Essay name: Buddhist iconography in and outside India (Study)
Author:
Purabi Gangopadhyay
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This work aims to systematically present the development and expansion of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist iconography from India to other countries, such as China, Korea, and Japan. This study includes a historical account of Indian Buddhist iconography and the integration of Brahmanical gods into the Mahayana-Vajrayana phase.
Chapter 1: Introduction (History of Indian Culture)
6 (of 18)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
.6 -
i
communicated the subtler thoughts and deeper ideas of his
teachings to a select few, the bodhisattvas, who were
aspiring for Buddhahood. This new Mah膩y膩nist doctrinal
views led to the deification of the Buddha and at the same
time Buddha was identified with the Truth and Reality.
The Bodhisattvas concept of the Mah膩y膩nists ini-
tiated the introduction of a number of divinities who were
designated as Bodhisattvas, e.g. Manjusri, Avalokitesvara,
Vajrap膩ni, Samantabhadra etc. The Mah膩y膩nists looked upon
these Bodhisattvas as benign gods to be worshipped and in
course of time Bodhisattvas were defied and they were given
definite anthropomorphic forms and distinguishing marks
and signs for the purpose of adoration with elaborate
rituals.
:
In course of time two more sects also grew up.
These two sects were known as Sukhav膩din and Mah膩sukhav膩din.
Mah膩 sukhav膩da was the origin of the Vajray膩na, which was
rich in ideas about iconography.
This Vajray膩na philosophy was one of the important
doctrines of the Tantric Buddhism. Other two important
doctrines were known as the K膩lacakray膩na and the Sahajay膩na.
The origin of Vajrayana as some later authorities
held, can be traced to the teaching of the Buddha himself.
1. See IBI, p. 8.
