Scholastic (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} classy_nerd) wrote,@ 2008-01-23 15:31:00 |
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Papers and lectures and bears (because John totally counts), oh my!
An Introduction to Korean Buddhism and the Earliest Surviving Images
There'll be a midterm in here sometime, eventually, maybe. Probably two weeks from today. So, you should study and stuff.
Maitreya texts and cults.
In Pakistan, as early as 78 CE we have dated images of the Bodhisattva Maitreya. In Buddhist studies, this is a very scary image - most students in Buddhist studies are students of texts rather than art. In general, one does not talk about "pure land" or "paradise cult" Buddhism. This is carved in stone and dated in the aziz era of 58 BC. The Bodhisattva has no other function in Buddhism other than to be a promise of future Buddha and a promise of future Buddha-hood for his followers. With that in mind, we have to look at what survives in China as the Cult of Maitreya, in which the Bodhisattva cult (the presence of the Bodhisattva)
Maitreya has his hair up in a topnot, held a jug, was originally in a particular mudra, but at the bottom there is a small relief that lets us know this is Maitreya. In the text is specifically tells us the Bodhisattvas are INCREDIBLY TALL, but down in the small relief there is another image of Maitreya on scale with the normal monks. By devotion to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, one gains access to the paradise of Maitreya at the time of one's death.
The idea is that you go to paradise, and are reborn at the appropriate time.
"By worshipping the Bodhisattva Maitreya, one attains rebirth at the time of ketumati, when the city of varanassi will be known as Ketumati, and at that time Maitreya will be mourned as a Buddha and will predict the future enlightenment for all his followers -- there is a cult of Maitreya to the present day."
This applies to all genders and originates during the third century at the time of the three kingdoms.
In the art gallery of NSW in Sydney Australia, there is a sculpture that shows the same details (he is two-sided, one side is Bodhisattva Maitreya and the other is the Buddha Maitreya). It is so simple and strightforward is to be overwhelming -- most can't stand how simple it is.
Miruk Pasal, Baekche or Shilla late 6th century; Miruk Pasal is Maitreya Bodhisattva is the same thing -- different readings of similar characters. He is the seated, meditating, pensive Buddha/Bodhisattva. Somehow the pensive in China, Japan, and Korea has become Meitreya and not Avalokiteshvara (the east-Asian Bodhisattva of compassion, who he was originally). Rightly-so, this is considered one of the great masterpieces of Korean art. It is also considered most of the influential pieces of Korean art on early Japanese art (also rightly so). There are 3-4 in Japan that are very similar in style -- same waterfall drapery, very elongated arm. Maitreya is the pensive Bodhisattva of "loving kindness", and is from south-Asia.
Beautiful bronze casting. Wow. Highly detailed, made in what is effectively the Late Northern Wei style, slipping over to later 6th century in Korea. One cannot say a single word about the craftsman, craftsmen are anonymous to the extreme and most were considered slaves of the government. Craftsmen could be sent as gifts. Woah.
It is conceivable that this is Korean, also Chinese, but we cannot say if the craftsman for sure was one or the other. OR it is conceivable that this is a retrogift from Japan. We can't proove anything; national popular opinion states that it is a Korean sculpture by Koreans.
Generally accepted that this is Korean. General acceptence, academid concensus, popular opinion, and national pride don't mean anything, we just don't know. And that's painful. Deal with it.
Koryu-ji 6th century in Japan, very similar! Wooden, though. The Koryuji image was made by Japanese woodcarvers. Is that true? The same ethnocentricism applies to Japan - we just don't know! Maybe it was shipped over, but you never know.
The Miruk Posal L 6th Century is a much smaller version of effectively the same thing - note that he has a Pagoda on his head. One of the attributes of Maitreya is a stupa in his headdress. TADAA. The stupa of his predicessor (shakimuni). This is dark pronze and also quite lovely. Elongated fingers! Very elegant, sensitive modelling.
Once something fit on the spike, but we don't know anymore. It may ahve been a pretty fancy stupa.
Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra - a very interesting pureland text translated into Chinese in the late second/early third century. It tells about the fact that worship of Maiterya and worship of Amitrava are IDENTICAL, woohoo.
Miruk/Maitreya, Panna, but somehow Amitava is there in the front/middle. Sanson Mt Kaya - Paekche 7th century.
Amitava and Maitreya/Miruk are effectively the same, they appear on one anothers' art. Remember that there are TONS of names for many of these - probably 100 for Avalokiteshvara. These were probably painted, once. "polycrhome"
GREAT importance placed on Maitreya during the first 5 centuries in China, almost half of his literature is gone, one is a huge massive philosophical treatise that has almost nothing to do with Maitreya.
Songjong Kwanum, Bekche, early 7th century
Avolokiteshvara images
This is a known phenomenon - Korean monks travelled actively and brought texts/samples with them, going into and out of China. Some made it big as teachers there, even.
Distinctive continuity; speaks of direct and willing influence of/bewteen Korean Buddhist artists/community at the time. Kudara Kannon (Baekjae Kwanum)
Early to mid 7th Century, Horyuji Japan. wooden, carved of a single block - one of the largest wooden of this type we have.
Shortly after the unification, in 668 the Shilla, assisted by Tang China defeated the Goguryeo Kingdom to the N and succeeded in unifying the Korean peninsula. The unified Silla period, which lasted until 918, marked a period of cultural development and support of the arts. Confucianism and Buddhismn flourished and Buddhism was adopted as the official state religion.
Parhae, to the north, is considered the Forgotten kingdom.
Soson Kwanum, Silla, Late 7th century, is simply Avalokiteshvara. More distinct elongation of the body and super slender, streamlined 1920's-flapper body identifies it specifically as Korean.
Amitava Buddha (Amita)
Hwangbok-sa, Amita, ca. 706 or Before
Face, fullness of the neck, smoothness of the hair and modelling - distinctively a Korean sub-style. The base/throne is separate.
Hwangbok-sa (in monastic collection)
Buddha Shakyamuni or Maitreya bredicting enlightenment (small
692 or before
Votive Images!
Unified Silla Hwangbok-sa
Pagoda (tap) in which the previous two images were found, 692 or before
There are no protoKorean pagodas ANYWHERE ELSE. These are totally Korean.
The relic box in which they were found inscription from the relic box:
King Sinmun (681-92) died on the second day of the seventh month of the twelfth year of his reign. His son Hyoso succeeded...
An Introduction to Korean Buddhism and the Earliest Surviving Images
There'll be a midterm in here sometime, eventually, maybe. Probably two weeks from today. So, you should study and stuff.
Maitreya texts and cults.
In Pakistan, as early as 78 CE we have dated images of the Bodhisattva Maitreya. In Buddhist studies, this is a very scary image - most students in Buddhist studies are students of texts rather than art. In general, one does not talk about "pure land" or "paradise cult" Buddhism. This is carved in stone and dated in the aziz era of 58 BC. The Bodhisattva has no other function in Buddhism other than to be a promise of future Buddha and a promise of future Buddha-hood for his followers. With that in mind, we have to look at what survives in China as the Cult of Maitreya, in which the Bodhisattva cult (the presence of the Bodhisattva)
Maitreya has his hair up in a topnot, held a jug, was originally in a particular mudra, but at the bottom there is a small relief that lets us know this is Maitreya. In the text is specifically tells us the Bodhisattvas are INCREDIBLY TALL, but down in the small relief there is another image of Maitreya on scale with the normal monks. By devotion to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, one gains access to the paradise of Maitreya at the time of one's death.
The idea is that you go to paradise, and are reborn at the appropriate time.
"By worshipping the Bodhisattva Maitreya, one attains rebirth at the time of ketumati, when the city of varanassi will be known as Ketumati, and at that time Maitreya will be mourned as a Buddha and will predict the future enlightenment for all his followers -- there is a cult of Maitreya to the present day."
This applies to all genders and originates during the third century at the time of the three kingdoms.
In the art gallery of NSW in Sydney Australia, there is a sculpture that shows the same details (he is two-sided, one side is Bodhisattva Maitreya and the other is the Buddha Maitreya). It is so simple and strightforward is to be overwhelming -- most can't stand how simple it is.
Miruk Pasal, Baekche or Shilla late 6th century; Miruk Pasal is Maitreya Bodhisattva is the same thing -- different readings of similar characters. He is the seated, meditating, pensive Buddha/Bodhisattva. Somehow the pensive in China, Japan, and Korea has become Meitreya and not Avalokiteshvara (the east-Asian Bodhisattva of compassion, who he was originally). Rightly-so, this is considered one of the great masterpieces of Korean art. It is also considered most of the influential pieces of Korean art on early Japanese art (also rightly so). There are 3-4 in Japan that are very similar in style -- same waterfall drapery, very elongated arm. Maitreya is the pensive Bodhisattva of "loving kindness", and is from south-Asia.
Beautiful bronze casting. Wow. Highly detailed, made in what is effectively the Late Northern Wei style, slipping over to later 6th century in Korea. One cannot say a single word about the craftsman, craftsmen are anonymous to the extreme and most were considered slaves of the government. Craftsmen could be sent as gifts. Woah.
It is conceivable that this is Korean, also Chinese, but we cannot say if the craftsman for sure was one or the other. OR it is conceivable that this is a retrogift from Japan. We can't proove anything; national popular opinion states that it is a Korean sculpture by Koreans.
Generally accepted that this is Korean. General acceptence, academid concensus, popular opinion, and national pride don't mean anything, we just don't know. And that's painful. Deal with it.
Koryu-ji 6th century in Japan, very similar! Wooden, though. The Koryuji image was made by Japanese woodcarvers. Is that true? The same ethnocentricism applies to Japan - we just don't know! Maybe it was shipped over, but you never know.
The Miruk Posal L 6th Century is a much smaller version of effectively the same thing - note that he has a Pagoda on his head. One of the attributes of Maitreya is a stupa in his headdress. TADAA. The stupa of his predicessor (shakimuni). This is dark pronze and also quite lovely. Elongated fingers! Very elegant, sensitive modelling.
Once something fit on the spike, but we don't know anymore. It may ahve been a pretty fancy stupa.
Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra - a very interesting pureland text translated into Chinese in the late second/early third century. It tells about the fact that worship of Maiterya and worship of Amitrava are IDENTICAL, woohoo.
Miruk/Maitreya, Panna, but somehow Amitava is there in the front/middle. Sanson Mt Kaya - Paekche 7th century.
Amitava and Maitreya/Miruk are effectively the same, they appear on one anothers' art. Remember that there are TONS of names for many of these - probably 100 for Avalokiteshvara. These were probably painted, once. "polycrhome"
GREAT importance placed on Maitreya during the first 5 centuries in China, almost half of his literature is gone, one is a huge massive philosophical treatise that has almost nothing to do with Maitreya.
Songjong Kwanum, Bekche, early 7th century
Avolokiteshvara images
This is a known phenomenon - Korean monks travelled actively and brought texts/samples with them, going into and out of China. Some made it big as teachers there, even.
Distinctive continuity; speaks of direct and willing influence of/bewteen Korean Buddhist artists/community at the time. Kudara Kannon (Baekjae Kwanum)
Early to mid 7th Century, Horyuji Japan. wooden, carved of a single block - one of the largest wooden of this type we have.
Shortly after the unification, in 668 the Shilla, assisted by Tang China defeated the Goguryeo Kingdom to the N and succeeded in unifying the Korean peninsula. The unified Silla period, which lasted until 918, marked a period of cultural development and support of the arts. Confucianism and Buddhismn flourished and Buddhism was adopted as the official state religion.
Parhae, to the north, is considered the Forgotten kingdom.
Soson Kwanum, Silla, Late 7th century, is simply Avalokiteshvara. More distinct elongation of the body and super slender, streamlined 1920's-flapper body identifies it specifically as Korean.
Amitava Buddha (Amita)
Hwangbok-sa, Amita, ca. 706 or Before
Face, fullness of the neck, smoothness of the hair and modelling - distinctively a Korean sub-style. The base/throne is separate.
Hwangbok-sa (in monastic collection)
Buddha Shakyamuni or Maitreya bredicting enlightenment (small
692 or before
Votive Images!
Unified Silla Hwangbok-sa
Pagoda (tap) in which the previous two images were found, 692 or before
There are no protoKorean pagodas ANYWHERE ELSE. These are totally Korean.
The relic box in which they were found inscription from the relic box:
King Sinmun (681-92) died on the second day of the seventh month of the twelfth year of his reign. His son Hyoso succeeded...
