The Art of Buddhism

338 Pages·1968·26.913 MB·English

by  Dietrich Seckel, Ann E. Keep (translator)

ART OF
THE
WORLD
THEART OFTHEWORLD
THE ART OF
BUDDHISM
ByDietrichSeckel
TranslatedbyAnnE. Keep
55coloredplatesand 73drawings
Buddhism,oneoftheworld'sgreatre-
ligions,hasleftitsimprintupontheart
ofanumberofAsiancountries. Inthis
bookProfessorDietrichSeckelsurveys
thewholearea,rangingfromIndiato
China and Japan, from the earliest
timestothemodernage.
Thefirst halfofthebookcontainsan
informative survey by countries and
regions. Full attention is devoted to
thereligiousandculturalbackground,
presented in a manner acceptableto
nonspeciaUstaswellasexpertreaders.
Thesecondhalfofthebookisdevoted
to an examination of thevarious art
forms: temples, pagodas, sculpture,
paintings, and other arts. Particular
emphasis isgiventothedevelopment
oftheBuddha image,whichassumed
manydifferentformsinvariouslands.
Other figures intheBuddhist hierar-
chyarealsodealtwith,andthevolume
endswith a penetrating study of the
significance of Buddhist art interms
ofworldhistory.
Thisisanoutstandingfeatofscholar-
ship, more comprehensive than any
study attempted hitherto. Together
with theremarkable illustrations,the
text presents a wealth of fascinating
material.
GREYSTONE PRESS
NEW YORK TORONTO LONDON
. •
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THE ART OF
BUDDHISM
DIETRICH SECKEL
GREYSTOXE PRKSS/NEW YORK TORONTO LONDON
. .
TranslatedbyAnnE.Keep
Title-page: STUPA I, SANCHI, INDIA. Viewfrom
north-west. Massive brick building encased insand-
stone; railings and gateways in yellowish-greysand-
stone, originallypolishedandpaintedred. Heightof
stupa16.50m.,ofgateways10.36m.,oflowestrailing
3.23m.;diameteratgroundlevel31 m.Thecoreof
the stupa originates from the time ofthe emperor
Ashoka,approx.mid-3rdcent.B.C.;enlargedduaiig
first cent. B.C.; sculptured decoration ofgateways
completedduringfirstcent.A.D.RestoredbyArchae-
ological SurveyofIndiaunderthedirectionofJohn
Marshallfrom1912onwards.Behindthelowestrailing
thereisaprocessionalpath,andthereisasecondone
onthebasebehindtherailing.Thegateways(torana)
facethefourpointsofthecompass.Aroundthislargest
andricheststupaaregroupedseveralmorestupasand
ruinsofothermonuments.
REVISEDEDITION1968
TRANSLATION © I964 HOLLE VERLAG G.M.B.H., BADEN-BADEN, GERMANY
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUE CARD NUMBER: 64-2380O
MANUFACTUREDINTHEUNITED.STATESOFAMERICA
.
CONTENTS
Listofplates(4).Listoffigures(5)andmaps(8)
FOREWORD 11
INTRODUCTION OecumenlcalunityofBuddhistart 15
PARTI ThespreadofBuddhistartthroughAsia 23
I. India 25
n. Ceylon 45
IIL Indonesia 47
IV. Indochina 51
V. CentralAsia 63
VL China 81
VII. Korea 93
VIII. Japan 102
IX. Retrospect 108
PARTII Typesandforms Ill
I. From thestupatothepagoda 113
II. Monasteriesandtemples 136
III. TheBuddhaimage 162
IV. Thehierarchyofsacredfigures 223
V. Narrative works 261
VI. Symbolismandornamentation 277
APPENDICES 289
Appendix of plates 299
Maps 66,109,153.301,310-312
Chronologicaltable 302
Bibliography 313
Index 319
LIST OF PLATES
StOpaI,Sanchl,India Title-page AmitabhaBuddhapreaching.Cave45,
ReliquaryfromastDpaatBlmaran.British Tun-huang 145
Museum 35 VairocanaBuddha.FromPulkuk-sanear
Borobudur,Java:thethreeuppermostter- Kyongju,Korea 146
raceswiththecentralstapa 36 Shakyamuni Buddha.Detailfromascroll.
TowersfeaturingLokeshvarafaces.Bayon, Jingoji,Kyoto 163
Angkor 37 Amitabha.ThecolossalBuddhaof
Cave-templeatTun-huang(No.243),west- Kamakura 164
ernKansu 38 Shakyamuniunderablossomingtree.Scroll.
RepresentationofastQpa.Nagarjunakonda AfterWei-ch'ihI-seng(?).MuseumofFine
Museum 55 Arts,Boston 165
VotivestupafromNalanda.NationalMu- Amitabha Buddha preaching, surrounded
seumofIndia,NewDelhi 56 byBodhisattvasandmonks.Scrollfrom
PagodaofT'ien-ningsse,Peking 57 Tun-huang.BritishMuseum 166
Kumsan-sapagoda,builtofstone.Korea 58 TBhudedthhar.eeFprroemachainsgcroalsls.emCbhliineessoefMNaaittiroenyaal
Five-storeyedpagodaatMurojinearNara, PalaceMuseum,Taichung,Formosa 160
Japan 75 TheBuddhapreachingtoBodhisattvasand
Rahulabeforehisfather,theBuddha. monks.Frontispieceofasutrascroll,Japan.
ArchaeologicalMuseum,AmaravatT 76 MuseumfurostasiatischeKunst,Cologne 170
Buddhaseatedonathrone.FromMathura. Amitabhaappearingfrombehindthe
MuseumfiirVolkerkunde,Munich 77 mountains.Scroll.Zenrin-ji,Kyoto 179
PreachingBuddha. FromLoriyanTangai. Bodhisattva Padmapani. Wall-paintingin
IndianMuseum,Calcutta 78 CaveIatAjanta 180
StandingBuddhafromCeylon(?).Museum Bodhisattva Padmapani. Relief. Archaeol-
vanAziatischeKunst,Amsterdam 95 ogicalMuseum,Sarnath 182
TorsoofastandingBuddhafromMathura. Head of Lokeshvara. Museum van Aziati-
ArchaeologicalMuseum,Mathura 06 scheKunst,Amsterdam 191
Standing Buddha with two monks. Wall- MaitreyaorShakyamuniasBodhisattva.
paintinginCaveXatAjanta 97 DuksooPalaceMuseum,Seoul 192
Preaching Buddha. Relief from Sarnath. TorsoofaBodhisattvafromTien-lung
ArchaeologicalMuseum,Sarnath 98 Shan.RietbergMuseum,Zurich 193
Borobudur:Amitabhafigure 139 BodhisattvaintheGoldenHallofthe
HeadofaBuddhawithacrown.Thailand. HOrynjinearNara 194
MuseumfiirVolkerkunde,Munich 140 Avalokiteshvaraasaguideofsouls.Hanging
StandingBuddhainprincelyattire.Stocker scrollfromTun-huang.BritishMuseum 195
Collection,Amsterdam 141 Kuanyin(Avalokiteshvara).Museumvan
ColossalstatueofBuddha.Bamiyan, AziatischeKunst,Amsterdam 196
Afghanistan 142 Cintamani-CakraAvalokiteshvara.Kanshin-
SeatedBuddha.From thecaveof Kirinat jinearOsaka 197
Shorchuk.MuseumfurVolkerkunde,Berlin 143 Vajrasattva fromNalanda. National
StandingBuddha.Bronzefiguredating MuseumofIndia,NewDelhi 198
from536.China.UniversityMuseum, Prajnaparamita.EasternJava.Rijksmuseum
Philadelphia 144 voorVolkenkunde,Leyden 207.208
TheBodhisattviaKihitigarbha.Hanging scroll.Japan.IchijO-ji,KyOto
scroll.DanCollection,Tokyo MyOe-ShOnin.Detailfromahangingscroll.
Horse-headedAvalokiteshvara.Hanging Japan.KOzanji,Kyoto
scroll.Japan.MuseumofFineArts,Boston Bodhidharma(Daruma).Hangingscroll.
Asccraollla.VJiadpyaanr.aMjyaO(OF-uidno,MKOyyOaO-)sa.nHanging JBaupdadnh.aEhbeamtahilnsgSbteaaftolriechheisMfuisrsetesne,rmBoernl.in
Relief.Borobudur,Java
Dvarapala(GuardianoftheGateway) from
Tun-huang.BritishMuseum PrinceMahasattvasacrificinghimselftoa
ravenoustigress.Detailfromawall-painting
BustofaworshippingdeityfromShorchuk. inCave428,Tun-huang
MuseumfiirVolkerkunde,Berlin ThefirstbathandfirststepsofShakyamuni.
Arhat(Lohan).Fromahand-scroll.Chinese DetailofahangingscrollfromTun-huang.
NationalPalaceMuseum,Taichung, BritishMuseum
Formosa
Shakyamuni'sentranceintoPerfect
Arhat(Lohan).Hangingscroll.Japan. Nirvana.Hangingscroll.Japan.Museum
NationalMuseum,Tokyo fiirostasiatischeKunst,Cologne 272
ThePatriarchShubhakarasimha.Hanging CeilingornamentinCave320.Tun-huang 274
LIST OF FIGURES
1 — FrontispieceofasotrascrollfromTun-huang.Facsimilewood-cutbyJungPao-chi,approx.
i960.AfterJ.Tschichold,DeraltesteerhalteneBilddruck 79
2 — Ground-planandelevationofthestOpaatGhantashala: reconstruction.BulletindeI'ficole
Fran^aised'ExtrSme-Orient,Vol. 32, 1932,p. 388 116
3 — Ground-plan of MahacetiyastOpa. P. R. Ramachandra Rao,TheArt ofNagarjunikonda,
Madras, 1956, p. 36 116
4 — VotivestDpafromGandhSra.G.Combaz,L'^volutiondustDpaenAsie,Vol.2,Fig.6. . . 116
5 — StQpainacave-temple.Ibid.,Fig.9 117
5a — ReconstructionofTop-i-RustamstQpa.Bukky6Geijutsu(ArsBuddhica),Issue 15,Tokyo,
1952 "18
6 — Ground-planoftheWata-da-ge.B.Rowland,TheArtandArchitectureofIndia,Fig.36. . 119
7 — ElevationoftheThDparama. Ibid.,Fig. 32 119
8 — StDpaatAyuthia.Combaz,opcit.,Vol.2,Fig.33 120
9 —TypesofLamaiststOpainChina.Ch.ItO,ArchitecturalDecorationinChina,Vol.2,Tokyo,
194'. PI- S7 "20
10 — EvolutionofIndianstDpaintoFarEasternpagoda.D.Seckel,BuddhisdscheKunstOstasiens,
Stuttgart, 1957,Fig.9 122
u — EvolutionofChinesepagodafromIndianstDpa.W.Willetts,ChineseArt,Vol.2,Fig. 104. 122
12 — StDpacrowningapagoda.Combaz,op.cit.,Vol.2,Fig.46 123
13 — Toweronatoranarelief,Mathura.Ibid.,Vol.3.Fig- '3 123
4 — MahabodhiTemple.Ibid.,Vol.s.Fig. ij 124
5 — StDpaontopofMahabodhiTemple.Ibid.,Vol.2,Fig. 13 124
16 — MeruatMandalay.Ibid.,Vol.4,Fig.6 I2.'>
i7«— Ground-plan, section and elevation of pagoda at Ling-yen-sse. E. Boerschmann, Pagoden,
PI. 142 126
18 — Elevation and section of pagoda at HOryOji. F. Baltzer, Die Architektur der Kultbauten
Japans, PI. 288, 289 128
19 — TahOtO.DrawingfromaJapanesemandala.D.Seckel,op.cit..Fig. 14 129
20 — ElevationandsectionoftheTahOtO,Ishiya-ma-dera.F.Baltzer,op.cit.,PI.313 12!)
21 — Reliquary in basement of pagoda at HOryQji. HOryDji GojD-no-to Hiho no ChOsa (Study
ofthesecrettreasuresofthe5-storeyedPagodaatHOryDji),Kyoto, 1954,PI.3 130
22 — Gorinto.D.Seckel,op.cit..Fig.33(drawingbyDr.P.A. Riedl) 130
23 —Japanesesepulchralmonuments,etc.TObanoKenkyQ(PagodaStudies),ed.K.Saeki,Nara,
1943,p. 121 131
24 — Ground-planoftheBorobudur.BemetKempers,AncientIndonesianArt,Fig. 1 134
25 — SectionoftheBorobudur.Ibid.,Fig. 2 13.5
26 — MonasteryatTaxila.Combaz,op.cit..Vol.3,Fig. 12 136
27 — MonasteryatJamalgarhl.Combaz,op.cit..Vol.3,Fig. 12 136
28 — Ground-planofrock-cutmonastery(vihara)andsectionofcaityahallatBhaja. Kl.Fischer.
SchopfungenindischerKunst,p. 122 137
29 — Ground-planofCaveI,Ajanta.H. Rau,DieKunstIndiens,p.50 V38
30 — CaityahallatKarlT.DrawingbyH.PriistelafterH.Rau,op.dt.,PI.19 147
31 — CaityahallatElQra.Drawingby H. Prustel.Ibid., PI.57 148
32 —Ground-planofso-called'univenity'atNagarjunikonda.R.Rao,op.cit.,p. 150 140
33 — Ground-plan of Tjandi Sewu. Henri Marchal, L'architecture compar^e dans I'lnde et
rExtr^me-Orient, Paris, 1944, Fig. 147 150
34 — Ground-planofrock-hewnchapelsatBamiyin,nearthe53metre-highfigureo.ft.he.B.ud.dha.
J.Hackin,NouvellesrecherchesarchtologiquesiBamiyan,Paris, 1933,Fig.3 . 1.51
35 — Ground-planofachapelbuiltagainsttherockfaceatBezeklik,Turfanarea.A.vonLeCoq,
Chotscho, p. 14 1.52
36 — Ground-plan of Caves V-XIII, Yiknkang. S. Mizuno, Unko (=; Yiinkang) Sekibutsu-gun,
Tokyo, 1944, Fig. 3 152
37 — Ground-plan and section of the Sokkul-am, near Kyongju. A. Eckardt, Geschichte der
koreanischen Kunst, PI. 79 and 240 154
38 — Ground-plan of the Hsien-t'ung-sse on the Wu-t'ai-shan. E. Boerschmann, Chinesische
Architektur, Vol. 1 155