AR 173; Sept. 18, 2009

From Aniconism to Buddha as God

Kushan Empire (mid 1st – 3rd c.)
 summer capital at Begram and winter at Mathura
Lakshana (marks) of Buddha:
Ushnisha
Urna
Mudra
Mahayana
Sutras

Buddacarita (Life of the Buddha), 1st c.
Consider how artists translate written word into visual image; how do they evoke narrative elements in visual form?

Conception
Birth
Youthful Life in Palace
Four encounters – hunger, sickness, old age, death
Great Departure
Renunciation of the World
Meditation under the Bodhi Tree – temptations sent by Mara
Reaches Enlightenment and calls the earth to witness (mudra of touching the earth)
Takes up Teaching the Dharma
Parinirvana – death and extinction

Conception
Now they saw, that unless he appeared in a truly remarkable fashion, people would not be suitably roused to admiration.  Therefore, for the purpose of destroying the evils of the world, that most Excellent of all Bodhisattvas fell directly from his place among the residents of Tushita heaven, and streaking through the three worlds, suddenly took the form of a huge six-tusked elephant as white as Himalaya, and entered Maya's womb. 

Birth
One day, with the king's permission, the queen had a yearning to go out with the other royal women to the Lumbini garden, and there, supporting herself with a low-hanging branch heavy with flowers, the Bodhisattva suddenly and emerged into this world.
…Like so many other divine beings, his birth was entirely miraculous -- he had not been born in the natural way.  And he was full of wisdom -- not babyish, as if his mind had been purified by countless eons of meditation and contemplation. Immediately, all eyes were drawn to him for, with his beautiful golden complexion, he seemed to shine in all directions. Calmly, the seal of lotus blossoms on his feet, he planted seven firm footsteps as evenly and solidly positioned as the stars forming the constellation known as the Rishis. Like a lion, he turned his head to the four directions, and said, "I was born for supreme knowledge, for the welfare of the world, and this is my final birth."

 The Great Departure
Then that good steed, careful not to make any sudden noise that might startle someone awake in the dead of night and rouse the whole household, did not make a sound -- no nickering, no whinnying -- totally silent he took off, galloping full tilt.
Nymphs and yakshas bent over, and extending their graceful forearms adorned with golden bracelets, tossed from lotus hands amazing lotus flowers that supported the flying hooves as off he shot.
(At night) the city roads were barred with such heavy gates that even elephants could not easily open, but they flew open silently all by themselves as the prince passed through.
With great determination, without a moment's hesitation, he left behind his doting father and his young son, his adoring people and the luxurious lifestyle, and fled his father's city.

Austerities
With the idea that it might be the means of abolishing birth and death, he immediately undertook a series of difficult austerities by fasting.  For six years, vainly trying to attain merit, he practiced self- mortification by performing many rules of abstinence that are hard for a man to carry out.
At mealtimes, longing to cross the world whose farther shore is so difficult to reach, he broke his fast with a single jujube fruit, or sesame seed, or grain of rice.  But the emaciation produced by that asceticism was fat with glory.  And though thin, his radiance and beauty were unimpaired as he caused joy to those who saw him, just as the waxing autumn moon gladdens the lotuses.
He may have been diminished in size -- only skin and bones; his fat, flesh and blood entirely wasted -- but he still shone with undiminished grandeur, like the ocean.

Meditation under the Bodhi Tree & Temptation by Mara
When the Great Sage, sprung from a [whole] line of royal sages, sat down there totally committed to attaining Highest Knowledge, the whole world rejoiced but Mara, enemy of Dharma, was afraid.
. . . So seizing his flower-made bow with its five infatuating arrows, the great disturber of the minds of living beings [Mara] along with his children drew near the root of the Asvattha tree. Then Mara called up his whole army, wishing to cause the downfall of the Sakya saint; so his followers swarmed round all assuming different forms and wielding arrows, tree trunks, darts, clubs, and swords. They had the faces of boars, fish, horses, asses, and camels; of tigers, bears, lions, and elephants.  They were one-eyed, many-faced, three-headed; with protuberant bellies and with sunken bellies. They were part goat, with knees swollen like pots; they were armed with tusks and claws, and some carried headless trunks in their hands.  They assumed all different forms with their half-mutilated faces, and monstrous mouths.
With messy hair, with topknots, or half-bald; in stringy garments and tangled headdresses.  With triumphant expressions or frowning faces, they sapped the strength or they bewitched the mind.
Some leaped wildly about while others danced upon one another.  Some sported about in the sky; others strode along the tops of trees.

Enlightenment
He conquered the hosts of Mara with his calm determination and then the Great Meditation Master, longing to know the ultimate objective, applied himself to meditation.
… Now when the Bodhisattva attained Perfect Knowledge, all beings were filled with great joy, and all the various universes were illumined by a great light. The happy earth trembled in six different ways like a woman in ecstasy, and the Bodhisattvas came from their individual special abodes to gather and praise him:
… After cheering, honouring and adoring him in this way, they each returned to their various homes, but not before repeatedly making reverential circumambulations, and singing his praises.