Buddhism in Southeast Asia | DMA Staging Content Management System

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The beliefs and ways of life in South Asia significantly influenced the states and kingdoms of Southeast Asia, which adopted many Indian customs and adapted Indian styles of sculpture and architecture, as well as literature, dance, religious rituals, and court ceremonies to their native beliefs. At the same time, throughout Southeast Asia, as in India itself, indigenous practices and beliefs endured, intermingling with outside and foreign influences and evolving over time in ways that synthesized the old and the new. Buddhist monks, as well as Brahmans, traveled to Southeast Asia on merchant ships, and Buddhism had a visible influence in the region starting around the 4th century.

Representations of the historical or Shakyamuni Buddha and the events of his life make up a large portion of artistic production. Several key characteristics such as distended earlobes and the top-knot hairstyle (ushnisha) identify the Shakyamuni Buddha.

Sculptures of the Buddha appear in the chapels or image halls of Thai Buddhist monasteries that are used for group worship and monastic ceremonies. Most of these spaces contain a central, colossal Buddha that is surrounded by smaller Buddha images. Buddha figures represent “the triple gem”: the Buddha himself, dharma (Buddhist doctrine or law), and the monkhood (sangha). Thus, worshipers visiting Buddhist monasteries and temples face the Buddha image and touch their foreheads to the floor three times in honor of these three aspects.

Adapted from

Anne Bromberg, The Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 203;207.
DMA Connect, 2012.

NOTES

1998.65

1994.256 Asura

2006.21

Full length of excerpt pasted here from a duplicate JBG note that is otherwise represented in the above text:

Representations of the historical or Shakyamuni Buddha and the events of his life make up a large portion of Thailand’s artistic production. Several key characteristics such as distended earlobes and the top-knot hairstyle (ushnisha) identify the Shakyamuni Buddha. Though he sometimes wears monastic robes draped across one shoulder, the DMA’s Buddha Shakyamuni is shown in princely attire and ornamented with lavish materials and decoration. This display seems counterintuitive to Buddhism’s central principles that emphasize the renunciation of worldly desires and material possessions and to the story of the historical Buddha attaining enlightenment as a wandering ascetic. However, these materials are representations of spiritual merit rather than material wealth, and gilt sculptures such as this are used by Buddhist practitioners during meditation.

Some of this information appears to be included in the following note- Shakyamuni Buddha (The historical Buddha)

Note: Rules apply to geographies of all major countries of SE Asia. Not sure how else to delimit the rule by content/ relevance, so going with the broadest solution. CLC, 8/3/18.

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FUN FACTS

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apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 7003703

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000116

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000125

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000128

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000108

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000135

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000142

apply to objects where geography_ancestor_id equals 1000145

General Description

The beliefs and ways of life in South Asia significantly influenced the states and kingdoms of Southeast Asia, which adopted many Indian customs and adapted Indian styles of sculpture and architecture, as well as literature, dance, religious rituals, and court ceremonies to their native beliefs. At the same time, throughout Southeast Asia, as in India itself, indigenous practices and beliefs endured, intermingling with outside and foreign influences and evolving over time in ways that synthesized the old and the new. Buddhist monks, as well as Brahmans, traveled to Southeast Asia on merchant ships, and Buddhism had a visible influence in the region starting around the 4th century.

Representations of the historical or Shakyamuni Buddha and the events of his life make up a large portion of artistic production. Several key characteristics such as distended earlobes and the top-knot hairstyle (ushnisha) identify the Shakyamuni Buddha.

Sculptures of the Buddha appear in the chapels or image halls of Thai Buddhist monasteries that are used for group worship and monastic ceremonies. Most of these spaces contain a central, colossal Buddha that is surrounded by smaller Buddha images. Buddha figures represent “the triple gem”: the Buddha himself, dharma (Buddhist doctrine or law), and the monkhood (sangha). Thus, worshipers visiting Buddhist monasteries and temples face the Buddha image and touch their foreheads to the floor three times in honor of these three aspects.

Adapted from

Anne Bromberg, The Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 203;207.
DMA Connect, 2012.

Fun Facts

Archival Resources

(digitized/non-digitized)

Web Resources

Notes

1998.65

1994.256 Asura

2006.21

Full length of excerpt pasted here from a duplicate JBG note that is otherwise represented in the above text:

Representations of the historical or Shakyamuni Buddha and the events of his life make up a large portion of Thailand’s artistic production. Several key characteristics such as distended earlobes and the top-knot hairstyle (ushnisha) identify the Shakyamuni Buddha. Though he sometimes wears monastic robes draped across one shoulder, the DMA’s Buddha Shakyamuni is shown in princely attire and ornamented with lavish materials and decoration. This display seems counterintuitive to Buddhism’s central principles that emphasize the renunciation of worldly desires and material possessions and to the story of the historical Buddha attaining enlightenment as a wandering ascetic. However, these materials are representations of spiritual merit rather than material wealth, and gilt sculptures such as this are used by Buddhist practitioners during meditation.

Some of this information appears to be included in the following note- Shakyamuni Buddha (The historical Buddha)

Note: Rules apply to geographies of all major countries of SE Asia. Not sure how else to delimit the rule by content/ relevance, so going with the broadest solution. CLC, 8/3/18.