AHI 001D Exam ! Review (terms)
Gandharan Style
style of Buddhist art (as the subject) with Greco-Roman influence (realistic depiction of features), Gandhara Buddha has calm expression where Mathura is a pleased expression, Gandhara sculptures Maitreya also given a turban and a twirling mustache
Mathuran Style
style of Buddhist art, mostly Indian, Buddha has a delighted/pleased expression, tightly curled hair, wide-legged stance, red sandstone?
Iconography
symbolic imagery
Amitabha
the Buddha of Eternal Life
Parinirvana
the death of Buddha and the body left behind, shown by artwork of Buddha's body and smaller people crying/suffering that represent his followers
Urna
third eye (on forehead); curl of hair on the forehead that is a characteristic mark of the Buddha, symbol of spiritual insight
Chaitya Hall
type of Buddhist temple in the form of a hall with a round end, housing a sacred shrine or stupa
Mudra
when one hand is facing upward (forearm parallel to upper arm), it represents no fear; symbolic hand gesture in Buddhist art that denotes certain behaviors, actions, or feelings (position of Buddha's hands in certain gestures called mudras to convey different messages)
Karma
when one's actions in their current life intersect, it is an endless circle and the only way to get out is to reach enlightenment/nirvana (this was how Buddha was able to escape); the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, and which determines one's destiny in the next life (in Buddhism and Hinduism)
Sutra
a type of document that is recited, sacred scriptures of Buddhism,
Four Encounters
influenced Siddhartha's view of life, that the pursuit of material wealth and pleasures are meaningless, because of witnessing these four encounters, decided to live the life of a monkmalu
Nirvana
liberation from samsara, indicates a positive state of freedom, unconditional love, and peace, among other things; the state achieved once one has attained full enlightenment and extinguished all ignorance and desire
Four Noble Truths
life is suffering, reason for this suffering is desire, freedom from suffering is the end of desire, there is a path to this freedom (foundational tenets of Buddhism), Buddha's basic teachings
Yaksha
male figures that symbolize fertility and abundance, guards of the natural world, male gate keepers of wealth, present in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions
Queen Maya
mother of Gautama Buddha, dreams of a six-tusked elephant that comes down from heaven to enter her womb through her right side (marks Buddha Shakyamuni's physical entrance into this world)
Krishna
one of Vishnu's principal avatars, a popular and prominent figure in Hindu belief
Dharma
one of the Three Jewels
Mahayana
one of the three branches of Buddhism, Buddhists may choose to stay in cycle of samsara, had help from others to achieve nirvana (vs Theravada), enlightenment of all beings than just of the individul
Buddha
"the Enlightened one" talk about Siddhartha
Aniconic
"without image" - refers to the absence of a direct graphic representation of a deity as in early Buddhist art
Avatara
10 different forms of Vishnu are called avatars - an incarnation or manifestation of a deity on the earth in bodily form
Maitreya
Buddha of the future who will help humans achieve enlightenment, represented with a full head of hair and decorated with rich clothes and jewelry
Relic
Buddha's ashes, a body part or object associated with a religious figure
Stupa
Buddhist architecture, a dome shaped structure containing sacred relics (ashes), funerary monument to the Buddha
Jataka
in Buddhism stories associated with the previous lives of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha
Torana
Indian gateway, marks entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa, two pillars carrying two/three transverse beams that go beyond the two pillars on each side, believed to bring good fortune, located at each of the cardinal locations, have carvings
Prana
Sanskrit term that means "life force" or "vital energy," refers to the energy that flows in and around our bodies (life-giving force)
Reliquary
a container for relics
Shiva
a deity of Hinduism, the creator of live and destroyer of all evil forces that threaten man and the gods, artwork has a third eye and long locks of hair, holding a trident and small drum
Kanishka
a great king of the Kushan Empire, greatly honored Buddhism by building Buddhist temples, helped spread Buddhism
Mithuna
an amorous male and female couple in Indian sculpture, usually found at the entrance to a sacred building, symbolizes harmony and fertility of life
Avalokiteshvara
bodhisattva, embodiment of compassion, vowed to defer enlightenment until all beings had attained it (Buddha iconography - long ears, downcast eyes, gentle smile)
Bodhisattva
in Buddhism, a person on the path towards becoming a buddha, also defined as a potential Buddha, beings who have held themselves back from Buddhahood to help bring all beings to enlightenment
Siddartha Gautama
depiction of the prince before he became a Buddha, renounced comfort to search for the solution to human suffering, attained enlightenment and became known as the Buddha, different from Shakyamuni depicting an enlightened being
Eight Fold Path
early formulation of the path to enlightenment, eight principles that suggest way to end suffering and achieve enlightenment
Ashoka
emperor that ruled the entire Indian continent, large promoter of Buddhism as he spread Buddha's teachings
Jahangir
emperor, son Shah Jahan commissioned Taj Mahal for his wife (also has his tomb)
Samsara
endless circle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth until release of the cycle is attained by one's own actions and beliefs (karma); goal of Buddhist practice is to become free from samsara, Hinduism is different (worship and personal connection to a deity can bring rewards and subsequent lives, will ultimately lead to release from samsara)
Yakshi
female counterparts for Yaksha, female gate keepers of wealth (found in pairs), guards of the natural world in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions
Vihara
for Buddhism, is the residence of religious practitioners, where monks sleep, meditate, eat (essentially live), monk sleeps on bed of carved rock
Terracotta
form of pottery, unglazed pottery
Mara
has Greek and Hellenistic influence, a demon that represents inner temptations that may obstruct the path to enlightenment
Buddhism
has three branches that are Theravada, Mahayana Buddhism, and Vajrayana, philosophy of Buddhism is Sunyata
Iconoclast
image breaking, a recurring historical impulse to break or destroy images for religious or political reasons
Ushnisha
rounded shape on top of Buddha's head, symbol of wisdom
Theravada
school of Buddhism where Buddhists strive to gain freedom from samsara, enlightenment should be achieved individually with no help from others (vs. Mahayana)
Nagaraja
serpent king of the nagas in Indian mythology
Shakyamuni
statue depicts moment of his enlightenment, born from his mother's hip, eye looking downward