Seated+Buddha+Akshobhya

= = The Art of Buddha: Buddha Akshobhya



__//**Artwork Identification**//__ Title: Seated Buddha Akshobhya, the Imperturbable Buddha of the East Date: 9th to 10th century Country of Origin: Tibet Medium: Gilt Copper Dimensions: H. 22 13/16 in. (57.8 cm) Museum/Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art []

__//**Introduction**//__ Buddha is a central feature of the Asian religion, which is why people may come across many different statues. The eastern religion is based around a male, however many of the statues are based around the origin of the religion Hinduism.The Buddha is conceived in multiple manifestations: not only past and future ones, but also simultaneous appearances, occurring in different, concurrent universes (Phillip and Marcia R. Lieberman, 2003, pg 4). [|Akshobhya] Buddha is part of the [|Five Wisdom Buddhas]. The name Akshobhya means //Immovable// or //Unshakable//. It is said that Akshobhya reflects all things in a mirror like state, calmly and uncritically and will reveal peoples true nature. Akshobhya is positioned in the east according to the [|Diamond Realm]. His color is blue and is the ruler over water. The water at its calm will often act like a mirror and reflect an image perfectly. Akshobhya's symbol is the [|vajra], also called the thunderbolt. The vajra stands for //enlightenment// or //the indestructible//. This Tibetan sculpture reflects Mayahana Buddism influence that emerged in the 4th century BC. During this new emergence the role of [|Bodhisattvas] was emphasized. Tibetan Buddhism inherited many attributes from Mahayana Buddhism and incorporated their original style to create statuary art.

This statue has a man, Akshobhya, sitting with his legs crossed, in what is known as the ‘[|lotus position].' He has his eyes closed and is a meditative state of body. One of his hands is touching the ground and his other hand in his lap. This statue is just under 23 inches in height and is made out of gilt copper.
 * __//Descriptive Analysis//__**

In order to make a statue of this size, the sculptor most likely [|cast] it. After creating a mold, casting the piece, and removing it from the cast, the stature probably had metal fins, which develop from casting the piece. These little metal fins and other cast blemishes will need to be cleaned up. In order to produce a smooth, unblemished surface, it could take quite a few hours of filing, sanding and polishing. In order to get the round little curls that we consider to be hair, some casters would wound up wax “worms” and cast them to create that effect, others would just stamp them in rows on the head. If you put a sculpture like this underneath an X-ray machine, you can see the repairs that have been made because of the wear and tear over the years.

__//**Formal and Contextual Analysis**//__ Buddha is seated in a diamond posture with his legs crossed, known as the interlocking lotus position while being seated upon lotus throne. In many sculptures of Akshobhya is portrayed seated on a lotus throne and supported by an elephant. The elephant symbolizes steadfastness and strength, but also is the way Akshobhya travels. Buddha's right hand position is known as [|bhumisparsa mudra], where he touches the ground, mother earth. This is most frequently associated with the Historic Buddha. While doing this gesture he is calling the earth as a witness to his victory over the god [|Mara](an evil spirit). The position of his left hand resting in his lap with his thumb and middle finger pressed together, is known as [|dhyani mudra], which is a gesture of contemplation. Buddha has a third eye on his forehead which is known as [|urna]. He is dressed in a finely engraved monk's robe with his right shoulder and arm bare draping over his leg area also. His elongated earlobes reflect his royal origins the he grew up from (Woodward, pp. 145-158).

The word Buddha is a general term and not a proper name. It means one who is enlightened or awakened. It is primarily applied to the historical founder of Buddhism, who was prince of a small kingdom of [|northern India and Nepal]. The prince was known as [|Siddhartha]. After enduring long hours of meditation, contemplation, and silence, he ended up changing many of the people of his cultures lifestyles. The image has grown more abstract over time as he came to be seen as a universal being. This is where the famous contemplative seated Buddha stance is rooted from (Grolier, pp. 352-353).

Statues such as this one, depicting Buddha in meditation, with his right hand touching the earth are common due to this legend. This hand posture represents Buddha's victory over Mara, who is tempting him before he reaches enlightenment with worldly desires. Furthermore, Buddha's victory over this temptation represents Buddha giving up and overcoming worldly desires. Since overcoming worldly desires is a main focal point of Buddhism, statues depicting Buddha with his hand touching the earth, the bhumisparsa mudra gesture, are very popular.

Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis. //World Religions Today//. Pages 350-351. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
 * __//Printed References//:__**

Grolier. "Buddha" and "Buddhism." //Encyclopedia of Knowledge.// Pages 352-357, Volume 3. Grolier Incorporated; Danbury, Connecticut, 1991. //This book is an encyclopedia that has sections describing Buddha and Buddhism//.

Kawamura, Leslie S. "Bodhisattva(s)." //Encyclopedia of Buddhism.// Ed. Robert E. Buswell, Jr. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 3 pp. 2 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 9 Mar. 2009

Miksic, John. "//Worshiping Siva and Buddha: The Temple art of east Java.(Violence and Serenity)(Book review)//." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 39.3 (Oct 2008): 489(4). General OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 9 Mar. 2009

Mishra, Pankaj. //An End to Suffering; The Buddha in the World//. New York, New York, 2004.

Vessantara. //A Guide to the Deities of the Tantra.// Windhorse Publications Ltd., Cambridge, 2009.

Woodward, Howard W. Jr. //The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand//. Baltimore, Maryland, 2007. //This book was full of sculptures found in Thailand and surrounding areas, going into detail on important facts of each one.//

Ester R. Portnow Collection of Asian Art. "Seated Buddha" 2000.5.1. http://www.carlos.emory.edu/seated-buddha //This website is a museums brief description of a seated Buddha statue from the// Northern Central India region.
 * __//On-line References//:__**

Lieberman, Phillip, and Marcia R. Lieberman. "Tibetan Buddhist Wall Paintings of Mustang, Nepal,." 2003. Brown Library. 13 Apr. 2009  //This website describes Tibetan art and the characteristics of Tibetan art.//

Mandala of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. http://www.tsl.org/Masters/buddhas/dhyani/frintroduction.html //This website is describing the Mandala of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, each one is described individually.//

"Seated Buddha Akshobhya (?), the Imperturbable Buddha of the East [Tibet] (1995.106)". In //Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History//. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/06/ssh/ho_1995.106.htm (October 2006) //This website is where this pages picture is found from.// //It is a museums collection page, giving a brief description of the statue.//

Standing Buddha**,** 5th century, Gupta period India (Uttar Pradesh, Mathura); India (Uttar Pradesh, Mathura)New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/asian_art/standing_buddha/objectview.aspx?OID=60005144&collID=6&dd1=6 (1979) //This website is referencing to a sculpture known as the Standing Buddha found in the fifth century, Gupta Period.//

The Metropolitan Museum of Arts. "Seated Buddha" 15 March, 2008, [|Seated Buddha] (2008.) //This website is referencing to// //another type// //of Seated Buddha sculpture found in the Tang Dynasty//.

__//**Supporting Images and Hyperlinks**//__  **Buddha Akshobhya**: the Buddha of the east, one the five Buddha families. It is blue in color and with earth-touching bhumisparsa gesture.


 * Lesson Plans**

** Art Lesson 1 **

** Title: ** Personal Symbols ** Grade Level: ** Middle School and High School ** Time: ** One week (5 days)

** Standards and Benchmarks: ** This lesson meets the following National Arts Education Standards and Benchmarks.


 * ART.I.VA.HS.1: Apply materials, techniques, media technology, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that personal intentions are carried out in artworks.
 * ART.III.VA.HS.2: Apply and adapt subjects, symbols, and creative ideas in artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life.
 * ART.III.VA.HS.3: Describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others.
 * ART.II.VA.HS.4: Apply and adapt subjects, symbols, and creative ideas in artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life.
 * ART.III.VA.HS.5: Reflect and analyze the personal experiences that influence the development of personal artwork.
 * ART.IV.VA.HS.2: Describe the functions and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied cultures, times, and places.

** Central Concept: ** Identity: The distinguishing character or personality of an individual. The Buddha Akshobhya statue displays several symbols and attributes that represent his identity while allowing viewers to distinguish him from other Buddhas.

** Lesson Activities: **

** Activity 1: ** Communal Visual Examination ** Time: ** 1 class period ** Image Used: ** Seated Buddha Akshobhya, the Imperturbable Buddha of the East. Courtesy of TeachArtWiki

Students will be placed in a group of three and work on a group Power Point speech bubble project.

__Contextual Info Drop 1__: Short informative stories of different Buddhas.

Each member will be required to place at least 2 speech bubbles on the image of the Buddha Akshobhya on a Power Point slide. These bubbles should identify his physical features, attributes and objects.

__Contextual Info Drop 2__: Explain a few of Buddhist symbols and Mudras. Examples of Mudras: Bhumisparsa Mudra (earth as witness to truth in words)**,** Varada Mudra (gesture of charity, fulfillment of wishes)**,** Dhyana Mudra (absolute balance), and Jnana Mudra (teacher, wheel of law).

Continue adding more speech bubbles to the PowerPoint: Now students are asked to speculate the symbolism of each feature, attribute, and object and the underlying meaning of the Buddha. Students are required to add 2 speculation bubbles each.

Once finished each group will present their PPT speech bubbles and explain reasoning.
 * Power Point Rubric ||
 * Objective ||  3pt  ||  2pt  ||  0pt  ||
 * Descriptive speech bubble || Student added 2 or more bubbles || Student added 1 bubble || Student did not add bubble ||
 * Speculation bubble || Student added 2 or more bubbles || Student added 1 bubble || Student did not add bubble ||
 * Reasoning || Student was able to articulate why they labeled each bubble and why they speculated on the others. || Students explained what they choose but did not articulate why they did so. || Student did not talk about speech bubbles. ||

** Activity 2: ** Compare and Contrast ** Time: ** I class period ** Images used: ** Bhaishajyaguru or Medicine Buddha, Tibet, gilt bronze, Fifteenth Century. Berkley Art Museum. Michael Jordan, Air Nike ad. Courtesy of http://10steps.sg/.

Students will work in groups and will have an image of a Buddha and an image of a popular sports star advertisement.

They will compare the physical features, attributes, and objects, The symbolism and underlying meanings of the two pieces; place them into a Concept Map using Kidspiration or Webspiration (free software; can be downloaded at http://www.mywebspiration.com/). Example to get students started:

Suggested Questions to Facilitate Discussion:
 * How are they similar and different in terms of physical features, attributes, and objects? Explain what physical features are how the person looks, and attribute: something that is inherent within a physical feature (i.e., strong, powerful), and objects: basketball, mudras, shoes, earrings.
 * How do the images make you feel?
 * What message does each piece convey?
 * Why do you think these images were made?


 * Web Rubric ||
 * Objective ||  3pt  ||  2pt  ||  0pt  ||
 * Creation of Web || Student contributed to web by researching, creating, and discussion options || Student contributed by only playing one role in the group. || Student did not contribute. ||
 * Discussion || Student participated actively in discussion. || Student only said one thing or was actively listening but did not speak. || Student was not paying attention. ||

** Activity 3: ** Create Artwork ** Time: ** 3 class periods ** Materials Available: ** clay, collage, paint, oil pastels, digital media, drawing implements, etc.

Students will create an image of themselves. They will be asked to use physical features, attributes, objects, symbols, etc. that they feel represent themselves. They may use any medium available to create the image in 2D or 3D. Elements that students are required to include: 1. Use two or more mediums. 2. Create an image that represents their being (possibly part of their body---face, hand, feet, ear, etc.). 3. Create at least 5 features, attributes, objects, and symbols to represent themselves. 4. If using digital media, project must be printed out, manipulated, and mixed with other media (paint, collage, etc.).

After the students completed the above requirements ask them verbally explain their decisions and processes.


 * Art Work Rubric ||
 * Objective ||  3pt  ||  2pt  ||  0pt  ||
 * Materials || Used 2 or more mediums || Used only 1 medium ||  ||
 * Personal image || Created an imaged that represented them. || Created image, but did not represent themselves. || Did not include personal representation. ||
 * Attributes, objects, symbols. || Student created 5 or more. || Student created 2-5. || Student created 0-1. ||
 * Discussion || Student could articulate why they choose what they did and the process taken to achieve. || Student explained objects, attributes and symbols but did not explain why they were used. || Student did not discuss. ||

** Activity 4: ** Letter to Museum ** Time: ** Day 5 ** Materials Needed: ** Word Processing After artwork is finished, students will write a letter to a local museum explaining why their image should be collected by the museum.

Students must include reasons, description of the artwork, explanation of symbols and attributes, and where and how it should be displayed, as well as a short artist statement.

Artist statement should be limited to 150 words. Suggest students to include their aspirations as an artist.

Assessment: The letter is part of the assessments. Students should be able to articulate their ideas and reasoning for their artwork.


 * Letter Rubric ||
 * Objective ||  3pt  ||  2pt  ||  0pt  ||
 * Reason || Student articulated why they choose what they did and the process taken to achieve. || Student explained objects, attributes and symbols but did not explain why they were used. || Not included. ||
 * Physical (how it should be displayed) || Included directions. ||  || Did not include directions. ||
 * Artist Statement || Included artist statement. ||  || Did not include artist statement. ||

http://teachartwiki.wikispaces.com http://10steps.sg - Air Jordan Ad http://antiquesandthearts.com/ - Tibetan Buddha, Berkley Art Museum
 * References: **