Buddha Image in Asian Art Work

Buddha image is one of the most prominent and the origin of Asian art work. This image is inclined more towards Buddhist religion which most Hindu’s believe (Krishan 62). Before Buddha image came in to existence, Buddhist never used to worship images or forms.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Buddha Image in Asian Art Work specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The man behind the religion was called Buddha Vakali and he was devoted to teaching people concerning this religion. He taught them against worshiping images since he made them believe that God was formless (Coomaraswamy para. 8) Until the 1st century AD, Buddhist followers remained faithful to his teachings and never used to worship the Buddha image. However, after Buddha Vakali passed on, some of his followers were worried that he would never come back. One of the Buddha’s disciples Maudgalyayana invested magic and sent some thirty two artists up to heaven in order to capture the image of the god Buddha used to teach them about. It is therefore believed that the author of Buddha image was Shakyamuni, one of the artists sent to heaven by Maudgalyayana who can be considered as the patron of this art work. When Shakyamuni together with the other thirty one artists went to heaven, they captured the image and the likeness of Buddha in a five feet figure curved out of sandalwood. When they returned from heaven, it is recorded that the image was such perfect that it rose up to greet Shakyamuni. It is said that the first person start worshiping this image contrary to Buddha teachings was king Vadya of Vatsa, yet he was a very devoted follower (Coomaraswamy para. 8). Since the first Buddha image was curved, many artists have curved and painted a variety of images according to a person’s belief of how Buddha is supposed to look. Most of these images resemble human beings whereby their major purpose is worship and continuity of the religion (Krishan 62). Buddha images are usually made for Buddha followers and they are usually kept in their houses of worship to ensure that every person is in a position to worship without limit. The first Buddha image was curved in sandalwood though this has been changing with time (Coomaraswamy para. 8). Today, most of these images are made of precious stones though there is a wide variety of wooden images since the image is regarded with a lot of respect due to its religious significance. However, most artists have turned this in to business whereby they finance projects for making Buddha images after which they sell them in order to recover their money as well as making some profits.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People have come up with various postures of Buddha sculptures depending on the belief of the events that took place in his life on a particular. There are seven postures of the image representing the events that took place each day (Thong para. 1). All the Buddha images carry the message of Buddha’s superiority as the only image that should be worshipped on land. Most Buddhists have responded positively to the work of the first person who came up with this image since they have continued worshiping the image and it has spread out to many parts of Asia. The various Buddha images are a great investment in Asian Art work. Their popularity across the world has enabled many people see the potential that lies among Asians and their ability to communicate through art. Apart from Buddha images, Asian artwork is recognized worldwide and generates a lot of revenue to the Asians both locally and across the geographic boundaries. Work Cited Coomaraswamy, Anada. Origin of Buddha Image. Controversial History, 2009. Web. http://controversialhistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/origin-of-buddha-image.html Krishan, Yuvraj. The Buddha Image: Origin and Development. New Delhi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996. Print. Thong, Ang. Buddha Images for the Seven Days of the Week. Buddha Images, 2011. Web. http://www.buddha-images.com/seven-days.asp This essay on Buddha Image in Asian Art Work was written and submitted by user Jaylee Craig to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.