Iconography of Kasyapa’s Nirvana and Maitreya Buddha

D. Park, K. Wangmo, S. Cather, eds, Art of Merit: Studies in Buddhist Art and its Conservation , London, Archetype Publications, 2013, 19-26.

The primary focus of this paper is not on the architecture and iconography of the Buddha’s stūpa and image, but rather on the portrayal of the Buddha’s mystical identity as embodied and reflected in the doctrinal, architectural, and iconographic permutations of his stūpas and images. Stūpas and images are the perceptible expressions and anchors of the Buddha’s mystical and ineffable presence in this world, and indeed of the presence of Buddhism. They also epitomise Buddhist beliefs and aspirations, and serve as the focus of Buddhist devotion and practice. The stories of stūpas and images depict the ineffable silhouette of the Buddha, and conversely the Buddha’s ineffable silhouette permeates and imbues his stūpas and images with mystic life and power. Thus we are concerned here with the inner dynamics and permutations of the Buddha’s stūpa and image, which are not usally perceptible with the naked eye.

Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 6.1. pp.336–378, 2023

Narrative art requires pictorial conventions to convey the content of pictures. Artists have to provide information about the social status of a person, the place and time of an event, etc., without employing words. Pictorial conventions have to be consistent to be understandable; any deviation will be detected and is therefore probably meaningful. In paintings from Kucha, a clear distinction is made between the headgear of a king and the hairdo of a Brahmanical ascetic. However, in a number of jātaka representations the self-sacrificing king is shown with the hairstyle of a Brahmanical ascetic. There even are jātaka paintings in which the Bodhisatva is shown with a mandorla—a feature reserved in Kucha exclusively for the samyaksaṃbuddhas and the ‘Mahābodhisatvas’ like the future Buddha Maitreya. It is obvious that the paintings are transmitting a particular message. But how would a viewer in the past have understood, for example, an image of the King Pradīpapradyota—shown guiding the merchants on their way with his hands burning—represented with the ascetic hairdo of Maitreya… or rather, of Avalokiteśvara?

Art may have either literal or symbolic functions. Iconography- the correlation between symbolic characteristics and otherworldly concepts- is like a code. When the semiotics of the art is studied, deeper meaning can be excavated. In surveying the diverse statues of Buddha from across Asia, certain repetitious themes appear. The ways in which the various parts of the head, the hands in their mudras, the legs of the Buddha- be it seated or standing- and the accouterments that surround the Enlightened One are created to serve a heuristic function for the devotee. Once these aspects of Buddhist art are understood, additional insight into the account of Siddhartha and the way of Buddha can be more readily internalized. To gaze upon a statue of Buddha and observe the representational details of the head, arms and legs is to understand the cycle of samsara and diligently pursue Nirvana.

The paper discusses the prodigious birth of the Buddha Siddhartha as represented in Gandhara sculpture and its iconographic symbolism

This dissertation provides a detailed study of a particular representation of the Buddha, in which he sits on a prominent throne, i.e. a bhadrapīṭha or bhadrāsana, in a majestic posture with two legs pendant, that is, in bhadrāsana or the ―auspicious pose.‖ This pendant-legged imagery, generally associated with the throne, has been found widely depicted in South, East, and Southeast Asian art and is, as a rule, mostly associated with kingship, fertility, and even divinity. The results of this iconological examination have wide implications for understanding the origins, spread, and development of Buddhist art in those lands, particularly during the first millennium CE. (The complete dissertation can be accessed in two volumes through this link: https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01552082)

Gandharan Art in Its Buddhist Context, 2023

Art may have either literal or symbolic function. Iconography- the correlation between symbolic characteristics and otherworldly concepts- is like a code. When the semiotics of the art is studied, deeper meaning can be excavated. In surveying the diverse statues of Buddha from across Asia, certain repetitious themes appear. The ways in which the various parts of the head, the hands in their mudras, the legs of the Buddha- be it seated or standing- and the accouterments that surround the Enlightened One are created to serve a heuristic function for the devotee. Once these aspects of Buddhist art are understood, additional insight into the account of Siddhartha and the way of Buddha can be more readily internalized. To gaze upon a statue of Buddha and observe the representational details of the head, arms and legs is to understand the cycle of samsara and diligently pursue Nirvana.

The Buddhist stūpa constitutes the primary Buddhist monument that symbolically or truly embodies the Buddhist beliefs and teachings about the Buddha’s inherent nature and his unique presence in the world after his final demise. The landscapes of Asia are studded and scattered with countless stūpas of different sizes and appearances, all of which are unmistakable signs of the presence of Buddhism. Dilapidated and ruined stūpas are reminiscent of the past vitality and eminence of Buddhism, and renovated and newly constructed stūpas attest to its invigorating endurance and continuity. As such the stūpa is predominantly associated with Śākyamuni Buddha, and is expressive and symbolic of his enlightenment and parinirvāṇa. Soon after the Buddha’s final demise, eight stūpas were built to enshrine his relics. Then at some later period there emerged the tradition of constructing eight caityas to commemorate the Buddha’s eminent deeds performed during his lifetime. Thus broadly speaking stūpas were built to enshrine the Buddha’s relics and to commemorate his eminent deeds. Part One of this paper deals with the stūpas built to enshrine the relics of the Buddha and his disciples, and Part Two deals with the eight great caityas constructed to epitomise the Buddha’s eminent deeds.

Journal asiatique, 2003