File:Buddha and the gospel of Buddhism (1916) (14778702681).jpg

Identifier: buddhagospelofbu01coom (find matches)
Title: Buddha and the gospel of Buddhism
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish, 1877-1947
Subjects: Buddha and Buddhism
Publisher: New York, G. P. Putnam's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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he seat of meditation must be firmand easy (stkira-sukha). We see before us the work offoreign craftsmen imitating Indian formulae which theydid not understand. We cannot think of this as an originaland autochthonous art, despite its historical interest, andit is certainly not primitive in the sense in which thisword is used by artists.1 Iconography We may digress here to describe the chief types of Buddhaimage. The seated figure has three main forms, the firstrepresenting pure Samadhi, the highest station of ecstasy—here the hands are crossed in the lap in what is knownas dhyana mudrd, the * seal of meditation (Plate K);the second, in which the right hand is moved forwardacross the right knee to touch the earth, in what is knownas the bhumisparsa mudra, the seal of calling the eartnto witness (Plates Ta, Zb); the third with the hands 1 In primitive art you will find . . . absence of representation, absenceof technical swagger, sublimely impressive form,—CUve Bell, Art, p. 22, 330
Text Appearing After Image:
Plate A A 330 THE FIRST SERMON (TURNING THE WHEEL OF THE LAW) Gandhara, ist-2nd century a.d. British Museum Iconography raised before the chest in the position known as dharrna-cakra mtcdra, the seal of turning the wheel of thelaw (Plates B, C, AA). In a fourth type the righthand is raised and the palm turned outward, makingthe gesture known as abhaya mudray the seal ofi dis-pelling fear. The last pose is characteristic for standingfigures, where the left hand grasps the end of therobe (Plates E, Y). In Bodhisattva figures the righthand is very often extended in the vara mudra orseal of charity (Plate R), while the! left hand holdsan attribute, such as the lotus of Avalokitesvara(Plates R, Za). But the variety of Bodhisattvas isgreat. Another characteristic pose is known as vitarkamudrdy the seal of argument, indicating the act ofteaching (Plate Zc). Other forms are generally self-explanatory, like the sword of wisdom which is heldaloft by Manjusri (Plate DD) to cleave the darknessof

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