Bodhisattvara Research Paper
Art History
Avalakiteshvara: “The Lord Who Looks Down”
Intro:
In Chinese Buddhism sculptures and statues of the Bodhisattva are focal points of the religion. One Bodhisattva in particular known as Avalakiteshvara, has a look that separates itself from most other Bodhisattvas. “The appearance of sculptures of Bodhisattvas wearing such adornments, which later became standard in Chinese Buddhist art, illustrates the growth of devotion to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the second half of the sixth century.” (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History). When I first saw this statue the first thought that came to my mind was how large the statue was. As I analyzed the statue more carefully however, I noticed that its eyes were staring down at me with a very intense, but also sad glance. The appearance of this Bodhisattva statue entitled, Avalokiteshvara, helped to portray one of the messages of the …show more content…
“More than any other Buddhist divine being, Avalokiteshvara enjoyed centuries of worship among all levels of society, and was the focus of devotion for members of imperial families, the aristocracy, scholars, and the general population” (Karetzky, 1). There are numerous stories that speak about the origins of Avalokiteshvara, but one of the first recordings about the deity comes from a book entitled the Lotus Sutra. “The Lotus Sutra, composed in the same era, which explains how the God of Mercy saves humanity from the perils, that he lives in Potalaka, a magical place near south-eastern India, and that he rules over the universe during the period after the death of the historic Buddha and before the incarnation of the Buddha of the Future”(Karetzky, 5). These early records show how Avalokiteshvara was a popular figure in Buddhism, emphasizing how there is a chance of being enlightened either here on earth or in the pure land in the presence of the
Avalakiteshvara: “The Lord Who Looks Down”
Intro:
In Chinese Buddhism sculptures and statues of the Bodhisattva are focal points of the religion. One Bodhisattva in particular known as Avalakiteshvara, has a look that separates itself from most other Bodhisattvas. “The appearance of sculptures of Bodhisattvas wearing such adornments, which later became standard in Chinese Buddhist art, illustrates the growth of devotion to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the second half of the sixth century.” (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History). When I first saw this statue the first thought that came to my mind was how large the statue was. As I analyzed the statue more carefully however, I noticed that its eyes were staring down at me with a very intense, but also sad glance. The appearance of this Bodhisattva statue entitled, Avalokiteshvara, helped to portray one of the messages of the …show more content…
“More than any other Buddhist divine being, Avalokiteshvara enjoyed centuries of worship among all levels of society, and was the focus of devotion for members of imperial families, the aristocracy, scholars, and the general population” (Karetzky, 1). There are numerous stories that speak about the origins of Avalokiteshvara, but one of the first recordings about the deity comes from a book entitled the Lotus Sutra. “The Lotus Sutra, composed in the same era, which explains how the God of Mercy saves humanity from the perils, that he lives in Potalaka, a magical place near south-eastern India, and that he rules over the universe during the period after the death of the historic Buddha and before the incarnation of the Buddha of the Future”(Karetzky, 5). These early records show how Avalokiteshvara was a popular figure in Buddhism, emphasizing how there is a chance of being enlightened either here on earth or in the pure land in the presence of the