Name: David Nguyen

World Religions Buddhist Art Webquest

Mr. Tiernan
A.M.D.G.
Diretions:
Go to www.exploreart.org and click on Launch Explore Art then skip over the introduction.
Then click on Gallery where you should see a series of circles with images of art. hen you
move the cursor over each image it should tell you what painting!depiction it represents. "or each
painting you should see A#out $ecode %t and &ompare %t on the left column. 'ou can
return to the picture #y clicking (oom out at the #ottom. This assignment will #e worth )*
points.
+. "ind $efeat of ,ara painting- click on the image and answer the following .uestions/
a. ho is ,ara0 Mara is the god o! tem"tations o! an egoisti e#istene.
#. $ecode %t and tell me what is the gesture descri#ed in frame 1+0 hat does it
mean0 $rame %& sho's the gesture o! meditation( 'ith both hands on the
la". )n some "itures Buddha*s right hand is touhing the ground alling
!orth the +arth goddess as a 'itness
c. $ecode %t and tell me what is descri#ed in frame 120 $rame %, sho's a
"iture o! the Bodhi tree. )t is loated at the ban-s o! the Nairan.ana River
in +astern )ndia. This tree is -no'n as the +nlightened Tree.
2. &lick on 3ack to Gallery 4which it in the top left corner5 and find 3irth of the
3uddha.
a. 6ead the story a#out the 3uddha7s #irth and name three ideas you take from the
story/
i. The !inal rebirth !rom the elestial Tushita /aradise
ii. 0ueen Maya*s miraulous one"tion
iii. The "redition o! the /rine*s !uture enlightenment
#. &lick on frame 1) and explain what the narrative descri#es.
The !rame sho's a "iture o! the 1one"tion o! 0ueen Maya. )t is said that
the queen had a dream 'here she 'as trans"orted to the Tushita "aradise
'here a 'hite ele"hant omes and touhes her on the right side 'ith its
trun-. The queen tells the -ing and the -ing !inds a dream inter"reter 'here
the hild 'ill be a boy and either be a -ing( or a being 'ho has attained the
-no'ledge o! the universe.
c. &lick on frame 18 and find the name for the 3uddha7s thirty9two auspicious
marks.
Thirty2t'o aus"iious mar-s( or Lakshana o! a su"erhuman being
d. &lick on &ompare %t and write down who the :ueen is compared to in other
art.
The queen is om"ared to Madonna del /arto. The 34irgin Birth5 is the li!e
story o! 6esus 1hrist 'hih is the !oundation o! the hurh. The 4irgin Mary
'as not oneived by man( but by the holy grae o! God.
;. &lick on 3ack to Gallery and find the orthy <ne =antaka.
a. $ecode %t and find out the significance of his face.
The e#aggerated !aial !eatures give hints about the arhats* longevity and
su"ernatural "o'ers( as 'ell as ethni origins i! de"ited by Tibetan or
1hinese artists.
>. &lick on 3ack to Gallery and in the keyword search 4which is in the lower left side of
the page5 type in heel of Life and click on the image.
a. $ecode %t and explain what each frame sym#oli(es 4there are nine5.
i. 7ama( the lord o! death( "ersoni!iation o! the endless yle o! birth(
death and rebirth.
ii. )nner t'o irles( 'hih the enter o! the 'heel re"resent the origin
o! su!!ering. Three "oisons( the bla- "ig 'hih is greed( the green
sna-e 'hih is anger( and the rooster 'hih is ignorane. The outer
irle is om"osed o! a hal! 'hite and bla-. The bla- is bad -arma(
and the 'hite is good 8arma.
iii. )llustrates ty"es o! human behavior that ause su!!ering and rebirth.
Arro's are in a man*s eyes 'hih re"resent unontrolled emotions.
iv. A mon-ey eternally limbs a branh !or !ruit 'hih is a meta"hor
!or human minds that searh !or mental larity.
v. De"its a human realm( 'here a British man is 'hih several "eo"le
'ho may be Tibetan "atrons.
vi. The realm o! animals 'hih is an e#istene in 'hih is destined !or
o""ression and 'anting.
vii. The 39ungry Ghosts5 'ith narro' throats and round stomahs
'hih mean they an never satis!y their hunger. The realm !or those
'ho have been indulged in greed and gluttony.
viii. There is a battle bet''en gods and demi2gods. The realm o! gods is
"leasant( but tem"orary e#istene that may lead to "ride. The demi2
gods gives an over'helming sense o! ambition 'hih reates 'ars
'ith gods.
i#. The hot and old hell realms( 'hih is !or those 'ho are driven by
anger and hatred.
#. ?oom out on the image and click on $id you @now on the left side of the page.
hat is significant a#out this image of the heel of 3irth0
). &lick on 3ack to Gallery and in the keyword search 4which is in the lower left side of
the page5 type in $alai Lama and find Agagwang Lo#(ang Gyatso. 6ead his story on
the right.
a. hich incarnation is he in the $alai Lama line0
Ngag'ang :ob;ang Gyatso is the $i!th inarnation o! the Dalai :ama line.
#. ho does this lineage go #ack to0 hat is he a #odhisattva of0
9is !irst lineage 'as lin-ed 'ith Avalo-iteshvara. 9e is the Bodhisattva o!
1om"assion and the 3"atron saint5 o! Tibet.
B. &lick on 3ack to Gallery and in the keyword search 4which is in the lower left side of
the page5 type in Tara. Explain who she is #y clicking on $ecode %t and read the
descriptions for the ten frames descri#ed in her painting.
Tara is sho'n sitting in the lotus "osition 'here she has a or'n sho'ing
symbols o! transendene. Tara is seen to be a "rotetor as the !rames desribe
her as a "rotetor. <he is seen as the "rotetor o! 'ild ele"hants 'ho are qui-
to atta-( thieves 'hih 'ere ommon along trade routes( !ree !rom
im"risonment 'hih she sho's a t'o2handed gesture o! res"et( disease2ausing
demons( sna-es( 'ater 'hih sho'ed the dangers o! the rivers and urrents(
!ires 'hih 'ere the o"en !ires ommon !or Tibetans( and !inally lions 'hih are
aus"iious.
8. &lick on 3ack to Gallery and search through the other images on this we#site. "ind
three other 3uddhist visuals not listed a#ove and summari(e the description and sym#ols
of each #elow.
a. "igure 1+/ <tories o! Noble Deeds =Avadana>
$escription!sym#ols/
/itures that desribe Buddhist history( artists reated 'or-s 'hih 'ould sho'
numerous senes to be onneted as one. This "iture sho's si# louds that
desribe -ey moment !rom Buddha*s "revious li!e. This symboli;es that Buddha
had lived ountless "ast lives and he had !inally ahieved "ositive -arma and
!ree !rom samsara, the 'heel o! li!e and death.
#. "igure 12/ ?gly @ne =4iru"a>
$escription!sym#ols/
The 3?gly @ne5 is 4iru"a 'ho lived in )ndia in the A
th
entury. 9e has a distint
gesture 'hih re!ers to the inident 'hen he sto""ed the sun. Tibetans see him
as the reator o! the 3/ath to Result5 'hih is a valuable teahing o! Tibetan
Buddhism. The symbol that 4iru"a re"resents is the hallenging o! the religious
norms in his time. 9e stressed a liberated and unonventional searh !or
s"irituality om"ared to the strit rules( rites and rituals o! )ndian ulture.
c. "igure 1;/ Mar"a and Milare"a
$escription!sym#ols/
These t'o are the translator and the /oet 7ogi o! the &B
th
entury. )n Tibetan
Buddhism( there is a s"ei!i lineage o! teahers o! eah shool that is
doumented through "aintings. These "aintings are the !irst to de"it the !athers
and leaders o! the 8arma and 8agyu tradition o! Tibetan Buddhism. The
symbol that is "iture de"its is one that the seret teahings o! +sotri
Buddhism an only be transmitted by initiation through student2disi"le lineage.
The dimensions o! religions 'ould sho' that an outsider 'ould not be able to
understand.