreturn.

ThesameaestheticsensibilitiesappearinZenpracticeitselfintheformoftheKoan.AKoanisan

assertionorquestionposedtothemeditatorthatcannotbeprocessedwithrational,intellectual

thinking.

Acommonlycitedexampleis“Whatisthesoundofonehandclapping”

Ponderingakoanleadstotheawarenessofthelimitationsofthemindandtoashiftinperspective

whichde-centerstheegoandallowsforinsight.

TheeventualexperienceofZenartcametobeunderstoodasauniquelyparticularevent,aformof

“dependentperception”whichincludesallofthefactorsthatarebroughttogetherinthecreation

oftheparticularexperience|ofauniqueviewer|ataspecifictime.

ThroughthevehicleofZenart,theartistattemptstoaddresstheveryheartofthenaturalprocess

itself--thatallthingsariseandpassaway.

Thegoalistodothiswithsuchprecisecontrolthatitemulatestheapparentlycarelessspontaneity

ofnature.

Thisisanartthatisverycomfortablewithparadox.

#######

68

The Buddhist Mahayana tradition known as Ch’an or Zen emerged in China

aroundthe6thcenturyofthecommonera.Theteachingstressedtheexperienceof

emptinessandembracedtheimpermanent,transitorynatureofallexperience.

Zen abandoned all academic-type speculations, shunned scripture and even

words themselves, trusting, instead,onattention toeverydayactivities topoint

theway.

thisimageoftheSecondZenPatriarchinReposecomesfrom10thcenturyChina.

ItistypicaloftheartthatgrewfromtheZenpracticeinChina.Theemphasison

theexperienceofemptinessandofnofixedexistenceforanythingledtoartthat

wasspontaneousandunplannedandwhichemerged–asitwere–outofthevoid

withoutbeingseparatedfromit.

Inthis imagethePatriarchrests inthemidstofotherwiseemptyspaceandthe

linescomposinghisbodyencloselargelyunarticulatedspace.

69

This isadetailofapainting that illustrates teachingzen through theuse

of a ‘koan’. Koans often come from stories about past achievements of

enlightenment.

PunchlineorquestioninaKoan–forexample,“Whatisthesoundofone

handclapping?”or“Howdoyoucatchafishwithagourd?”–isintended

toforcethemindoutofitsconventional,habitualthought-basedresponse-

patternsandleadittodirectexperienceofphenomena.

illustratingkoansbecamethepurposeofmanypaintings.

ThisimagecomesfromJapaninthelate14thcenturyandistitledCatching

aCatfishwithaGourd.

70

Thepaintingontheleftcomesfromlate17thcenturyChinaandistitledMouseandMelon.

Theteabowlontherightcomesfrom16thcenturyKorea.

HeretheaestheticoftheZenartscanbeseentocrossmedia.Inbothcreations,natural,

organicformiscoaxedintoshapewithapparentlyminimalplanningorconsciouseffort.

Thereisnoeffortatcreatingaprecision-craftedversionofsomepre-conceivedidea:but

theartisallowedtotakeorganicformduringtheprocessofcreation.

Theseimagesalsoservetoillustrateanatural,rough-hewn,asymmetricalqualitywhichdid

notappearintheaestheticvocabularyoftheWestuntilZenarrivedinthe20thcentury.

ThesubjectofMouseandMelonalsorecallsthestagesofgrowthanddecayinlife:and

melonsareformicetoo.

71

ThisimageofSixPersimmonsholdsasimilarpositioninZenartasdoestheMonaLisa

inthewesterntraditions.ThepaintingcomesfromChinainthelate13thcentury.The

artist’snamewasMuChi.

AniconinZenart,theworkishousedinaJapanesetempleandisbroughtoutand

displayedonlyonrareoccasions.

ThispaintingmodelsadefiningprincipleinZenpainting,“varietyinsameness”.

Itpointstotheinteractionofformandvoid,andinvitesustoexplorethedynamicsof

ourownperception.

72

The tea house presented an architectural expression

of theZen sensitivities to form and emptiness, and the

tea ceremonybecamea signal element ofZen esthetic

expression. Much of the artistic creations – pottery,

painting–thathavecometotypifyZenartworkgrewout

oftheteaceremony.

In the tea ceremony the relation of forms and voids is

highlighted through the use of space and time during

the ritual, and in the elements of the utensils, artwork,

landscapingandarchitectureinvolvedintheceremony.

During the ceremony the action and attention moves

and shifts among the various spaces of the tea house

intendingtoinspireasenseof“varietyinsameness”and

anaestheticof‘lessismore’:emptycanbefull.

Each surface and support has been formed out of

its material with an effort to restrain the tendency to

submergethequalitiesofthematerialsintheconceptual

design. So thematerials of wood, grass, paper are not

overworkedsotheyretaintheiroriginal,organicqualities

highlighting the variety of the constituent elements

composingtheform.

Anotherviewofaninteriorspaceinateahouseshowsthetokonomasectionwhereartisusedforcontemplation

A Tea ceremony involves slow, deliberatemovement and even periods of inactivity. Theintention is to encourage a deep meditativestate focused on the existential relationshipbetweenforms and void by referencing theinteraction between form and void in thephysicalspace

73

The design of the utensils that are used in a particular tea ceremony is an important part of the

presentationbeingofferedtotheparticipant.

Theteamasterchoosestheelementsfortheceremonycarefullyandpresents, forexample,thetea

bowlinamannerthatreflectsthenaturalqualitiesofemptiness.

The ceremony is intended to contrast freedomof actionwithin the prescribed ritual forms of the

ceremonyitself.

Thisparticularteabowlwascreatedinjapanattheendofthe16thcenturyandiswellknownenough

tohaveitsownname:itiscalledMine-no-momiji[pron:menaynomohmegee]meaning(Mountain

PeakMaple).This is not unusual:whenmany people experience awakening in the course of tea

ceremoniesconductedbyaparticularteamaster,amythologyarisesabouttheutensilsheorsheuses;

andtherearemanysimilarexamplesofparticularobjectshavingindividualnames.

ThispieceofPaintedShinoWareisnamedKoganItwascreatedinJapanattheendof16thcentury.

Notice that thecalligraphy--aswellas theshapeof thebowl– isallowed tomimic thekindof

organicdevelopmentthatoccursinthenaturalworld.

Thehandofthecraftsmancanbefeltkinestheticallyasoneimaginesthetouchofthepotter’sfingers

andastheeyetracesthebrushstrokeswhichexistascalligraphicgesturesandvisualreferencesto

plants.

74

In thisChan/Zenpaintingdetail lies the essenceof paradox inZen: the

brush strokes themselves are visible simply as brush strokes while they

createvisualreferencestomountainsandtrees.

Thenaturalqualityof theapplicationof inktopaper isnotdisguisedby

anyformofre-workingbutisleftasit iswhentheinkisbrushedonthe

paper.Theresultingscatterofbrushstrokesacrossthepapercreatesimages

ofmountainsandtreesbuttheyclearlyretaintheirnaturalorigininbrush

andink.

In terms of the content of the picture, both form and substance are

highlighted in the painting which recalls the Zen koan “Before Zen a

mountainisamountain,duringZenamountainisnotamountain,after

Zen amountain is amountain” referring to the spiritual transformation

that isnotseen in thephysical realmbut is, instead,a transformationof

perception.

75

ApathinaZengardenoffersoptionstothevisitor.Thereisnoonedirection

thevisitorisurgedtotake.

Thismetaphorical plan is to be amicrocosm of lifewhere there are often

crossroadsorchoicesalongourpathandeachchoicehasvariousanddifferent

possibilities.Butintheend,itisthesamegarden.

A planned zen garden is a place to be reminded of practice and to be

encouragedtoattendtoeverystep.Oftenthesteppingstonesareplacedat

anawkwarddistancefromeachotherinordertorequireaslow,concentrated

stepinordernottoleavethepath.

Gardens,liketeaceremonies,becameaninspirationforavarietyofzenarts.

AZengardenisdesignedtoencourageameditativestateandtoreflectthe

organically irregular patterns of nature rather than themore linear, regular

designsasistypicalofinformalEuropeangardens.

76

ThepaintingontheleftbytheJapaneseartistSesshu,isofthetypeoftenreferredtoas

a‘flungink’painting,becauseinkisinitially,literallyflungatthepaperuntilanimage

begins toappear fromtheemptypage.Thebrush is thenallowed tocoaxamore

representativeimageonthepagebyinterpretingthepatternthathasformedusing

onlysinglegestureswiththebrush–thereisnoreworkingofimageshere:theyare

inherently spontaneouslycreatedand recognized.Preparation forpaintingusually

involveslayingoutalltheartistsmaterialsandthenenteringameditativestatefrom

whichtheinkisflungandinterpreted.

Ontherightisadetailofdry-landscapegarden,Daisen-in,Kyoto.Thesmallareas

aroundateahouseareoftenplacesforthedrygarden.Withplacementoftherocks

accordingtoshapeandtexture,thegardensuggestsmountainsandwater.Thisisa

veryintimatespacebutitreferencesamoremajesticlandscapeaswell,referencing

boththerelationshipsbetweenpersonalandtheuniversal.

Scaleisimportantwithbothoftheseexampleswhicharepointingattherelationship

betweentheintimateandtheexpansive,theformandthevoid.

77

Representationof thevoidisparticularlysignificant inZen

painting.

Since it is understood to be the generating essence of all

things--theplaceoutofwhichthingscomeandintowhich

theyreturn--itsrepresentationisattheheartofallformsof

Zenart.

ThealmostgossamerinkstrokesonthissilkhangingbyLiang

K’aiareallthatconstitutethisportrayalofLiPo,apoetfrom

theSungDynastywhoseimageisemergingfromtheempty

ground.

LiPoisanhistoricalfigureintheZentraditionwhodreamed

hewasabutterflyandaboutwhomaquestionisoftenposed:

“IsLiPodreamingheisabutterflyorisabutterflydreaming

heisLiPo?”

Inthispaintingthebrushstrokegestures inspacecreatean

imageof thepoetatapointofbalancebetween formand

void.

HumorisalsoaprominentelementofZenpractice.

A comic sage is often used in Zen teaching stories,reminding thepractitionerof theselfeffacingnatureofthemostenlightenedbeings.

And seeinghumor in theworld is an everydaywaytore-frameeverydayexperience.This imagebyHanShan,fromthe1sthalfofthe14thcentury,celebratesKaoNingaatraditionalChineseComicSage.

78

This striking depiction of Drying Persimmons by

OtagakiRengetsuwasdonein1868.Thepoemwhich

heincorporatesasaprimarypartofthepaintingmakes

hiscalligraphyandthehaiku-likepoemitselfaprimary

partofthisvisualdisplay.Thepoemreads:

“Thelittlepersimmonsdryingoutside

Undertheeaves

ofmyhermitage-

Aretheyfreezingtonight

Inthewinterstorm?”

The persimmons in this painting recall that ‘icon’ of

Zenpainting,MuCh’i’sSixPersimmonswhichwesaw

earlier.

Zenspiritisoftenpresenteddirectlybymeansofapoempresentedascalligraphythat

appearsasanintegralpartofthebalancedvisualimage.

This 18th century painting by Hakuin [pron: HAH koo in] depicts BlindMen on a

Bridge,

Thepoemreads:

Inbothspiritualtraininganddealingwiththeworld.

Keepinmindablindmancrossingadangerousbridge.”

Theprecariousnessoflifeisrepresentedhereinbothliteraryandvisualmanners.

Despitethesubjectmatter,though,thepaintingaffectsaconcentratedcalming.

79

AprizedqualityofZenpaintingwasqualitybywhichimageswerecoaxedoutof

thevoidwhichisregardedasthe‘mother’ofallthings.

ThispaintingwasdonebyNitenaround1600andisentitledShrike.Theearly

Edoperiod(1563-1645)wasatimeoftherefinementoftheartsinJapan.

Ratherthancreatealiteralimageofthebird,theintentionistoevoketheenergy

ofthebird,it’s“ch’i”inthemidstofadelicate,visualatmosphere.

80

OntheleftisaviewofaJapaneseteagarden.Noticethestepping

stones do not have a linear arrangement or direction. In a tea

gardentheideaistoofferchoicesalongthepath.Thepathisnever

‘going’inanyparticulardirection.Inaddition,thestonesareplaced

far enough apart so as to slow a person down and encourage a

meditativestate.

Artistsfromthe20thcenturyintheUSandEuropewereinfluenced

by various forms of Buddhist art, especially those of Zen which

werecompatiblewiththeemergingminimalistaesthetic,andwhere

interest inTheVoid reflected the dawning realizations ofmodern

physics.

This 20th century woodblock print by the American Richard

DiebenkornwasdonewhilehewasinJapanandhighlightsthevoid

framedbyanasymmetricalplacementofvariousshapesthatrecall

thesteppingstonesinaZengarden.

81

ThisbrushpaintingbyTaoChi[pron:DAHohCHEE]fromaround1700istitled

PeachblossomSpring.ThisstyleofChinesealbumleafpaintingshowssuchfreeform

brushgesturesasthosewhichformtherocksandmountainandthetintedcolordots

whichseemtobreathetheenvironmentofthespace.

The image on the right is a detail of the image on the left and magnifies the

meditatorinthepavilionwhichistuckedintotherockinawaythatsuggeststhe

sharedessenceofthefigure,rock,sky,space.

InBuddhist teachingthisiscalled‘noself’, thenon-separationfromandadirect

integrationwithallofnature.alloftheuniverse.

The vertical rocks in the foreground might call to mind a group ofrobed

figuresheadingtowardthepavilion.Rocks,monks;monks,rocks.

82

Bothofthesepaintingsareexamplesofwhatissometimesreferredtoasthe‘flungink’

styleofZenpainting.

Toprepareforcreatingsuchaworktheartistsitsinmeditationwithallmaterialsatthe

readybeforefinallytakingbrushandinkandflingingdropsontothepaper.Astheink

landsonthepaper,theartistlookstoseeformsthatarereadytobebroughtoutofthe

voidandthen,brisklycompletestheimage.

Theexampleon the left titledClearMorning inaMountainVillage, isbyYuChien

aChinesepainterofthemid13thcentury.TheLandscapeontherightisbyMurata

Shuko,alate15thcenturyJapaneseartist.

Inthepaintingontheleftyoucanseefiguresbentoverwithstaffswalkinginthemist

towardthesheltersinthemountains.Ontherighttheoutcroppingintheforeground

isseparatedbythemistfromthemountainsinthedistance.Mistisusedoftenlikethis

tosuggestthehiddenaspectsofadeludedmind,ortheideathatjustbecauseyoudo

notseeeverything,itdoesnotmeanitisnotthere.

Ifonewaitslongenoughthemistclearsandmorecanbeseen.

83

This extraordinary 13th century painting on silk

portrays The Sixth Zen Patriarch tearing up the

sutras,therecordingsoftheBuddha’steachings.

Noticehowthestaccato-likebrushstrokesconvey

theurgencyoftheaction.

ThesubjectdepictstheessentialZenteachingthat

themeaningofZenliesoutsidethescripturesand

thatstudyandintellectualexercisearenotpathsto

enlightenment.

For Zen practice, the path is the way of direct

experience.

Thisimageofakingfisheronadryreedisanother

example of a ‘flung ink’ painting. It consists of

minimalgestureandcalligraphywhichinvitesthe

viewertointuitthe‘essence’ofthebirdwithout

thedistractionsoftoomuchdetail.

This style makes ‘emptiness’, the void, the

pervadinggroundofthepainting.

84

Just enough and not toomuch -- this painting is a

Wagtain,auniquelyasianbird,onaLotusLeaf.

Paintings like these are done quickly as the artist

emergesfromastateofdeepconcentration.

Typically, the artist is not starting out with the

intentiontopaintabirdoranyotherspecificlikeness,

but develops ‘life breath, spirit essence of the ink,

paper, form,voidandbirdnesswhichappearoutof

theprocess.

Theemphasisisonprocess,notproduct;theproduct

istheoutcomeoftheprocess.

This image by Sesshu, a revered Japanese

painter from around 1500, is one of a set

portrayingthefourseasons.

thepresentimageisWinter.

The balance between the bird form and the

pine cone above subtly points up the space

between:thevoiditself.

The essence of the bird and its feathers is

created by the apparent wet brush strokes,

Brushstrokes and bird are the manifestation

of the same painted gesture.This is a good

exampleofZenpainting.

85

Another‘flungink’image,paintedbyChu

Ta[pron:chewdah],aneccentricChinese

Buddhistmonkofthe17thcentury,shows

the spontaneity and playfulness of birds

whoarecaughtas if justfluffingupafter

arainstorm.

This early 20th century painting by Nakahara Nantembo

is titled “Wall Gazing Daruma [propn: dah ROOM ah]”.

‘Daruma’ is a Japaneseword referring broadly to sitting in

a transcendentmeditative state inspiredby the teachingsof

Bodhidharma.

Renderedinsumiinkonpaper,itoutlinesamonksittingin

meditation.

Thepoemreads:

TheformofourGrandPatriarch

Facingthewall--

Orisitamelonoraneggplant

FromaroundYahataorYamashiro?

86

Jiun [JI un]Onko is the artistwho painted thisDaruma around 1800.The

darumasitsinatranscendentmeditativestateinspiredbytheteachingsofthe

Bodhidharma.Traditionaltypeofpaintingsofthistypetakemanyforms.

ThisparticularDarumahasbeendescribedas‘radiatingwisdomandwarmth,’

and if one takes time with it the forms and voids alternate places as if

breathing.

ThePoemreads

.Takeagoodlookanddiscover

Thatone’struenature

Isaninexhaustibletreasure

Transmittedfromgenerationv

Togeneration.

87

Thecircle,executedwithaninkedbrushisaclassicformofZenart.

Executedinasinglestrokeonthinpaperorsilk,oftenaccompaniedbycalligraphic

renderingofapoem, these imagesare thepureexpressionof themoment:going

backandretouchingwoulddestroytheimage.

TheexampleontheleftbyNakaharaNantembowasdonein1923;theoneonthe

right,byToreiEnji,doneinthe18thcenturyistitledZenCircleofEnlightenment.

Thepoemonthelefthandpaintingreads:“WithinthespinningCircleoflifeWe

areborn;Thehumanheart,too,Shouldbekeptroundandcomplete.”

Thepoemwithinthecircleintheimageontherightisanexclamationattributedto

theBuddha;“Inheavenandonearth,IaloneamtheHonoredone!”

from the Japanese ext “Brushstrokes of Enlightenment” comes the following

description.”AZencirclereflectsthattransformingexperience--perfectlyemptyyet

completelyfull,infinite,shiningbrightlylikethemoon-mindofenlightenment.”

Thepaintingisanenlightenmentexperience:suddenlyallinnerdoubtsareresolved

andeverythingisseenjustasitreallyis.

88

89

MODERNDHARMAART

The teachings of the Buddha began arriving in NorthAmerica early in the 20th century.

Increasedcontactwiththerestoftheworldbroughttravelersandbusinesspeoplebackto

Europe andNorthAmerica fromSoutheastAsia,China, and Japanbringingwith themall

formsofculturalartifacts, includingartwork,architectural inspiration,andaphilosophyof

livingwhichhadadeepaffectondancers,musicians,artistsandscholars.

Designesthetics from Japanfirstbeganappearing in thewest in the formof teacupsand

otherutensilsused inZen teaceremonies.Asian sensibilitiesalsobeganappearing in the

architectural works of Frank LloydWright and Japanese woodblock prints had a strong

influenceontheImpressionistpainters.

Increasedcommerceandculturalcontactwiththeeastincreasedthespreadofthedharma

inthewest,clothedatfirstinartisticsensibilitiesthatincludedpainting,literatureandmusic.

PerformanceartistslikecomposerJohnCage,dancechoreographerslikeMerceCunningham

alongwith suchpopular groups as theBeatleswereheavily influencedby the spirituality

and esthetic understandings of the east: there were poets -- Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac,

AlanGinsberg... visual artists such asAd Reinhardt, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Robert

MotherwellandJasperJohns...scholarssuchasD.T.SuzukiandRobertThurmanjoinedmore

popularwriterslikeAlanWatts...allweretranslatingtheBuddha’sinsightintotheconventions

oftheirowndisciplines,thelanguageoftheirownwork.

Historically,culturalcontactandinteractionhadoccurredprimarilythroughsoldiersreturning

fromwar; in thesecondhalfof the20thcenturycontactcame–significantly– throughthe

leadersinthepeacemovementwhobroughtthedharmaandrelatedartsfromAsia.

JackKornfieldandGarySnyderstandasprimeexamplesofpeoplewhodovedeeply into

differentdharmatraditionsindifferentpartsofAsiaandbroughtbackverydifferentformsof

dharma.

Visualartistsweremostattractedtotherepresentationof‘emptiness’intheZeninkpaintings,

andtherewasmuchexperimentationandanexpandedfreedominregardtosubjectmatter:

astatementbyD.T.Suzukibecamealmostamantraformanyartists:onethingisnomore

importantthananyotherasameanstoenlightenment.Thisinjunctionwastakenaspermission

tomakeanysubjectmatterthefocusofformalpainting,andasaresult,almostanythingcould

–anddid–becomethesubjectofwesternartinthesecondhalfofthe20thcentury.

Few visual artists at first directly incorporated images of a Buddha sitting in meditation.

Instead, artistswanted to present the dharma as directly as possible.And evenmore: the

creationofartworkitselfcametoberegardedasdharmapractice–painterPhillipGuston

said:“Whenyoubeginworkinyourstudioeveryoneisthere,yourteachers,yourfriends,your

parents.Onebyoneasyouworktheyallleave..whenyou’relucky‘you’do.”

91

ThisisanimageoftheBuddhafromHenriMatisse.Itreflectsthenatureoftheinterestinthe

Buddhathatwascommonatthebeginningofthelastcentury.

This visionof theBuddha is strikinglydifferent from theolder, classical images -- classical

imageswhichreflectedtheaestheticofthedifferent,earliercultures.

Throughreadinglists,documentedconversationsaswellasfromlettersanddiaries,wecan

traceadevelopinginterestinAsiancultureaswellasinAsianspiritualformsamongwestern

artistsintheearly20thcentury.

As western impressionist painters increasingly came into contact with Asian art forms -

- specifically those from Japan, China and India -- western artists who are not normally

recognizedasdharmaartistswerebecomingincreasinglyimmersedineasternartistic,spiritual

andculturalforms.

Alongwithlearningabouttheartisticforms,theseartistsalsobecameawareofthephilosophical

elements of the teachings of theBuddha.VanGogh is especially known to have read and

discussedideasfromJapaneseBuddhisttraditions.

Matisse’spaintingvisuallyillustrateshowthedharma--andtheartisticcontentthatcomealong

withit--takesontheculturaltrappingsofsocietiesintowhichtheymigratebydisplayingthe

effortofawesternartisttovisualizeaBuddhafromwithinthewesternartistictradition.

93

Thisisapiecebythe20thcenturyartistRichardDiebenkornwhichcomesfromhisOcean

Parkseriesofpaintingsandprints.Thatparticularseriesdealtwiththerelationshipsbetween

formandvoid.

ExploringtherelationshipsbetweenformandvoidisaprinciplefocusofChanandZenart,

andaswesternartistsincreasinglycameintocontactwitheasternculturesintheearly20th

century,theydiscoveredandfoundthistobeacompellingsubjectfortheirownwork.

Theasymmetrical compositionhere, and the randomshapes, remindusof the influence

ofelementsofsucheasternartformsastheZenteaceremony,rakupotteryandflungink

paintings.

AsintheAsianandBuddhistworldview,thevoidhereisnotthe‘negativespace’oftraditional

westernart--wherethefocalobjectiswhatisofprimaryimportance.Instead.‘space’isthe

pregnantemptinessoutofwhichallthingscomeandintowhichtheyallevaporate.

This piece explores empty space as a dynamic space and -- addressing the relationship

between that space and the forms that appearwithin it -- it resonates stronglywith the

dharmaaestheticofZenBuddhism.

94

AdReinhartwasoneofagroupofartistsworkinginthe1950sand60swhichincludedJohn

CageandtheNewYorkschoolofAbstractExpressionistsandMinimalists.

JohnCage,thecomposerwhostudiedwithZenMasterandauthorD.T.Suzuki,introducedthe

visualartistsinhiscircletoconceptsfromtheZentradition.

ThisworkisoneofaseriesthatReinhartcreatedthatiscomposedofsquaresofthesamecolor

pigment,colorthatispresentedinvarioussubtletonesandshades.

The artist,who painted themomentously controversialwork “black on black” described his

artisticintention:theviewershouldstopand,contemplatively,takeinthecompletespacewhich

thepaintingfills.Hewanted,hesaid,tobringameditativeexperiencetotheperceptionofa

workofart.

Standingbeforeapaintingsuchasthis,theviewerwashopefullygoingtohaveanexperience

akintomeditation–silent,contemplativeperusalofthecontentofthevisualfieldwithinthe

painting’sframe.

TheBuddhaoncedescribedthequalityoftheawarenesshewasattemptingtocultivateas:“in

theseeing,onlytheseeing”.

Accordingtotheartist,thiswasthephilosophybehindhispaintinginthisgenre–thecontentis

availablesimplyfortheseeing.

95

ThisglassimagecombinesreferencetotheZencircleandamandala.Thiscombinationof

referencesfromtheZenandTibetantraditionswascommonamongartistswhousedforms

oftheartaloneorincombinationtopointtoaninsight.Mostartistsdidnotseeboundaries

inthetraditionsbutallpointingtothesamemessage..onedharma.Theuseoftranslucent

glassasamediumsuggeststhepossibilityforinsight.

A western-trained eye might not immediately notice the reference to the classical,

calligraphicZencircleorthebroadsilhouetteofaTibetanmandala,butAmericanartist

ChrisWilmarthintendedbothinthisglassimage.

InNorthAmericatodaydharmapractitionersarefindingthemselvesexposedtoteachings

fromallthreeoftheprincipleBuddhisttraditionsastheycultivatetheirmeditationpractices.

Often,individualmeditatorsincorporateandcombinespecificdharmapracticesfrommore

thanonetraditionintheirpersonal,individualpractice.

ArtistsinterestedintheDharmaalsohavefoundthemselvesincludingreferencesandeven

specificelementsfromallthreedifferentBuddhisttraditionswithinasinglework.

Theuseoftranslucentglassforthisworkalsofunctions--liketheuseofmistinaJapanese

landscape -- topoint to theemptyvoid, themindwhich shines through thearisingand

passingpresentphenomena.

96

ThisadrawingisbyAllenGinsberg,beatpoetanddharma

teacherofthemid-20thcentury.

HeportraystheBuddhasittingonalotusseataboveaskull

whichisholdingaflowerinitsmouth.

The overall image is reminiscent of theTibetan paintings

calledthangkas,withtheBuddhasittingonalotusthronein

themiddleofthepainting,surroundedbyiconicimagesof

allkinds,includingskulls,flowers,stars,andsoon.

again,thegeneralthemeisinterpretedinthevisuallanguage

of themid20thcenturybeatculture,anartisticmilieux in

which many artists were exploring various Buddhist and

dharmaphilosophy.

Notably,thisdrawingisnotanattempttoproduce‘fineart’

inthesensethatthetermhasmeantinthepast.itisnotfor

theglorificationof theartist, for theexplorationofartistic

styleorforadisplayofartistictechnique.

Itisasimple,spontaneousdepictionofanimageofspiritual

importancetotheartist:muchlikeazencalligraphiccircle

mighthavebeen.

Another example that displays the “Beat” culture’s

interestinBuddhistteachings,isthispaintingbyJack

Kerouac which reflects his particular attraction to

MahayanaandTibetantraditions.

LetterswrittentoGarySnyderwhileSnyderwasliving

inaZenmonastery in Japan revealKerouac’sdeep

andseriousknowledgeofvariousformsofBuddhism

andhisearnestinterestinpersonaldharmapractice.

Interestingly, in these letters to Snyder, Kerouac

indicatedthathispreferencefortheTibetantraditions

came from theway they remindedhimofhisown

Catholic upbringing. The figure in the lower right

handcornerisatleastambiguousinitsecumenical

reference.

Thisimageisadistinctlywestern,ifnotspescifically

American,renditionoftheBuddha.

97

inZenpainting,calligraphyispracticedasaspontaneousexpressionofthe

painter’smeditativestate.

Thebrushgestureismadeaftercontemplationandmeditationonthepoem

–inthiscasethepoem,byWallaceStevens,isinthecolumnontheleft.

Madeasasinglegesture,itisneverreworked.Itiscultivatedmuchinthe

samewayasaretheasian‘flungink’paintingsofthe13thand14thcentury

Zentraditions.

ThispaintingbyAmericanpainterRobertMotherwellisintendedtodisplay

hisspontaneouscalligraphicresponsetothepoemontheleft.

MotherwellwasinvolvedinZenstudybothasascholarandasapractitioner

himselfandhedrewuponmanyAsiansourcesforinspirationinhisartwork

aswell.

98

PhillipGustonwas an artist of themid-20th centurywho intentionally explored the

implicationsofD.T.Suzuki’sstatement“onethingisnomoreimportantthananyother

asameansforenlightenment.”

That statement which was an often-repeated mantra of ‘pop art’ painters, inspired

Gustonwhowantedtodisplaysimpleobjectsinthehopethataviewerwouldreceive

them as an inspiration for awakening simply to what is before their eyes: nothing

complex,nothingselfconscious,

Hisearlyworkwasabstractexpressionistinnature,displayingfieldsofcolorwithout

representationalcontent.Whenhechangedhisstyletopresentworksinthisgenre,it

wastremendouslycontroversial.

Theartist,however,ignoredcommentsthat“you’llneversellthose”becausehewas

expresslyproducingwhathethoughtwasdharmainstruction,adisplayoftheBuddha’s

teachingsintheworkofawesternpainting:awakeningcomeswithdirectperceptionof

thecommon,everydayobjectsthatfillourlives.

99

RobertRauchenbergwaspartoftheNewYorkartscenethatincludedJohnCageandJasper

Johns in the1950’s and60’s. In thispaintingRauchenberg includes text in thepainting

muchthewaycalligraphicpoetryisoftenintegratedintotheJapanesebrushpaintings.

Inthiscase,however,thephrasesdonotdirectlyillustratetheprimaryvisualimagetheway

thewouldhaveintheJapanesetraditions.Here,thewordsandphrasesarealmostrandomly

assembledintheoverallcollage.“Thereisnopoorsubject”forpainting,Rauschenberghas

said.

Theintentionhereistopushviewerstoconstructapersonalmeaningsetforthepainting

themselves.

Rauschenbergoncesaid:youcanneverremembermypaintingsbecausewhenyoureturn

toviewthemyouwillbedifferentandeventhepaintingwillbedifferentandsotheentire

experiencewillhavechanged.

Hehastalkedabouthisworkintheenigmaticlanguagethatisoftenassociatedwiththe

Zentraditions:hisworks,hesaid,are“Dealingwiththesuspense,excitementandbodyof

anorganicsilence;therestrictionandfreedomofabsence;theplasticfullnessofnothing;

thepointacirclebeginsandends....[and]itiscompletelyirrelevantthatIammakingthem.

“Today”istheircreator.”

100

ThisisanotherRauschenbergpieceinwhich

he uses objects from different times and

places: there’s a Greek or Egyptian figure

superimposedonapainteddrapeandflanked

by images of vintage automobiles which

collectively evokes and addresses ideas of

history,memoryandperception.

multiple associations here appear almost as

a visual koan -- traces, residue appearing

and disappearing -- in and out of the void,

representedby emptiness of the surrounding

space.

These collages share the intent of the

“Happenings” whichwere conceived in the

1950’s at Black Mountain College in North

Carolina. Rauschenberg was in the circle of

John Cage,Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns

and many artists who were involved in the

studyandpracticeofZen.

The “Happenings” were spontaneous

performances ( also done by the ‘Beats’in

SanFranciscoatthesametime).Theintention

camefromtheZennotionof ‘directpointing’

and impermanence. The subject matter

was random, presentedwith the idea that in

contemplationofanyone,oranycombination

of objects or experience, there would be a

potentialforinsighttoarise.

101

In 1974, Robert Rauschenberg created this direct reference to the form of the

Japanesekimono–thisishowakimonolookswhilehangingonabamboopole.

Theprocessherewhich--likethefiringofrakupottery--leavesmuchofthefinal

workproductoutofcontroloftheartist.

Inthiscase,heusedmultiple,handmadesilkscreensonwetpaperandlaminated

themallwithwettissuepaperenablingpaintsandinkstoslightlyblurandrun.

“justlettingthingshappen”inthiswayistheresultoftheinfluenceofZenphilosophy

andpracticeontheartist:thematerialsareallarranged,theprocessissetinmotion,

andthenaturalvariablesplayoutasthecompletedwork.

102

Thesetwomulti-medialeadprintsweredonebyJasperJohns,whowashangingoutinNew

YorkwithJohnCagewhileCagewasstudyingwithD.T.Suzuki.Johnswasattractedtothe

humorintheZentraditionandwasintriguedwiththeideaofartaskoan.

WithSuzuki’saphorismasabackground--Noonethingismoreimportantthananyother

asameanstoenlightenment!--Johnsfeltlicensedtouseanyobjectinaparadoxicalcontext

tocreateakoanwhichwasintendedasastimulustoawakening.

Theobjectshereareplacedinthecenterofthespace,formingasymmetricalmandalasin

which the centralobjectsoccupying thecenterof theworkshavebecomeahumorous

parodyofobjectsusuallyaccordedplacementinthesacredcenterofamandala.

Theplacementofthebroominthecenterofthepainting

identifiesitasanobjectofcentralimportance.Yetthe

objectitselfisawell-usedbroomandthere’seventhe

suggestionthatitissweeping,amundaneactivityfora

mundaneobject

themeaningofthewordsthatareincluded–evenwhat

wordstheyare–issomethingtheviewer’smindmay

makeanefforttoconstruct.Thewordsarepurposefully

ambiguousbecausetheviewercanthenexperiencein

hisorherownmind theeffort toconstructmeaning

outofwhatitperceives.

The image, as presented, is non-logical and not

narrative based. It is offered by the artist as an art-

koan.

103

AnotherJasperJohnsprint,thisisoneofaseriesonthefourseasons.Theseriesitself

was inspiredby thecountless treatmentsof the subject in JapaneseandChinese

art.

Thiswholeprintiscomposedofrandomreferences:

Amongthem,ontherightsideareseveraliterationsofthefamiliaropticalillusion

ofthegobletthatvisuallyalternatesbetweenitselfandtheprofilesoftwofacesthat

formitsoutline.

Includingtheseelementsandtheunstablerelationshipbetweenthem–inthiscase,

goblet-faces, faces-goblet,betweenanobjectand its surroundings --enables the

artisttoexplicitlypointattheinter-dependenceofallphenomena.

Itisalsoarepudiationofthenormalwesternperceptionofthespacesurroundinga

primaryobjectasnegativespace,as‘background.’

Instead,intheprintitself,spaceisjustspace

104

This lastpieceby Jasper Johns is acontemporarymandalawithmulti-dimensional

meaning,muchofithavingtodowiththeconstituentsofunity.Itisaprimeexample

ofthemeldingofmeditationandhumor.

When itwasoriginally presented, thedharmacontent of theprintwas lost in the

philosophicalcontroversysurroundingthePOPmovementanditwasinterpretedas

materialistandpoliticalinnature.

artwasdesignatedPOPbecauseitwasseenasbeingderivedfrompopularculture–

nottheBuddha’sdharma–andwasseenascommentingonthecultureofadvertising

andconsumerism.

for the artists, the reason for usingpopular objectswasnot an attempt tomake a

critiqueoffAmericanculturebutwas,rather,tofocusattentiononeverydayobjectsof

experienceforthepurposeofawakeningtotheirtruenature.

105

EscobarMarison,whosaysthattheAsianworldviewhasbeenaprimaryelementinherwork,crafted

this1970castacrylicpiecetitled“Fishing.”Thisisaphotographofathreedimensionalpiecewhich

issometimesdisplayedhangingfreelyandsometimesmountedonawall.Theworkisaboutafoot

andahalfacross.

Accordingtotheartist,itisintendedtofunctionasakoanandcannotberegardedthroughtraditional

conceptualtools.Anyinterpretationormeaningforthework—whichwasintentionallycreatedto

shockorsurprisetheviewer--isgoingtohaveauniquemeaningforeveryviewer.

Thematerialsusedwereintentionallychosentoimmediatelyattracttheviewerbythequalityofthe

translucentformwhicharrestsattentionbeforetheactualcontentofthepieceisevenrecognized.

Thenthequestions:isthisafishbeingbornorisitonebeingeaten?whythehumanfaceonthefish?

orisitafishbodyonahumanface?whatspeciesofthingISthis?

fortheartist,anyanswerstothesequestionsareonesthatariseinthemindoftheviewer.

ArtistWilliamWileycreatedthisimagewhichhelabeled“Mr.Un-

natural.”Itisapenandinkdrawingofanemptypersonagainst

a background that is reminiscent of some of the Chinese ink

paintingsofmountainsorrocks.

Thisparticularimageisoneofaseries:thisonepresentsacolumn

ofwordsalongtheleftmarginallbeginningwiththeletter‘P’--

Mr.Un-naturalhimselfisempty,ano-bodywhoseactualformis

outlinedordefinedbythesurroundingsubstance.

Theartistisintentionallyteasingtheviewer:mrun-naturalappears

tobeformedofwhatwouldtraditionallyberegardedasnegative

space. thewordsalongthesideincludethephrase“universeO

teaserunintoMr.Nobodyagain.”

flippingbetweenbackground/foreground,emptyspace/filledspace,theartistispresentingachallenge

thatisconceptualaswellasvisual:isthereanysubstancetomrun-natural?

Inanotherofhisworkshewrites,”Formisvoid,voidisform,formisvoid,but,whenallissaidand

doneNormisreallyLloyd.”

106

This 1975 piece by James Rosenquist is titledWind and Lightening. a viewer might legitimately

wonder:whatwind?where’sthelightning?

thecontentof this imageis intendedtobecomposedofscombinationofreferencesthataretobe

orderedbyeachviewerinhisorherownmanner.Thisisnotatraditionalapproachtoaworkofartand

manycriticsrespondedfromanalternatemindset.

Rosenquistrespondedwithacharacteristicabruptness:“Iwantedthespacetobemoreimportantthan

the imagery. Iwantedtouwseimagesas tools.But iot justdidn’thappenbecause thedumbcritics

said“oh,look,Icanrecognizethat,that’sacar,that’sahotdog,that’spopular.’Myworkdidn’thave

anythingtodowithpopularimageslikechewinggum.”

Thisisdefinitelynotthemindsetoftheonewhopaintedthemonalisa

afirstimpressionofthisworkmightleaveonewonderinghowitmight

possiblyberelatedtotheteachingsoftheBuddha.

early stages of dharma art in the 20th century didn’t include direct

references to the Buddha because the artists were uneasy presenting

explicit visual references. “you can’t talk about Buddhism,” went the

phrase thatwas shared among them “youhave toDO it.”These artist

wereexplicitlypointing theviewerdirectlyatexperience itselfas they

hadreadinthezentextsthatformedthebasisoftheirdharmalearning.

ClausOldenberg’ s “ice bag’ stands about four feet high – along the

pedestal is written “ice bag – 4 foot”... it wasn’t a Buddha sitting in

meditation,butitwouldhavetodo.

bypresentingtheicebaginalargerthanlifeformat,theartistchallengesthestandardviewofordinary

objectsthatweexperienceinoureverydaylives.

Oldenbergwas part of theNewYork scene that included JohnCage and the collection of abstract

impressionistpainterswhowerestudyingthesomewhatenigmaticzenworksofD.T.Suzuki,

Oldenberg’sintentionwastopointtheviewerdirectlyattheobjectasazenkoanmightaimdirectlyat

one’smind,leavingthequestionopen:whatistheartistgettingat?

Intheinterveningyears,thisideahasbecomeincorporatedintopopularcultureintheformoflarger

thanlifedesktoolslikepaperclips,staplers,etc.aswellasotherordinaryobjects.

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This ceramicTrophy All American was crafted by Robert Arneson in 1964. Arneson taught

ceramicsattheUniversityoffCaliforniainDavisandhespentmuchofhisclassroomeffortat

disruptinganypre-conceivednotionsaboutceramicartthathisstudentsmighthavebroughtwith

them.

ThispieceincludeselementsthatmergeselementsoftheJapaneserakupotteryandAmerican

content:theallAmericantrophy.

this isnot apristine trophy, it is createdoutof randomevents thatoccurduring thecrafting

process.Arnesonoftenassignedstudentsthetaskofcreatinga‘perfect’ceramicpieceswhichhe

wouldthenhavethemmutatethroughtearing,slappingandeventhrowingthepiecearoundin

ordertobringrandomnessandformtogetherinthefinishedwork.

inceramics,thecenteringofapieceonapotter’swheelisaprinciplethemeoftheart.Arneson

explicitlyintendedtode-centerhisworkasametaphorforde-centeringtheego,theselfwhich

–intheteachingoftheBuddha–isnotatallwhatonethinksitis...

criticsoftenreferredto thiskindofartas ‘funk’–a termthatevolvedoutof theBeatculture

thatwasappliedtojazzandimprovisationgenerallyandwasusedtodescribethewestcoast

expressionofdharmaartwhichwasmorevisceral,moretactilethanthemorecerebraleastcoast

‘pop’art.

thenotionsof‘pop’and‘funk’equallymissedthemarkasfarastheartistswereconcerned.

thisworkofArneson’sbringsAmericansensibilitiestothecraftofzenpotterywithahumorous

anddistinctlywesternresult.

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TheworksofWayneTheibaudhavebeenlabeledPOPartbycritics

wholaterdecidedthathisworkdidn’tfitthenotionsofwhatPOPart

was.Thesubjectoftheobjectsofhispaintingshasnothingtodowith

toys,balls,bags,cakes,pies.Thesubjectisperception.

In a subtlemanner thework shifts the viewers perception: space

is at the same time flat and two dimensional, and offers a three

dimensional illusion.Theibaud’s use of everyday objects offers up

thekoanwhichwascurrencyamonghisNewYorkcontemporaries,

JohnsandRauschenbergand theirgroup -- “One thing isnomore

importantthananyotherasameansforenlightenment.”

The texture of the paint and the colorsTheibaud uses activate the

viewerssensesofsightandeventaste.Manyviewers,whileviewing

thesepaintingswhere thepaint is layeredon like frosting,say they

salivate. This ‘lusciousness factor’ invites theviewer toponder the

stimulationofthesensesandconditioning

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JohnBaldessari,alongwithanumberofartistsinthe1970sand80s,begandrawing

for inspiration on the creation and subsequent ritual destruction of Tibetan sand

paintings and began themselves creating performance art and events which were

simplytobe“happenings.”

Theseeventsorperformanceswereoftenphotographed(indeferencetotheresidual

desiresforSOMEpermanence).Thesepicturesrepresentaneventwhichwasentitled

“ThrowingballsintotheAirtoGetaStraightLine”(best4of36tries)

Inaninterviewin1990,theartistdescribedtheconnectionofhisworktothedharma:

Hesaid,“IsupposeIfirstcameintorealcontactwithAsianideasthroughthegeneral

disseminationbytheBeatmovementinCaliforniaespeciallyinSanFranciscothrough

AlanWatts.IstillkeepacopyofWatts’“TheWisdomofInsecurity”.IreadSuzuki,

andZenandtheArtofArcheryearly.[youcouldseetheinfluenceofthosethoughts]

inmyearlywork,andit’sstillthere[today].

“JohnCage’suseofZenwasaprettystronginfluence......thereisasenseofeconomy,

thesortof‘lessismore’idea.AlsothepenchantforparadoxwhichIseemedtoidentify

with.The idea of non-linear thinking, global thinking of being able tomakewhat

would be identified by theWesternmind as non-logical connections.And as you

knowallofthisisstillveryprevalentinmywork.”

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Karma Phuntsok is anAustralian artistwho renders the

DalaiLama’s teachingthatwelearnourmost important

lessons about compassion from our greatest enemies.

And,shesays–echoingtheBuddha’sdharma--weloose

themostwhenwelooseourcompassion.

ThispaintingdrawsattentiontoaMahayanaprinciplethat

thereisauniversalBuddhanature,somethingweall,have

inequalmeasure--evenMaoZedong.

Phuntsok employs the skills of the traditional Tibetan

artistswhopaintthewidelyrecognizedThankapaintings.

ThosepaintersarecalledLharipa,meaning“drawerofthe

gods”andtothoseskillssheaddsthesensibilitiesofthe

modernartist–ifyouremovedtheimageoftheBuddha

from this portrait, it would be reminiscent of an Andy

Warhol painting.But sheuses theflat, even colors and

theluminousshadingtypicaloftheThankastocreatethe

elementsinthisimage.

Thisinstallation--LeonHerdtLagoon--byPatriciaJohansonislocatedinDallas,Texasandinthe

traditionsof the Japaneseaesthetic, incorporates thenatural reflectionsoff thewateralongwith

thelandscapeoftreesandgrass,whiletheappearinganddisappearing,undulatingbridgeforms

hearkentotheappearance/disappearanceofallformsinthevoid.

Trained as a landscape architect,Ms. Johanson created this piece as part of an environmental

cleanupeffort and so isbringing the sensibilitiesof thedharma into the realmsofpublicart in

America.

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Theimageontheleftisacloseupordetailoftheinstallationshownontherightwhichis

acollectionofsimilarlyconceivedimagesoftheBuddha.TheartistisArleneShechetwho

createdthisinstallationintheearlynineteennineties.

ThevisualreferencesaremadethroughtheblurringoffacialdetailsoftheBuddhaandinthe

repetitionofthestyleineachoftheotherimages.Thekoanhereis:All-the-same-but-differenr

–thebustsandfiguresareallnameless,faceless,deathless.

This installation of Buddha images in

Amsterdamistitled“WaxPeaceBuddhas.”

Theidentityoftheindividualartistisunknown

–likesomeoftheearliestdharmaart.Created

in 1996, the wax material was designed to

disappear,inkeepingwiththecentralquality

ofallexistencewhichisimpermanence.

In the present display, the repetition of the

imageisinthemannerofarepeatedmantra

andthereflectionof theimagesinthewater

remindsthevieweroftherealityofillusion.

Interestingly,thespecificmudradisplayedby

the statues is the contemporary ‘peace’ sign

–notatraditionalmudraassociatedwiththe

Buddha.

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ThisworkbyRudolfStingelisuntitled.Itisaparodyonthemulti-armedimages

fromChina,JapanandTibet–hereasittingBuddhaisacompositestylemixing

elementsofThai(inthefacialfeaturesandtheshapeofthetorso)andTibetan

(intheshapeoftheheadandhair)isholdingeverydaytools.

Compositeimages,drawingonstylingsofdifferenttraditionsarebecominga

standardpracticeforcontemporaryartistswhoarelookingtodepictimagesof

theBuddha.

TheblendofFunkandPOPartstyleshereresultsinthedisplayofbothhumor

andparadox.Theimageitselfismadeofcasturathanerubber.

Earlierinthe20thcentury,artistswerereferringtothedharmaalmostincode

for fear of being shunned for any brazen display of spirituality: this image

alongwiththelastfewimageswhichdisplayanexplicitBuddhaimagemarks

asignificantstepintheartoftheBuddhadharma–Dharmaartiscomingout

ofthecloset.

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Here,atthisexhibitattheWhitneyMuseuminNewYork,theBuddhaiscontemplatinghimself:

theimageoftheBuddhastatuecapturedbythecameraisdisplayedonthescreentowardswhich

thestatue’sgazeisdirected.

Theartist,NamJunePaikcreatedthisinstallationinthenineteeneightieswhichreferencesallthe

dharmathemesofillusion,impermanenceandabsenceofselfintheelementsoftheinstallation

itself,andinthematerialsandthetechnologywhichcreatethedisplay.

This is an example of installation art, a mixed-media, three

dimensionalpresentationinwhichthefiguresittingbeforethepicture

isintendedtobeanintegralpartoftheviewingexperience.

ThisdisplaywasdonebyartistsTimJohnsonandMyLeThiin2001.

ItistitledYabYum,aTibetantermmeaningmother/fatherunionand

referring to the parallel union of the central qualities of Buddhist

awakening:wisdomandcompassion.

In the painting the Buddha is touching the ground with his

fingertips,callingupontheearthtobearwitnessatthemomentof

hisawakening:thisrecollectsthewisdomelement,whiletheimage

theBodhisattvaofCompassion inscribedonhis chest invokes the

elementofcompassion.

Thewitnesssittingbeforethepaintingprovokestheambiguityover

whethertheimageonthewallisintendedtobeseenasareflection

ofwhat is in themind of thiswitness orwhether it is serving to

inspirethewitnesstocontemplatethisimageorideaasameditative

reflection.

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ThispiecebyartistNanJunPaikisfrom1993.Itisconstructedofwoodandcanvasusing

paintandsilkscreentoplacetheBuddhainthemidstof20thcenturytechnology.

This is the multi-media Buddha in the midst of the cacophony of the contemporary

technologicalmilieu.TheimagesonthewallpaperrepeatversionsoftheBuddhaimagethat

haveappearedinotherculturesoverthecourseofthepast2000years.

Andatthecentersitsthemeditativemind,revealedalmosttheatricallywiththeold-fashioned

partingcurtains,andreflectingontheappearanceoftheBuddhainthecurrentculture

ThispaintingbyTerryAllen from

1986 is titled The Blue Hole. It

is presented as a mixed media

creationinastyletypicalofwhat

mightbe termedCaliforniaFunk

and reminiscent of the aphorism

by Swami Satchitananda: you

can’tstopthewavesbutyoucan

learntosurf.

Whatever the blue hole is, is

pointedlynotexplained.

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Thisisanimageofapiecemadeforsale,formassproduction,forcommercialpurpose.Today,Buddhismand

theDharmanowappearinthemidstofourcontemporaryconsumerculture,andthisismirroredinvarious

waysbythisimage.

Thesittingfigureitselfisreminiscentofthesculptureof20thcenturysculptorHenryMoore,anditalsoincludes

elementsofhistoricalimages–theushnishabulgeonthehead,forexample–themarkofanenlightenedbeing

--andthelotussittingposture.

Whilethisstatuecouldbeusedindevotionalpractice,itisclearlyacommercialproduct–producedforthe

purposeofsale…Yetdespiteitscommercialorigins,theimageitselfdoesn’tcreateadissonancewithtraditional

dharmateachings:thefacelessnessoftheimageisinkeepingwiththeno-selfaspectoftheBuddha’steaching;

theadditionofbreaststothefigureaddsatouchoffemininitytowhatwascommonlyanandrogenousfigure.

Thisprocessofaddingmodernlayerstotraditionalimagesisacontemporaryexampleoftheprocesswhich

occurredoverandoveragaininthecourseofhistorywherenewculturesadoptedestablishedelementsand

layeredontheirownadditionstothedharmaimagestheycreated.

Perhapsmoststrikinglyhowever,thisimageisdeeplyembeddedinthecontextofcommerce.Asanobject,itis

offeredforsale;asanartisticcreation,itisusedtoillustratethecoverofacatalogofitemsthatarethemselves

forsale–including,presumably,EasternSerenityitself.

Theimageitselfishereservingasacommodity,anornamentforthedecorationcommercialculture.Howmuch

doesthatrelationshipreflectthedharmaactivitiesofAmericanpractitioners?

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Theintegrationofthedharmaandcommercialculturethatoccursinthemindsoftheobserversis

illustratedhere:acommercialmessageforspiritualbooksistapedtothehandoftheBuddhaina

bookstoredisplay.

Takinginthebroadercontext,thefigureinthebackgroundontherightisalsoforsale:itisTibetan.

Thebooksontheleft,areAmerican.Theretailoutletcanbeamoderntemple.

The standing figure holding the note is a not an antique, despite theweathered and cracked

appearanceof its surface. It is a contemporary creation that drawson someThai andLaotian

sculpturalstylings.Butthefacialfeaturesaredistinctlycontemporary,distinctlywestern–theeyes

arenotdowncast,andthefaceitselfisanimated--almostsmiling.Notethatthesurfaceofthe

pieceisintentionallyfabricatedtosimulatesignsofage.

Oldandnew;eastandwest:alltraditionsarenowarenowbeingstirredtogetherintheAmerican

meltingpot.

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