Buddhist Iconography

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Buddhist Iconography holds an unique position in the spiritual and cultural life and tradition of the Tibetan people. The study of Buddhist Iconography, is one of the best ways of understanding Buddhism. For quite some time, therefore, Tibet House has been conscious of the need to focus attention on the Iconographic aspect of Buddhism and promote a comprehensive survey of the History, significance, philosophy, symbolism, variety and impact of Buddhist Iconography.

With this view, and as a first step in this effort, Tibet House had organised an International Seminar on Buddhist Iconography. The papers presented at this seminar threw light on many aspects of this subject. We felt that a volume that brought together these papers will be highly useful to any one who wanted to get acquainted with different aspects of Buddhist Iconography. Hence this volume.

Students of Iconography have often pointed out that at least half of the Icons in the world have their origin in Buddhist tradition. The impact of Buddhist Icons, was not confined to the frontiers of India or any particular country. Almost all of Asia felt the impact of Buddhist Iconography. The effect of the inspiration that these Icons, their forms and their idioms provide, made itself evident in the art and Iconography of the entire Asian continent, and in its own way contributed to the enrichment of art and Iconography in the continent.

Many distinguished scholars and experts, have contributed to this volume. The field we have chosen, is indeed very vast. The variety, profundity and vastness of the sources and the texts in the different schools of thought, such as Sr avakay ana, P aramit ay ana and Mantray ana, pose a challenge to the earnest student. The correct identification of images and the assimilation of the meaning and message, will depend on a correct interpretation and appraisal of the Iconographical texts, and the perspectives outlined in the canon that relate to Buddhist art. This depends on the identification of sources, access to materials, and an authentic effort to study the objects and the motivations, the meaning and the content of the different elements in the principles and perspectives of Iconography. No magnum opus of Buddhist Iconography has yet been prepared. It is equally true that the Iconographical approach can reveal new dimensions in the study of the artistic and cultural self-expression and symbolism of the Buddhist people, and give the student a clear glimpse of this spiritual genius and ethos.

In recent times, the world outside Tibet, particularly the Western world, has begun to take an increased interest in the religious practices and traditions of the people of Tibet. This, in turn, has led to a widespread interest in Tibetan Miniatures and Thangkas, and a desire to acquire originals or reproductions. Thus, side by side with intellectual and religious interest, a commercial interest has also made its appearance.

Products manufactured indiscriminately for this market are, often in gross violation of the canons. And also neglect the elements that invest these objects of art with the meaning, that should belong to aids used in religious practices. A greater awareness of authenticity can, therefore, contribute to the ability to discern from the fake reproductions and, perhaps, discourage a commercial outlook that closes its eyes to falsification and sacrilege in the desire to exploit a buyer's market.

Tibet House is deeply grateful to all the distinguished scholars, who have readily acceded to our request and contributed papers on a variety of areas that are relevant to the study of Buddhist Iconography. We regret that there has been some delay in preparing this volume for the press. Tibet House is particularly indebted to Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, for the keen interest she has taken in this volume. We are also grateful to the National Museum, New Delhi, whose generous assistance made this volume possible. We are also thankful to professor D.C. Bhattacharya, for his assistance in the editorial work, during the initial stages of this volume.

Despite the monumental work of scholars both in the east and the west on ancient and Indian archaeology, art history and the varied phases, there is a vast field which has remained untouched. Every new discovery is also the beginning of a new set of problems. Despite the uncovering of many hidden layers of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Islamic art, there are gaps, question-marks and complex issues which have yet to be filled or tackled.

The listing can include problems of primary identification, chronology, textual material, iconography, interaction between and amongst varied cults, sects and regions. Besides, there are the problems of critical appraisal and analytical or comparative studies.

The questions to be asked are many. Can one identify Buddhist iconography as a distinct autonomous stream without overlap with what is identified as Saivite, Vaişņavite or Jaina iconography? Is it possible to draw a cross-cultural map of this iconography which would be uniformally applicable to Buddhist art of Afghanistan, In-donesia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Burma? Can one make a clear-cut distinction between the Buddhist art of the schools of Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna? What is the exact relationship of the Iconography of these with what emerges in the schools of Vaj-rayāna and Tantrayāna? Further complexities emerge when one tries to develop a thesis of the evolution of Buddhist art and iconography in each of these regions along a path of linear time.

The range of papers included is extensive. The problem of the Asokan pillars and their origin will be debated anew. The subject has acquired many new dimensions on account of recent work of scholars both in India and abroad. The free-standing pillars and the motifs still present problems on the origin of these pillars and whether they represent an indigenous or a derived tradition of Indian art. Of equal importance is the identification of the narrative panels relating to the Jātakas. While most of them have been identified, the reliefs continue to present problems of the treatment of time and space. Analysis of these narrative reliefs from the point of view of metaphysics, text and iconography should be a stimulating avenue of exploration. While the early narrative reliefs before the emergence of the Buddha image present one set of problems, the origin of the Buddha image continues to be a subject of debate. Coomaraswamy had presented a point of view which has been accepted by one group of scholars. However, the debate has continued, as is obvious from the recent writing of the late Dr. Lohuizen. The provenance of the early Buddha image has opened a new debate. Some of the papers in this seminar deal with this important subject. I am glad to find that there are also papers on the origin of the worship of the Buddha image. I look forward particularly to the views of the traditional scholars on this subject:

The iconic representation of the Buddha and the worship of the image takes one to the textual evidence both in the canonical texts as also the parallel of the story of the birth of Gautama Buddha in vedic and other literatures. Some papers pertinently deal with the textual evidence and parallels.

From the point of view of the visual image, the moment the trans-formation takes place from the narrative reliefs to image to the multiplicity of deities and the emergence of a vast Buddhist pantheon, the area of Buddhist iconography widens to include Central Asia, Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim on the one hand; Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, on the other. The spectrum is so wide that it leaves one baffled with amazement. Scholars of the stature of Grundwel, Foucher, Holestein, Getty, Clark, Waddel, Snellgrove and Stooke have dwelled on some of the aspects of iconography and yet much more needs to be done.

The papers of Ms Chatsumarn Kabilsingh on the Mahāyāna Iconography in Southern Thailand and Lotika Lahiri on the Image of Kuan Shihyin in Chinese Buddhism and of Ram Niwas Pande on the Iconography of the Lokeśvara image in Nepal will, no doubt, throw new light on each of these iconographical forms.