Exploring India

[Water Car Engineer]

Originally these female goddesses never had multiple arms.

2000+ years ago

They had weapons sticking out of their hair. Every weapon known to Indians.

Then around the Gupta era(1600+) you start to see these goddesses with multiple arms holding the weapons.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

^^^ If you want to see the "thousand-hand dance of Guanyin": check this out:

EDIT: Here is a higher quality one. Skip to about 1:30 in the video to get right into it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8qYtHreFv8

 

[Joe Shearer]

Actually, since a lot of discussion is about Buddhism, I would include Nepal and, especially, Afghanistan.

Although I don't know if Afghanistan was ever considered part of greater India (outside the Maurya empire).

Also not sure what role Sri Lankans (Sinhalese) played in all this.

Please don't let's get started on Hindu geography and Jambudvipa, or we'll never end this thread in the next hundred years. Just a thought to lure you into the maze: the borderlands up until Kandahar were ruled by an Indian dynasty until late in the 10th century. They were driven back in a fighting retreat over nearly a century, and their extinction pave the way for the next wave of incursions after the Huns.

In Buddhist terms, the Sri Lankans were part of a different camp, the Theravada. Honk if you want an explanation.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Ashoka the Great(left) sends his daughter to Sri Lanka. His daughter gives the Sri Lankans(right) a Bodhi tree sapling. Sri Lanka converts to Buddhism with the Mauryans push.

The artist used these to model Ashoka.

 

[zaxcolix]

An interesting reaction. In my view, universities were a Buddhism phenomenon, not Hindu. I cannot think of a Hindu university. This is not a studied or informed response; anybody with facts to the contrary is welcome to cite those.

We cannot blame the Brahmins for the universities ;-) but we can remember that the Buddhists were inveterate wanderers Nd traveled widely bearing the Buddha's message.

......that part was said in jest but these institutions were not created in vacuum.

Institution building and natural evolution of schools into universities was my main point. Buddhist philosophy and institutions were built on the existing Hindu culture that existed earlier and partnered it.

Evolution of Buddhist philosophy and related intuition building follows same path as the evolution of the Upanishads using astika and nastika school of thought. Its follows the same six chief philosophical systems (saddarsana) in Hinduism i.e Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisesika. If you look at major Buddhis philosophical works by Nagarjuna, Dignaga, Dharmakirti and Dharmottara you can see the easily see the influence of Hindu school of thought.

One of the most important factors that helped building these universities was active seeking of patronage of the state by the buddhists monks.

 

[l3hdf]

Guanyin's full name is Guanshiyin. It is a literal translation of Avalokitesvara.

Guanshiyin (观世&#38899 = "Observing the sounds/cries of the world."

She is the Goddess of compassion and loved in all of East Asia.

Her depictions in art leave an impact on the mind, so peaceful, calm and other worldly.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

^^^ Wow what a nice post.

I also recommend you watch the video I posted above for a classical dance interpretation of Guanyin as well!

 

[Star Wars]

Seems like the Lotus flower seems to have a very strong meaning to Indian and East Asian Dieties ...

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Seems like the Lotus flower seems to have a very strong meaning to Indian and East Asian Dieties ...

Mostly Indian, then spread to the places influenced by Buddhism or Hinduism.

 

[Star Wars]

Maybe going a bit off course,....but i could not resist

One Awesome kickass looking Lord Ram

 

[Joe Shearer]

......that part was said in jest but these institutions were not created in vacuum.

Institution building and natural evolution of schools into universities was my main point. Buddhist philosophy and institutions were built on the existing Hindu culture that existed earlier and partnered it.

Evolution of Buddhist philosophy and related intuition building follows same path as the evolution of the Upanishads using astika and nastika school of thought. Its follows the same six chief philosophical systems (saddarsana) in Hinduism i.e Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisesika. If you look at major Buddhis philosophical works by Nagarjuna, Dignaga, Dharmakirti and Dharmottara you can see the easily see the influence of Hindu school of thought.

One of the most important factors that helped building these universities was active seeking of patronage of the state by the buddhists monks.

This is not accurate. There were connections, but the contradictions were so huge that they obscure all else.

 

[zaxcolix]

This is not accurate. There were connections, but the contradictions were so huge that they obscure all else.

Can you expand on that ? .......or even point me in the right direction...

 

[Mech]

@T.R.

Thank you again for that amazing post.

 

[Developereo]

In Buddhist terms, the Sri Lankans were part of a different camp, the Theravada. Honk if you want an explanation.

I mentioned Sri Lanka because some Vietnamese friends told me their Buddhism is closer to Sri Lanka's than Chinese/Japanese.

Anyway, fascinating discussion. Thanks.

 

[Shinigami]

An actual dothead in east asian art! thats a huge shock