AP AH College Board Presentation Medsker-Mehalic Content Area #8 South, East, and Southeast Asia 300 B.C.E. -1980 C.E. Chapters 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, and 27 • Prince Siddhartha Guatama- THE Buddha, 563 BCE • At 29- left palace • 6 years later achieved complete enlightenment while meditating under a Pipal tree • Preached first sermon at Sarnath- set in motion the Wheel (chakra) of the Law (dharma) • The Buddha’s path leads to Nirvana (the end of the painful life, death, rebirth cycle) *Introduction to Buddhism Link *Zen Buddhism Video Link Buddha in Art 1st century BCE- as robed monk Urna- curl of hair between eyebrows (dot) Ushnisha- ceremonial bump on head Palms of hands and soles of feet imprinted with a wheel Elongated earlobes Halo or sundisk behind head Chapter 6 Paths to Enlightenment The Art of South & Southeast Asia before 1200 The Poses of Buddha • Mudras, hand-gestures meaning specific things • Dhyana (meditation), with hands overlapping, palms upward • Bhumisparsha (earth touching), right hand down reaching to ground, calling to the earth to witness the Buddha’s enlightenment • Dharmachakra (wheel of the law, or teaching), two handed gesture, right thumb and index finger forming a circle • Abhaya (do not fear), right hand up, palm outward, a gesture of protection and blessing • Buddha Shakyamuni Summary Link Great Stupa at Sanchi. Madhya Pradesh, India, Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty, 300 B.C.E. -100 C.E. • Stone masonry, sandstone on dome • Buddhist monasteries: consist of viharas (monks live), stupas, chaitya halls, temples for sheltering images • Monument housing relics of the Buddha (ashes)- solid + filled with rubble • Sepulchral monument- place of burial or a receptacle for religious objects • Enter gates (at cardinal points of compass) walk clockwise- harmony with cosmos • 600 brief inscriptions- showing donations made • Represents the Buddha, path to Enlightenment, a mountain and the universe • Stupa is Sanskrit for heap • Important form of Buddhist architecture though it predates Buddhism • Built at the birthplace of King Ashoka’s wife, Devi, on an important trade route • Stupa Summary Link • Stupa Video Link Great Stupa at Sanchi- Detail. Madhya Pradesh, India, Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty, 300 B.C.E. -100 C.E. • Stone masonry, sandstone on dome • Circular ambulatories (walking paths) allow worshipers to circumambulate the stupa • Before Buddhism, great teachers were buried in mounds- some cremated, some buried in a seated, meditative position (like the Buddha when he achieved Enlightenment and knowledge of the Four Noble Truths) • Base of the stupa represents his crossed legs as he sat in a meditative pose (padmasana or the lotus position) • Middle portion is the Buddha’s body • Top of the mound, where a pole rises from the apex surrounded by a small fence, represents his head • Karma, a component in both Hinduism and Buddhism is the energy generated by a person’s actions and the ethical consequences of those actions • Circumabulation Video Link Great Stupa at Sanchi- North Gate. Madhya Pradesh, India, Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty, 300 B.C.E. -100 C.E. • Stone masonry, sandstone on dome • Yakshi- goddesses representing fertility and vegetation • Reaches up to hold onto mango tree branch- left foot pressed against tree trunk • Buddhists later adopted this pose for the Buddha’s mother • Early example of eroticism in Indian religious art Great Stupa at Sanchi-Plan & Elevation. Madhya Pradesh, India, Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty, 300 B.C.E. -100 C.E. • Ashes of the Buddha buried in stupas built at locations associated with important events in the Buddha’s life including Lumbini (where he was born), Bodh Gaya (where he achieved Enlightenment), Deer Park at Sarnath (where he preached his first sermon sharing the Four Noble Truths- dharma or the law), and Kushingara (where he died) • Built by King Ashoka about 250 years after the Buddha’s death • Buddhists visit stupas to perform rituals that help them to achieve one of the most important goals of Buddhism: to understand the Buddha’s teachings (the Four Noble Truths/dharma/the law) so when they die they cease to be caught up in samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death • World Heritage Site Sanchi Link Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. 750- 842 C.E. • Volcanic-stone and masonry • Buddhist monument unique in form and meaning • Colossal in size- 400 feet per side, 98 feet tall • 504 life size Buddha images, 1460 relief panels and 1500 stupas of various sizes • Built by the rulers of the Sailendra (Lord of the Mountain) Dynasty as a monument to the Buddha • Rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British Lieutenant Governor on Java upon hearing reports from islanders of an incredible sanctuary deep within the islands interior • Basic structure resembles that of a pyramid- also referred to as a caitya (shrine), a stupa (reliquary), and a sacred mountain • Overall plan is that of a 3D mandala- a diagram of the cosmos used for meditation • Summary Link Borobudur Temple-Detail. Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. 750- 842 C.E. • Volcanic-stone masonry • Meticulously carved relief sculptures meditate a physical and spiritual journey that guides pilgrims progressively toward higher states of consciousness • Narrate the Buddha’s teachings (the Dharma), depict various events related to his past lives (Jataka tales) • Another 160 relief sculptures adorn the base of the monument, but are concealed behind stone buttresses that were added shortly after the building’s construction in order to further support the structure’s weight • UNESCO Link Borobudur Temple-Buddha. Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. 750- 842 C.E. • Volcanic-stone masonry • Series of open-air passageways that radiate around a central axis mundi (cosmic axis) • Devotees circumambulate clockwise along walkways that gradually ascend to its uppermost level • Geometry, geomancy, and theology all instruct adherents towards the ultimate goal of enlightenment • 72 stupas each containing a three-dimensional sculpture of a seated Buddha within a stone latticework Hinduism • Recognizes NO founder or great prophet • Means “Religion of the Indians” • Hindu practices and beliefs vary tremendously • Ritual sacrifices by Brahmin priests- central to Hinduism • Religion of many gods • Deities have various natures and take many forms • Hindu Art in South Asia Video Link Hindu Iconography The Three Major Hindu Gods Shiva- the Destroyer + a regenerative force. In human form has multiple limbs and heads, matted hair piled on top of his head, crowned by a crescent moon, serpent scarf, 3rd eye on forehead. Rides the bull, Nandi. Son= elephant-headed Ganesha. Vishnu- the Preserver of the Universe. Shown with 4 arms holding different attributes. Descends to earth to restore balance. Assumes different forms (boar, fish, turtle, Buddha) Devi- great goddess- creates and destroys. Takes many forms and has many names Video Link for Shiva and Parvati Angkor Wat, the temple of Angkor Wat, and the city of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. 800 -1400 C.E. • Stone masonry and sandstone • Engineering marvel- grand complex of temples and palaces • Each Khmer king built a temple mountain at Angkor and installed his personal god on top (Shiva, Vishnu, Buddha) • Largest religious monument in the world • Angkor Wat means “City Temple”- not its original name given when it was built (no existing texts or inscriptions that mention the temple by name) • Several references to the king who built the temple, King Suryavarman II (protector of the sun), and events that took place at the temple, but no mention of its name • Summary Link • Video Link South Gate Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. 800 -1400 C.E. • Stone masonry and sandstone • Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu (Protector) who is one of the three principal gods in the Hindu pantheon (Shiva and Brahma are the others) • Many believe that Angkor Wat was not only a temple dedicated to Vishnu but that it was also intended to serve as the king’s mausoleum in death • Hindu temples are not a place for religious congregation- they are homes of the god Churning of the Ocean Milk- Angkor Wat, the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. 800 -1400 C.E. • Stone masonry and sandstone (49 meters long) • 1200 square meters of carved bas reliefs, representing eight different Hindu stories • Churning of the Ocean of Milk depicts a story about the victory of good over evil • The devas (gods) are fighting the asuras (demons) to reclaim order and power for the gods who have lost it. In order to reclaim peace and order, the elixir of life (amrita) needs to be released from the earth. The only way for the elixir to be released is for the gods and demons to first work together • Relief depicts the moment when the two sides are churning the ocean of milk • Video Link Jayavarman VII as Buddha, Angkor Wat, the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. 800 -1400 C.E. 800 -1400 C.E. • Stone masonry and sandstone • Jayavarman VII- built more than all other Khmer kings combined • Towers carved with giant faces • Adopted Buddhism + Lokeshvara “Lord of the World” • Combined image with himself • Virtual Tour Link Angkor Wat Plan, the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. 800 -1400 C.E. 800 -1400 C.E. • Temple is made up of an expansive enclosure wall separating the sacred temple grounds from the protective moat that surrounds the entire complex • Temple proper is comprised of three galleries (a passageway running along the length of the temple) with a central sanctuary, marked by five stone towers • Five stone towers mimic the five mountain ranges of Mt. Meru (mythical home of the gods for both Hindus and Buddhists- also considered an axis-mundi connecting heaven and earth) • Since the 15th century, Buddhists have used the temple and visitors today will see Buddhists monks and nuns who worship at the site Angkor Wat Site Plan, the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia.