📁Learning Objective
- A GLIMPSE OF SANCHI
- The Background: Sacrifices and Debates
- Beyond Worldly Pleasures the Message of Mahavira
- The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment
- The Teachings of the Buddha
- Followers of the Buddha
- Stupas
- “Discovering” Stupas the Fate of Amaravati and Sanchi
- Sculpture
- New Religious Traditions
- Can We “See” Everything?
A GLIMPSE OF SANCHI
- In 19th century Europeans were very interested in the stupa at Sanchi
- French and Englishmen were provided prepared plaster-case copies and original remained in Bhopal State
- Shahjahan Begum and her Successor Sultan Jehan Begum provided money for the preservation of the ancient site
- Stupa Complex has survived then due to Wise decisions of the rulers of Bhopal
The Background: Sacrifices and Debates
• The first millennium BCE regarded as a turning point.
- Emergence of thinkers such as Zarathustra in Iran, Kong zi in China, Socrates, Plate and Aristotle in Greece and Mahavira and Gautam Buddha from India
- This was the time when Kingdoms and new cities were developing social and economic life.
The Sacrificial tradition
- Early Vedic traditions known from the Rigveda compiled between c1500 and. 1000 BCE Rigveda consists of hymns in praise of variety deities especially Agni, Indra and Soma.
- Sacrifices such as the Ashvamedha and raja suya were performed by chief who depended on Brahman priests to conduct the ritual.
New Questions
- About the meaning of life
- Possibility of life after death and rebirth. Was rebirth due to past actions?
- People also began speculating on significance of the sacrificial tradition.
Debates and discussions
- Debates took place in the kutagarashala (a hut with a pointed roof or in groves were travelling mendicants halted)
- “Teachers, including Mahavira emphasised individual agency suggesting that men and women could strive to attain liberation from the trials and tribulations of worldy existence
- This was in marked contrast to the Brahmanical position. How Buddhist texts were prepared The Buddha taught Orally None of the speeches were written down during his lifetime
- After his death (C5-4th century BCE) his teachings were compiled by his disciples at a council at Vesali known as Tipitaka
- Dipavamsa, the chronicle of Sri Lanka. and Mahavamsa, the great chronicle was written containing regional histories of Buddhism.
Beyond Worldly Pleasures the Message of Mahavira
- Mahavira was preceded by 23 tirthankaras. The tirthankaras are teachers who guide men and women across the river of existence. The main teachings of Mahavira are:
- The entire world is animated: even stones, rocks and water have life.
- No-injury to living beings, especially to humans, animals, plants and insects. The cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma.
- Asceticism and penance are required to free oneself from the cycle of karma.
- This can be attained only by renouncing the world; therefore, monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation.
The spread of Jainism
- The teachings of Mahavira were recorded by his disciples. These were in the form of stories which could appeal to ordinary people.
- Jaina scholars produced a wealth of literature in a variety of languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit and Tamil and preserved in libraries attached to temples.
- Gradually, Jainism spread to many parts of India. Many stone sculptures connected with the Jain traditions have been recovered from several sites.
The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment
- Message spread and beyond across the Subcontinent China to Central Asia, Korea and Japan and through Sri Lanka, across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia
- Siddhartha as the Buddha were named at birth was the son of the chief of the Sakya clan. His first journey into the world outside was traumatic soon, he left out the palace and let out in search of his own truth
- Siddhartha mediated for Several days and finally attainted enlighten, and he Came to be known as Buddha or the Enlightened. For the rest of his life, he taught dhamma or the path of righteous living.
The Teachings of the Buddha
- According to Buddhism, the world is transient (anicca) and constantly changing and it is also soulless (anatta). Within this transient world, sorrow (dukkha) is intrinsic to human existence.
- Buddha emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realization and nibbana.
Followers of the Buddha
- Buddha founded a ‘Sangha’, an organisation of monks who became teachers of ‘dhamma’. As they lived on alms, they were known as ‘bhikkhus’.
- Later women also entered the ‘Sangha’ and were known as bhikkhuni. Buddha’s foster mother, Mahapajapati Gotami was the first woman to become ‘bhikkhuni’. Buddha’s followers included kings, wealthy men, gahapatis and also ordinary people like workers, slaves and craft people.
- Buddhism appealed to many people dissatisfied with existing religious practices and confused by the rapid social changes taking place around them.
Stupas
- From earliest time, people tended to regard Certain places as sacred.
- These included sites with special trees or unique rocks or sites of awe-inspiring natural beauty.
- These Sites with were small Shrines attached to them were Sometimes described as chaitya.
“Why were stupas built”
- Relics of the Buddha such as his bodily remains or objects used by him buried under mounds known as stupas. The tradition of erecting Stupas Came to be associated with Buddhists
- According to a Buddhist text known the Ashokavadana, Ashoka distributed portions of buddhas relics to every important town and Ordered construction of Stupas Over”
How were stupas built
- Donations made for building and decorating Stupas by Kings (Satavahanas) guilds (financed part of one gateway at Sanchi)
- Men and Women, Bhikkhus and Bhikkhuni also contributed towards building these monuments.
The structure of the stupa
- The stupa originated as a simple semicircular mound of earth, later called Anda. Above the anda was the harmika arising from the harmika was the mast the yashti often surmounted by a Chhatri or umbrella.
- Around the mound was the railing, separating the Sacred space from the secular worlds the only stupas at Sanchi at bharut were plain except for the stone railings.
- Worshippers entered through the eastern gateway and walked around the mound in a clockwise direction keeping the mound on the right imitating the Sun’s course through the sky.
- The design of Stupas underwent many developments. Amaravati and Shah-ji- ki Dheri the mound Came to be elaborately carved with niches and Sculptures.
“Discovering” Stupas the Fate of Amaravati and Sanchi
- Raja mistook the mound of the stupa at Amravati to be a sight of buried treasure in 1796.
- Walter Elliot concluded, after the discovery. the remains of the western gateways that it was the largest and important Buddhist stula at Amravati.
- New officials plundered the sculpture on the plea that other officials had done the same.
- Archaeologist H.H. Cole mentioned that it was Suicidal to allow the country to be looted of its ancient artwork but he was failed to Convince the authorities.
Sculpture
- Sculpture was removed from Stupas and transported all the way to Europe.
Stories in Stone
- Historians Studied the sculpture of Sanchi Stupa and recognised the scene from Vessantara Jataka.
- It was a story about a kind prince Who donated everything to Brahmana and went to forest with his wife and children
Symbols of Worship
- Buddha got his enlightenment under a tree in ancient sculpture Buddha was not shown in human form they showed his presence in
- Symbols
- Empty seal -meditation of buddha
- Stupa-Mahapanibbana
- Wheel-the first sermon of buddha delivered at Sarnath
” Popular Traditions”
- Many sculptures of Sanchi were not influenced or inspired by the Buddhist text or the ideas.
- The image of beautiful women that Swinging from the edge of the gateway described as Shalabhanjika.
- There are many images which have fine depicted Work of animals-elephants’ horses, monkeys and Cattle
- The Jatakas contained many animal stories which were depicted in Sanchi Stupe seemed lively scenes.
- Elephants power and wisdom, motif of woman surrounded by lotuses or elephants abhisheka or consecration.
- James Fergusson considered Sanchi to be centre of tree and Serpent worship.
- Those who adopted these beliefs described the older tradition as Hinaya or the “lesser vehicle.
New Religious Traditions
The development of Mahayana Buddhism
- The development of Mahayana Buddhism
- By the first century CE there was evidence of changes in their Buddhist ideas and uses and There was great important to self-efforts to achieve the Nibbana
- The worship of images of buddha and Bodhisattas became an important part of the Same tradition
- New Style of thinking was known as Mahayana (the great vehicle)
The growth of Puranic Hinduism
- Vaishnavism was developed around the different avatars or incarnations of the deity.
- Recognised each of these local deities as form of Vishnu as way of Creating a more unified religious tradition.
- Shiva was Symbolised by the linga. he Was Occasionally recognised in human form Through Symbols such as head dresses Ornaments and ayudhas are depicted in the deity
Building temples
- The early temple was a small square room known as garbhagriha 100 a very single small for way was there for the worshipper A tall Structure Came in existence gradually they were known as Chikara
- They were built Over the Central Shrine walls of temple were decorated with Sculpture.
- Temples became more elaborate with assembly halls huge walls, gateways etc.
Can We “See” Everything?
Grappling with the unfamiliar
- European Scholars noticed some Sculptures of gods and Goddesses.
- They could not understand their importance. They were under fear with the figure.
- Ancient Greek scholars were familiar with Indian Sculpture They became more excited as they found the idols of Bodhisattas and Buddha.
- Taxila and Peshawar were the main cities.
- Indo Greek rulers established kingdoms in the 2nd century BCE.
If text and image do not match…
- The use of Indian images with Greek status were not easy task ever.
- It Was an effective strategy than a comparison.
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