ARTH183 1st Edition Lecture 1 Outline of Current Lecture II. Early Buddhist ArtA. IntroductionIII. BuddhismA. Siddhartha Gautamaa. Life and important sitesb. Teachings/fundamental principles of BuddhismIV. Maurya DynastyA. Ashokaa. “Column Erected by Ashoka”b. “Lion Capital”: Style, Buddhist themesV. Buddhist Holy Site at SanchiA. Stupa 1/The Great StupaCurrent LectureEarly Buddhist ArtArea of interest=Southern Asia; consists of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, sometimes including parts of Afghanistan and the Himalayan countries (Nepal)-Important Indus and Ganges river systems -Northern India, the central Deccan region, and the southernmost Tamil Nadu region make up the Indic peninsulaFrom 1500-3rd century BCE we don’t find many material cultural remains in this area, butwe know from texts passed down orally that was an important period in developing religious traditions (especially for Hinduism)-Possible reasons for lack of artifacts: Light-traveling nomadic cultures, use of materials that didn’t last BuddhismSiddhartha Gautama (late 6th-early 5th c. BCE); also known as the Buddha (honorary religious title meaning “Enlightened One”) and Sakyamuni (means “Sage of the Sakyas,” his clan). We don’t have a lot of biographical information on him, but know he was the son of a kingThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.who ruled in Northern India/Southern Nepal.-Born at Lumbini in Nepal; legend says his mother dreamed a six-tusked elephantdove into her womb when he was conceived-Lived as a prince for 3 decades, married and had a child, but eventually snuck out of his father’s house to seek a religious life. He practiced asceticism and extreme self-deprivation for 7 years before breaking his fast, then sat down to meditate beneath a tree and achieved enlightenment; this site is known as Bodh Gaya.-After achieving enlightenment, he went on to a Deer Park in Varanasi and preached his 1st sermon containing the 4 Noble Truths:*All life is suffering*The cause of suffering is craving*Suffering can be stopped by stopping craving*The way to stop suffering is through the Eight-fold Path-Outlined belief in reincarnation, the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara) that can be escaped through nirvana (“blowing out,” the cessation of being); nirvana can be achieved through gaining enough good karma (“deed”) and moving up the spiritual ladder. This usually takes many lifetimes*Other important Buddhist terms: dharma (“law,” Buddhist law or ethics),chakra (“wheel,” symbolic of the dharma and common in Buddhist art)Maurya Dynasty (323-185 BCE)The Maurya Dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, who rose up and overthrewthe Greeks in North India, eventually expanding his control to most of the peninsula. The rule ofthe Mauryan king Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE sees the 1st material remains of Buddhist culture.-Ashoka=Most important early patron of Buddhism; a convert who saw his job as carrying out the dharma-“Column Erected by Ashoka,” 246 BCE: Monolithic (made from a single stone), made of polished sandstone; Columns were commonly set up at holy sites or crossroads, places with lots of foot traffic to read the king’s carved inscriptions. *Many columns predate Ashoka’s reign and the association with Buddhism and are possibly connected to an earlier cult of the Axis mundi (“world axis”; present in a lot of cultures, represents the conceptual center of the world that separates heaven and earth)-“Lion Capital.” Maurya, c. 250 BCE. Polished sandstone. Height=84”. Sarnath, near the Deer Park at Varanasi: Composed of 4 lions connected at the back, standing on a drum with 4 wheels (chakras) separated by different animals; originally a large 5th wheel sat on top of the lions. The base of the column has an inscription relating to dissention within Buddhistreligious communities (sangha=the Buddhist monastic community of monks and nuns)*Buddhist themes: The lion is the symbol of the Sakya tribe, and Buddha is sometimes called the “Lion of the Sakyas”; chakras are a symbol of the dharma, and Buddha was said to have “set the wheel of the dharma turning.” Use of the inverted lotus flower prefigures importance of the lotus in Buddhist imagery (Buddha is compared to a lotus).*Style: Highly polished stone implies Persian influence, as well as the stylization of the lions (symmetry, organization of mane, articulation of paws and forelegs, mouth open with tongue extended, layout of whiskers); lions were also a symbol of royalty in Persian culture. This Persian influence is mixed with native Indic sensibilities in the naturalism and realism in the depiction of the other animalsBuddhist Holy Site at SanchiSanchi was a monastic community located at a crossroads. Its most important artifact is Stupa 1, or the Great Stupa. Stupa=a reliquary mound, solid mound of earth and rubble that cannot be entered; practice of building these predates Buddhism. This is thought to be one of the stupas that contained actual remains of the Buddha’s cremated body, which were sent out to many places during Ashoka’s reign (the time when the core of the stupa was created). The stupa was made larger and more elaborate over