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Symbols and Motifs
Symbols and Motifs
The Daibutsu ( giant Buddha ) at Todaiji, Nara
The Buddha Vairocana is depicted in the form of a human figure. Nonetheless, although the representation of the Buddha seems to be mundane in nature, the symbols manifest a multitude of connotations which are deemed to be supernatural, almighty and divine.
The object corresponds to the perception of the Buddha as a composite deity with thirty-two characteristics of a heroic figure all associated with excellencies of character (Shaw 2006, 114). The thirty-two characteristics of a great man include an urna-like protuberance on the centre of his forehead (McArthur 2002, 95). The dot in the middle of the Buddha's forehead is deemed as a state of awakening or enlightenment. It possesses speculative power and provides insight into a reality beyond the vision of the secular world (Vredeveld, 2019). The Buddha Vairocana is also engulfed by a gold aura-shaped frame. As for the aura, 'lord Buddha emitted rays of light (of different colour like blue, yellow, red and white) during the time of nirvana, namely, a transcendent state that the subject is emancipated from the cycle of death and rebirth (Vredeveld, 2019).
Also, the elongated ears indicate Buddha’s origin as a prince who stretched his ears with jewellery accessories (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2019). As for the long curls, it is believed that Shakyamuni Buddha shaved his long curly hair after he took the tonsure. Cutting the hair symbolises warding off illusion and incomprehension. As a result, the regrown hair became short and tight snail curls on the Buddha's scalp. (Vredeveld, 2019).
Mudra
Mudra
Mudra are hand poses conveying the paradigmic formulas of the rite in Buddhist iconography (Saunders 1985, 5). It involves the performance of hand, finger or even the whole body. The esoteric meanings are embodied in the performativities of the deities.
Abhaya Mudra
The hand gesture of Buddha Vairocana and the bodhisattva are called abhaya mudra, namely, the gesture of fearlessness, reassurance or granting refuge (Buswell and Lopez 2013, 2). The gesture is typically formed with the palm of the righthand facing outward at shoulder height and the fingers pointing up. The right hand raised is for appeasing while the lowered hand is for fearlessness. Together with varamudra (mudra of fulfilling the vow), they are dubbed semui-in, or the mudra of fearlessness (Saunders 1985, 57).
Dharmachakra Mudra
In the dharmachakra mudra, the fingers of the left-hand fold against the palm of the right hand as if turning a wheel made by the index finger and thumb of the right hand (McArthur 2002, pp. 111-117). It signifies the Buddha's first teaching at the deer park in Sarnath, India. According to legend, that was the first time he 'turned the wheel' of the law of dharma.
Vitarka mudra
The Vitarka mudra symbolises teaching and discussion. The right-hand poses at chest level with tips of the index finger and thumb joining and forming a circle. The left hand is rested on the lap with the palm facing upwards. A similar mystic circle is created with the index finger and thumb joining and three other fingers extending. The circle formed by the index finger and thumb of both hands are signifiers of the circulation and discussion of the Buddha’s teachings. The underlying meaning of the mystic circle is to sustain the perpetuate flow of energy. Another interpretation of Vitarka mudra includes perfection (Marotta, 2014).
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KEEN TO LEARN MORE?
This brief video describes the esoteric meanings behind each hand gesture, or 'mudra' in Sanskrit, which conveys specific yet different connotations in Buddhism. The mudras covered in the video include Abhaya Mudra (fearless and protection), Dharmachakra Mudra (explaining the Buddhist teachings or turning the wheel of dharma), Vitarka Mudra (discussion), Bhumisparsa Mudra(call upon the earth to witness), Anjali Mudra(respect and affection), and finally, Varada Mudra (charity or wealth bestowing).
Adornments
Adornments
Lotus Petal
The Buddha Vairocana is sitting on the pedestal adorned with lotus petals. The lotus flower, is an emblem of purity of Buddha's truth raising above the ignorance of the secular world (Fischer 1991, 5). It is also a metaphor of the painstaking process leading to enlightenment (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2019). The roots of the lotus grow from stagnant, murky water and branches out lotus flowers. It is a metaphorical emblem of the process through which an ordinary people could reach enlightenment. It suggests that normal people can achieve enlightenment through enduring grinding ascetic practice. Besides, another symbolic meaning of the lotus petals, as Ward (1952) addressed, is detachment from secular desire since drops of water can easily bead off its petals.
It should be noted that the lotus petal is an example of an aniconic symbol. An aniconic symbol is abstract and esoteric. Unlike iconic symbols which convey straightforward contents or paradigm, aniconic symbols require comprehension of background content. In Buddhist iconographies, aniconic symbols include Bodhi tree, stupa and pillar, which suggest site of enlightenment, commitments of faith and the sacred creeds of Buddha. (Dehejia 1991,45)
Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva
In association, the Ākāśagarbha bodhisattva in the Great Buddha Hall sheds light on the knowledge about bodhisattva in general. In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattva refers to the past life of the Buddha before reaching enlightenment, while it can also refer to people who are competent to enter nirvana but postpone doing so because of their sympathy for rest of the sentient beings (Buswell and Lopez 2013, 134). The threshold is when the enlightenment is to be achieved, at which point metamorphosis would take place (Saunders 1985, 82).
As Saunders (1985, 82) addressed, bodhisattva 'claims that through his innumerable deeds of self-sacrifice in his former lives, he has won a right to this little bit of earth'. The Ākāśagarbha bodhisattva (known in Japanese as Kokūzō or 虚空蔵菩薩), is the bodhisattva of wisdom and memory who could mitigate plights, provide remedies for people’s errors and fulfil people's wishes (Schumacher, 2019). Kokūzō is deemed to possess superior acumen and generosity who personifies infinitive wisdom and compassion (Schumacher, 2019).
Statue of Komoku-ten
Guardian Deity
The picture shows the Komoku-ten (広目天) in the Great Buddha Hall, the Guardian King of the South. The writing brush and scroll he holds symbolize transcribing the Buddhist sutras. Komoku-ten refers to Wide Eyed or expansive vision, who belongs to the collection of four Shintennō, a group of fierce-looking guardian deities who defend the four cardinal directions of Buddha’s realm (Schumacher, 2019).
Kōmokuten 広目天, Toji (Tōji) Temple 東寺, Kyoto, Heian Era, 839 AD, Painted Wood Photo Source = 日本の仏像 Vol. 4
Kōmokuten (West). Chinese = Guǎngmùtiān Tang Dynasty, 9th Century. Ink and colors on silk. British Museum, Stein Painting 137. Painting from the Hidden Library Cave, Dunhuang, China.
FOR VISUAL AID ...
FOR VISUAL AID ...
To explore more about the Buddhist symbolism, go to the zoomable image.
Page References:
Buswell Jr, R. E., & Lopez Jr, D. S. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press.
Dehejia, V. (1991). "Aniconism and the Multivalence of Emblems." Ars Orientalis, 21, 45-66. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/stable/4629413
Fischer, F. (1991). Japanese Buddhist Art. Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin, 87(369), 1-27. doi:10.2307/3795444
‘Iconography of the Buddha,’ Victoria and Albert Museum, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/iconography-of-the-buddha/(accessed 23 May, 2019).
Marotta, J. (2014, October 02). Vitarka Mudra. Retrieved from https://janettimarotta.com/vitarka-mudra/
McArthur, Meher. Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs &Symbols, London : Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Saunders, E. D. (1985). Mudra: A Study of Symbolic Gestures in Japanese Buddhist Sculpture (Vol. 100). Princeton University Press.
Shaw, S. Buddhist Meditation: An Anthology of Texts from the Pali Canon. 2006. Retrieved fromhttp://elibrary.ibc.ac.th/files/private/Buddhist%20Meditation%20An%20Anthology%20Of%20Texts.pdf
Schumacher, Mark. ‘Kokūzō Bosatsu Bodhisattva of Wisdom & Memory’, https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kokuzo.shtml,(accessed 27 May, 2019).
Schumacher, Mark. ‘Kōmokuten 広目天’, https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/koumokuten.html, (accessed 27 May, 2019).
Vredeveld, Aziatische Kunst. "Third Eye of the Buddha, Buddha's Third Eye, Buddhas Third Eye, Third Eye, the Third Eye, Buddha, Buddha Heads." Accessed May 27, 2019. https://www.buddha-heads.com/buddha-head-statues/third-eye-of-the-buddha/.
Ward, William E. "The Lotus Symbol: Its Meaning in Buddhist Art and Philosophy." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 11, no. 2 (December 1952): 135-146.
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