| Cover
story: 25
July 06 / Vol.
23 No. 8 |
While in Thailand, chances are that you will see a large
number of Buddha images in different places -- temples, museums
and private residences. You
may wonder why there have to be images of the Buddha, why the
postures are various or even wonder if the features of the images
are based on the Lord Buddha's face or not. Thaiways has gathered
the following information that may answer these questions to
your satisfaction.
The creation of Buddha images
A jataka* of the Buddha mentions that
when the Buddha was dying, his disciples asked him how they
should recall the memory of their master. The Buddha replied
that it was not he they should remember but his doctrine.
------------------------------------
*Jataka stories are stories of the 500-odd former lives of the
Buddha.
Additionally, he continued that they might heap up a mound of
earth and place a relic of his body -- a hair, a tooth, or ashes
-- in it as a reminder. The mound of earth gradually evolved
into a stupa, becoming higher and narrower as the years passed.
The lotus is a symbol of Buddhism.
|
In spite of the Buddha's guidance on remembering his doctrine,
there is another legend claiming that the first image of the
Buddha was made when the Lord Buddha was alive. The story goes
that King Pasenthikoson ordered his craftsmen to make a Buddha
image from red sandalwood as a representative of the Buddha
while the Buddha was in the Tavatimsa Heaven preaching to his
mother.
A flower of Sal tree
(Shorea robusta Roxb.),
under which the Buddha
was born and entered nirvana.
|
When the Lord Buddha was back to town, his holy power automatically
pushed away the red sandalwood image. However, the Buddha commanded
the image to stay still on its place to be a reminder of him
after he entered nirvana.
| |
Phra Phuttha Chinnarat
of Phitsanulok Province
is one of the most beautiful Sukhothai style Buddha images.
It is in the subduing Mara posture with an aureole around
the body. |
Prince Damrong, King Rama V's brother and a renowned scholar,
assumed that this legend was created to claim that images of
Buddha were built by the Buddha's permission.
Ayutthaya style subduing Mara Buddha
images at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon,
Ayutthaya Province.
|
Archaeological evidence indicates that the legend occurred in
the time that Buddha images were already popularly made (around
700 B.E.). The earliest images discovered in India date back
to around 367 B.E. to 383 B.E. in the Gandhara Region.
Another supporting evidence is that if the Lord Buddha had allowed
people to make images of him, King Asoka the Great (ruled 269-232
B.C.), who was a devout Buddhist, would have created many a
Buddha image besides other kinds of stupas. But none of them
were images of the Buddha. Instead, they were other symbols
related to the Buddha such as the Buddha's footprints, the Wheels
of the Law and the preaching seats.
A Buddha image in the meditation
posture in Wat Benchama Bophit
(the Marble Temple) in Bangkok.
|
Characteristics of the Buddha images at
the beginning stages
At the early stages, sculptors in Gandhara produced their sculptures
in human figures with noticeable muscles, a topknot and a draped
robe due to the influence of Greek style. Since the images were
built after the nirvana of the Buddha, the principles in making
a Buddha image were the following:
1. The style had to differ from ordinary human and once the
image was seen, the beholder had to promptly get an insight
that this was an image of the Buddha. As the Buddha was born
in a royal family before being ordained, the artisans cleverly
used their imagination to place a topknot without regalia onto
the image to differentiate the Lord Buddha from other disciples
(without topknots).
A reclining Buddha image |
2. The appearance must be graceful to gain the faith of devout
Buddhists.
To create such an image under these restrictions, the sculptors
needed to have thorough knowledge about the jatakas and the
supernatural anatomy of the Buddha. |
A stucco Buddha image at
Si Satchanalai Historical Park,
Sukhothai Province,
shows the Buddha protected by the
seven-headed naga.
|
Materials in making Buddha
images
A wide variety of materials can be used to construct a Buddha
image such as terra cotta, stone, metal, stucco, wood, bronze,
jade and gold.
A Buddha image in the position of
dissuading relatives from quarrelling
with each other.
|
 |
Postures of Buddha images
Postures of Buddha images remind Buddhists of different episodes
in the Buddha's life from the Birth to the Nirvana Entering.
There are 73 postures altogether. They can be divided into
four groups --seated, standing, walking and reclining. Well
known postures are 1.Meditation 2. Subduing Mara 3. Walking
4. Reclining 5. Dissuading relatives from quarrelling with
each other and 6. Seated and protected by the seven-headed
naga.
Some outstanding characteristics
of the
Buddha images of different styles
As Buddha images have been made for thousands of
years, the names of the styles were derived from those of
ancient kingdoms in which the images were created.
1. Dvaravati Style (6th-11th century) Works of this
style can be recognized by a halo in the form of a lotus bud
on top of the Buddha's head, large hair curls, a broad face,
curved and connecting eyebrows, protruding eyes, a rather
flat nose and thick lips. Some varieties of the last phase
with the Khmer influence may be distinguished by the square
face with a dimple on the chin; the fold of cloth on the left
shoulder extends down to the navel and ends in a straight
line.
2. Srivijaya Style (8th-13th century) Srivijaya Buddha
images are small in number. They show the Lop Buri artistic
influence with the heads of Naga and the sitting position
of the images with folded legs.
3. Lop Buri Style (7th-13th century) Mostly, Lop
Buri Buddha images were made of sandstone, crowned or uncrowned,
seated in meditation and protected by the Naga. The Buddha's
face is square with the eyebrows almost forming a straight
line. Usually the Buddha images are highly ornamented according
to the Khmer tradition.
Phra Phuttha Sihing of
Wat Phra Sing, Chiang Mai
Province, is in the subduing
Mara posture and reflects
Chiang Saen style.
|
|
4. Chiang Saen Style (11th-18th century)
- Early Chiang Saen: Their characteristics are a
halo in the form of a lotus bud, large hair curls, a round
face with a prominent chin.
- Late Chiang Saen: Images of this style are characterized
by influences of Sukhothai: a flame-like halo on the head,
a round or oval face, and the end of the robe over the left
shoulder extending down to the navel.
| |
A graceful Sukhothai style
standing Buddha image at
Sukhothai Historical Park. |
5. Sukhothai Style (13th-14th century)
A new type of Buddha image was originated in this period. It
can be recognized by a flame-like halo on top of the head, small
curls, an oval face, arched eyebrows, a long and slender nose
and a gentle smiling expression of serenity and compassion.
The body of the Buddha is slender and the shoulders are broad.
The robe is worn with its end hanging to the navel and ending
in a notched design.
Toward the end of the period, a new variety of Buddha image
was formed. The image had a round face, a rather corpulent body
and four fingers of the same length (according to the supernatural
anatomy of the Buddha). Phra Phuttha Chinnarat of Phitsanulok
Province is an ideal epitome of this style.
6. U-Thong Style (12th-15th century) The style shows
a mingling of Dvaravati, Lop Buri and Sukhothai styles. There
are three stages of this style:
- Early U-Thong shows a blend of Dvaravati and Khmer
characteristics.
- Middle U-Thong The Khmer style became outstanding.
- Late U-Thong The Sukhothai art became mainstream
style. The Buddha image resembles the Sukhothai type in every
respect except for a marked line of hair edge on the forehead.
The principal Buddha image in
the subduing
Mara position with full royal regalia in
Wat Na Phramen, Ayutthaya Province,
depicts Ayutthaya art style. |
7. Ayutthaya Style (15th-18th century) Ayutthaya's
Buddha images possessed the following characteristics: an
oval or square face, a flame-like finial on top of the head
and marked line of hair edge on the forehead. The end of the
robe hangs from the shoulders to the navel ending in a straight
line.
8. Rattanakosin (Bangkok) Style (1782
to present) A small number of Buddha images were cast during
the first three reigns of the Chakri Dynasty. A large number
of bronze statues of Sukhothai, U-Thong and Ayutthaya periods
were moved from several parts of the country and were given
to temples in Bangkok. Regarding images created in the Rattanakosin
Style, they more or less followed the trend of Ayutthaya art.
After reading to this line, Thaiways believes that
you might get an easier insight into the importance of Buddha
images. And we hope that you will enjoy yourself visiting
temples and museums more than ever.
If you are interested in studying Buddha images, you are recommended
to go to the National
Museum near the Grand Palace and the museum at Wat
Benchama Bophit, Dusit District, Bangkok.
|
