Author: Bill Wassman
Publisher: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 9781864501209
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 173
Book Description
Photographic study of the Buddhist stupas - domed edifices housing Buddhist or Jain relics. The stupa is the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings - 'a sermon in stone brick and mortar' - and is one of the oldest and most persistent religious symbols still in everyday use. The photos are accompanied by a narration that explains the symbolism, rituals and mystic power associated with these monuments, from their origins in India and their migration throughout Asia, covering 11 countries from Sri Lanka to Japan. Foreword by Robert A F Thurman, the first Westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama and president of Tibet House in New York. Includes full colour throughout, transparent overlays, glossary and index. Author has a master's degree in Asian art history and has contributed to more than 35 guidebooks and phrase books. Wassman has been photographing Asia since 1975 and has been awarded the PATA Gold Award for his work in Nepal.
Buddhist Stupas in Asia
Author: Bill Wassman
Publisher: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 9781864501209
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 173
Book Description
Photographic study of the Buddhist stupas - domed edifices housing Buddhist or Jain relics. The stupa is the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings - 'a sermon in stone brick and mortar' - and is one of the oldest and most persistent religious symbols still in everyday use. The photos are accompanied by a narration that explains the symbolism, rituals and mystic power associated with these monuments, from their origins in India and their migration throughout Asia, covering 11 countries from Sri Lanka to Japan. Foreword by Robert A F Thurman, the first Westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama and president of Tibet House in New York. Includes full colour throughout, transparent overlays, glossary and index. Author has a master's degree in Asian art history and has contributed to more than 35 guidebooks and phrase books. Wassman has been photographing Asia since 1975 and has been awarded the PATA Gold Award for his work in Nepal.
Publisher: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 9781864501209
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 173
Book Description
Photographic study of the Buddhist stupas - domed edifices housing Buddhist or Jain relics. The stupa is the living embodiment of Buddhist teachings - 'a sermon in stone brick and mortar' - and is one of the oldest and most persistent religious symbols still in everyday use. The photos are accompanied by a narration that explains the symbolism, rituals and mystic power associated with these monuments, from their origins in India and their migration throughout Asia, covering 11 countries from Sri Lanka to Japan. Foreword by Robert A F Thurman, the first Westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama and president of Tibet House in New York. Includes full colour throughout, transparent overlays, glossary and index. Author has a master's degree in Asian art history and has contributed to more than 35 guidebooks and phrase books. Wassman has been photographing Asia since 1975 and has been awarded the PATA Gold Award for his work in Nepal.
Buddhist Stupas in South Asia
Author: Jason Hawkes
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195698862
Category : Buddhist antiquities
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Bringing together the latest research on stupas in South Asia, this volume includes new conceptual paradigms as well as new approaches to monuments, sculpture, material culture, and textual interpretation. The collection utilizes archaeological, art historical and epigraphic evidence in broader cultural and historical frameworks to enrich our understanding, not only of stupa monuments but also ancient Buddhism and the wider history to which they pertain.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195698862
Category : Buddhist antiquities
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Bringing together the latest research on stupas in South Asia, this volume includes new conceptual paradigms as well as new approaches to monuments, sculpture, material culture, and textual interpretation. The collection utilizes archaeological, art historical and epigraphic evidence in broader cultural and historical frameworks to enrich our understanding, not only of stupa monuments but also ancient Buddhism and the wider history to which they pertain.
Stūpa and Its Technology
Author: Pema Dorjee
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120813014
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
Among all the religious monuments of the world, the stupa has the longest uninterrupted historical development. Though modelled after the Indian prototype, the stupa architecture was developed in all the countries where Buddhism had flourished. Over time, the structural shape of the stupa underwent significant modifications in India and the other Asian Buddhist countries.The present study shows how Tibet became a treasure house of Buddhist culture and literature--highlighting important texts dealing with stupa architecture. Various ritual activities associated with the construction of the stupa are described along with the eight fundamental types of Tibeto-Buddhist stupas and their main structural components. A survey of the stupas found in the upper Indus Valley in the Leh region of Ladakh shows their similarity to the Tibeto-Buddhist tradition. The value of the book is enhanced by an appendix with English translation of four important Tibetan texts preceded by transliteration.This monograph is the first in the new sub-series of the IGNCA on the Buddhist stupas, which would not be restricted to India alone. It is hoped that such studies will enable the art-historians and archaeologists to understand this important structural form in totality in relation to its wide geographical spread and the distinctive features of particular developments in different countries.
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120813014
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
Among all the religious monuments of the world, the stupa has the longest uninterrupted historical development. Though modelled after the Indian prototype, the stupa architecture was developed in all the countries where Buddhism had flourished. Over time, the structural shape of the stupa underwent significant modifications in India and the other Asian Buddhist countries.The present study shows how Tibet became a treasure house of Buddhist culture and literature--highlighting important texts dealing with stupa architecture. Various ritual activities associated with the construction of the stupa are described along with the eight fundamental types of Tibeto-Buddhist stupas and their main structural components. A survey of the stupas found in the upper Indus Valley in the Leh region of Ladakh shows their similarity to the Tibeto-Buddhist tradition. The value of the book is enhanced by an appendix with English translation of four important Tibetan texts preceded by transliteration.This monograph is the first in the new sub-series of the IGNCA on the Buddhist stupas, which would not be restricted to India alone. It is hoped that such studies will enable the art-historians and archaeologists to understand this important structural form in totality in relation to its wide geographical spread and the distinctive features of particular developments in different countries.
The Golden Lands
Author: Vikram Lall
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789670138039
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 280
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789670138039
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 280
Book Description
Stupa and Swastika
Author: Mohan Pant
Publisher: NUS Press
ISBN: 9789971693725
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Stupa and Swastika examines urban structures in the city of Patan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The religious architecture and overall design of the city illustrate the connection between Buddhist symbolism and South Asian concepts of urban design in the Indus Valley, and suggest links with Southeast Asia. -- Back cover.
Publisher: NUS Press
ISBN: 9789971693725
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Stupa and Swastika examines urban structures in the city of Patan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The religious architecture and overall design of the city illustrate the connection between Buddhist symbolism and South Asian concepts of urban design in the Indus Valley, and suggest links with Southeast Asia. -- Back cover.
The Buddha's Footprint
Author: Johan Elverskog
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812251830
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
A corrective to the contemporary idea that Buddhism has always been an environmentally friendly religion In the current popular imagination, Buddhism is often understood to be a religion intrinsically concerned with the environment. The Dharma, the name given to Buddhist teachings by Buddhists, states that all things are interconnected. Therefore, Buddhists are perceived as extending compassion beyond people and animals to include plants and the earth itself out of a concern for the total living environment. In The Buddha's Footprint, Johan Elverskog contends that only by jettisoning this contemporary image of Buddhism as a purely ascetic and apolitical tradition of contemplation can we see the true nature of the Dharma. According to Elverskog, Buddhism is, in fact, an expansive religious and political system premised on generating wealth through the exploitation of natural resources. Elverskog surveys the expansion of Buddhism across Asia in the period between 500 BCE and 1500 CE, when Buddhist institutions were built from Iran and Azerbaijan in the west, to Kazakhstan and Siberia in the north, Japan in the east, and Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the south. He examines the prosperity theology at the heart of the Dharma that declared riches to be a sign of good karma and the means by which spritiual status could be elevated through donations bequeathed to Buddhist institutions. He demonstrates how this scriptural tradition propelled Buddhists to seek wealth and power across Asia and to exploit both the people and the environment. Elverskog shows the ways in which Buddhist expansion not only entailed the displacement of local gods and myths with those of the Dharma—as was the case with Christianity and Islam—but also involved fundamentally transforming earlier social and political structures and networks of economic exchange. The Buddha's Footprint argues that the institutionalization of the Dharma was intimately connected to agricultural expansion, resource extraction, deforestation, urbanization, and the monumentalization of Buddhism itself.
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812251830
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
A corrective to the contemporary idea that Buddhism has always been an environmentally friendly religion In the current popular imagination, Buddhism is often understood to be a religion intrinsically concerned with the environment. The Dharma, the name given to Buddhist teachings by Buddhists, states that all things are interconnected. Therefore, Buddhists are perceived as extending compassion beyond people and animals to include plants and the earth itself out of a concern for the total living environment. In The Buddha's Footprint, Johan Elverskog contends that only by jettisoning this contemporary image of Buddhism as a purely ascetic and apolitical tradition of contemplation can we see the true nature of the Dharma. According to Elverskog, Buddhism is, in fact, an expansive religious and political system premised on generating wealth through the exploitation of natural resources. Elverskog surveys the expansion of Buddhism across Asia in the period between 500 BCE and 1500 CE, when Buddhist institutions were built from Iran and Azerbaijan in the west, to Kazakhstan and Siberia in the north, Japan in the east, and Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the south. He examines the prosperity theology at the heart of the Dharma that declared riches to be a sign of good karma and the means by which spritiual status could be elevated through donations bequeathed to Buddhist institutions. He demonstrates how this scriptural tradition propelled Buddhists to seek wealth and power across Asia and to exploit both the people and the environment. Elverskog shows the ways in which Buddhist expansion not only entailed the displacement of local gods and myths with those of the Dharma—as was the case with Christianity and Islam—but also involved fundamentally transforming earlier social and political structures and networks of economic exchange. The Buddha's Footprint argues that the institutionalization of the Dharma was intimately connected to agricultural expansion, resource extraction, deforestation, urbanization, and the monumentalization of Buddhism itself.
The Symbolism of the Stupa
Author: Adrian Snodgrass
Publisher: SEAP Publications
ISBN: 9780877277002
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 486
Book Description
A close analysis of the architecture of the stupa--a Buddhist symbolic form that is found throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia. The author, who trained as an architect, examines both the physical and metaphysical levels of these buildings, which derive their meaning and significance from Buddhist and Brahmanist influences.
Publisher: SEAP Publications
ISBN: 9780877277002
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 486
Book Description
A close analysis of the architecture of the stupa--a Buddhist symbolic form that is found throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia. The author, who trained as an architect, examines both the physical and metaphysical levels of these buildings, which derive their meaning and significance from Buddhist and Brahmanist influences.
Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past
Author: Catherine Becker
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199359407
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
In a wide-ranging exploration of the creation and use of Buddhist art in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the second and third centuries of the Common Era to the present, Catherine Becker shows how material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal essential human concerns. Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past begins with an analysis of the ornamentation of Andhra's ancient Buddhist sites, such as the lavish limestone reliefs depicting scenes of devotion and lively narratives on the main stupa at Amaravati. As many such monuments have fallen into disrepair, it is temping to view them as ruins; however, through an examination of recent state-sponsored tourism campaigns and new devotional activities at the sites, Becker shows that the monuments are in active use and even ascribed innate power and agency. Becker finds intriguing parallels between the significance of imagery in ancient times and the new social, political, and religious roles of these objects and spaces. While the precise functions expected of these monuments have shifted, the belief that they have the ability to effect spiritual and mental transformation has remained consistent. Becker argues that the efficacy of Buddhist art relies on the careful attention of its makers to the formal properties of art and to the harnessing of the imaginative potential of the human senses. In this respect, Buddhist art mirrors the teaching techniques attributed to the Buddha, who often engaged his pupils' desires and emotions as tools for spiritual progress.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199359407
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
In a wide-ranging exploration of the creation and use of Buddhist art in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the second and third centuries of the Common Era to the present, Catherine Becker shows how material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal essential human concerns. Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past begins with an analysis of the ornamentation of Andhra's ancient Buddhist sites, such as the lavish limestone reliefs depicting scenes of devotion and lively narratives on the main stupa at Amaravati. As many such monuments have fallen into disrepair, it is temping to view them as ruins; however, through an examination of recent state-sponsored tourism campaigns and new devotional activities at the sites, Becker shows that the monuments are in active use and even ascribed innate power and agency. Becker finds intriguing parallels between the significance of imagery in ancient times and the new social, political, and religious roles of these objects and spaces. While the precise functions expected of these monuments have shifted, the belief that they have the ability to effect spiritual and mental transformation has remained consistent. Becker argues that the efficacy of Buddhist art relies on the careful attention of its makers to the formal properties of art and to the harnessing of the imaginative potential of the human senses. In this respect, Buddhist art mirrors the teaching techniques attributed to the Buddha, who often engaged his pupils' desires and emotions as tools for spiritual progress.
Buddhism Across Asia
Author: Tansen Sen
Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
ISBN: 9814519324
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
"Buddhism across Asia is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and spread of Buddhism in Asia. It comprises a rich collection of articles written by leading experts in their fields. Together, the contributions provide an in-depth analysis of Buddhist history and transmission in Asia over a period of more than 2000 years. Aspects examined include material culture, politics, economy, languages and texts, religious institutions, practices and rituals, conceptualisations, and philosophy, while the geographic scope of the studies extends from India to Southeast Asia and East Asia. Readers' knowledge of Buddhism is constantly challenged by the studies presented, incorporating new materials and interpretations. Rejecting the concept of a reified monolithic and timeless 'Buddhism', this publication reflects the entangled 'dynamic and multi-dimensional' history of Buddhism in Asia over extended periods of 'integration,' 'development of multiple centres,' and 'European expansion,' which shaped the religion's regional and trans-regional identities." -- Max Deeg, Cardiff University "Buddhism Across Asia presents new research on Buddhism in comprehensive spatial and temporal terms. From studies on transmission networks to exegesis on doctrinal matters, linguistics, rituals and practices, institutions, Buddhist libraries, and the religion's interactions with political and cultural spheres as well as the society at large, the volume presents an assemblage of essays of breathtaking breadth and depth. The goal is to demonstrate how the transmission of Buddhist ideas serves as a cultural force, a lynchpin that had connected the societies of Asia from past to present. The volume manifests the vitality and maturity of the field of Buddhist studies, and for that we thank the editor and the erudite authors. " -- Dorothy C. Wong, University of Virginia
Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
ISBN: 9814519324
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
"Buddhism across Asia is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and spread of Buddhism in Asia. It comprises a rich collection of articles written by leading experts in their fields. Together, the contributions provide an in-depth analysis of Buddhist history and transmission in Asia over a period of more than 2000 years. Aspects examined include material culture, politics, economy, languages and texts, religious institutions, practices and rituals, conceptualisations, and philosophy, while the geographic scope of the studies extends from India to Southeast Asia and East Asia. Readers' knowledge of Buddhism is constantly challenged by the studies presented, incorporating new materials and interpretations. Rejecting the concept of a reified monolithic and timeless 'Buddhism', this publication reflects the entangled 'dynamic and multi-dimensional' history of Buddhism in Asia over extended periods of 'integration,' 'development of multiple centres,' and 'European expansion,' which shaped the religion's regional and trans-regional identities." -- Max Deeg, Cardiff University "Buddhism Across Asia presents new research on Buddhism in comprehensive spatial and temporal terms. From studies on transmission networks to exegesis on doctrinal matters, linguistics, rituals and practices, institutions, Buddhist libraries, and the religion's interactions with political and cultural spheres as well as the society at large, the volume presents an assemblage of essays of breathtaking breadth and depth. The goal is to demonstrate how the transmission of Buddhist ideas serves as a cultural force, a lynchpin that had connected the societies of Asia from past to present. The volume manifests the vitality and maturity of the field of Buddhist studies, and for that we thank the editor and the erudite authors. " -- Dorothy C. Wong, University of Virginia
Receptacle of the Sacred
Author: Jinah Kim
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520273869
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 406
Book Description
In considering medieval illustrated Buddhist manuscripts as sacred objects of cultic innovation, Receptacle of the Sacred explores how and why the South Asian Buddhist book-cult has survived for almost two millennia to the present. A book “manuscript” should be understood as a form of sacred space: a temple in microcosm, not only imbued with divine presence but also layered with the memories of many generations of users. Jinah Kim argues that illustrating a manuscript with Buddhist imagery not only empowered it as a three-dimensional sacred object, but also made it a suitable tool for the spiritual transformation of medieval Indian practitioners. Through a detailed historical analysis of Sanskrit colophons on patronage, production, and use of illustrated manuscripts, she suggests that while Buddhism’s disappearance in eastern India was a slow and gradual process, the Buddhist book-cult played an important role in sustaining its identity. In addition, by examining the physical traces left by later Nepalese users and the contemporary ritual use of the book in Nepal, Kim shows how human agency was critical in perpetuating and intensifying the potency of a manuscript as a sacred object throughout time.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520273869
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 406
Book Description
In considering medieval illustrated Buddhist manuscripts as sacred objects of cultic innovation, Receptacle of the Sacred explores how and why the South Asian Buddhist book-cult has survived for almost two millennia to the present. A book “manuscript” should be understood as a form of sacred space: a temple in microcosm, not only imbued with divine presence but also layered with the memories of many generations of users. Jinah Kim argues that illustrating a manuscript with Buddhist imagery not only empowered it as a three-dimensional sacred object, but also made it a suitable tool for the spiritual transformation of medieval Indian practitioners. Through a detailed historical analysis of Sanskrit colophons on patronage, production, and use of illustrated manuscripts, she suggests that while Buddhism’s disappearance in eastern India was a slow and gradual process, the Buddhist book-cult played an important role in sustaining its identity. In addition, by examining the physical traces left by later Nepalese users and the contemporary ritual use of the book in Nepal, Kim shows how human agency was critical in perpetuating and intensifying the potency of a manuscript as a sacred object throughout time.