Friday, June 27, 2014

Go around the world of Buddha 19: Birth of statue


a female image, Cyclades in Greece, the 2500 years B.C. 

< 1.  a female image, Cyclades in Greece, the 2500 years B.C.  >

Until now, we investigated the birth and the changes of the Buddha statue from various parts of Asia to India in the reverse direction.
The Buddha statue was born in India, was introduced from China to South Korea and Japan, and blossomed in each country.
From now on, I pursue the wonder of the birth of god statue around the world including Buddha statue.

今まで、仏像の誕生と変遷をアジア各地からインドへと逆に辿って来ました。
仏像はインドで誕生し、中国から韓国、日本へと伝わり、それぞれの地で開花しました。
これからは、仏像も含めた世界の神像誕生の不思議を追います。


one of Four Heavenly Kings in Korea

< 2.  one of Four Heavenly Kings in Korea >

The aim of this series
It was to investigate a relation of people and the religion by pursuing the changes of the Buddha statue.
Japanese have deep affinity for Buddha statue and will feel particularly artistic excellence from it.
However, it is not necessarily at one with the doctrine of the Buddhism.
The Buddha statue greatly changed in each country and the times, it was diversified, and it more became individual, and was mixed with other religion.
It may be said that it happened in the dimension being different from the original teaching of Buddha.

この連載の狙い
それは仏像の変化を追うことで、人々と宗教の関わりを探ることでした。
私達日本人は仏像に深い思い入れがあり、特に芸術的な味わいを感じておられることでしょう。
しかしそれは仏教の教説とは必ずしも一体ではありません。
仏像は国や時代により大きく変化し、多様化し、個性化し、さらに他宗教と混淆していきました。
それは本来の釈迦の教えとは別の次元で起こったと言えます。


one of Four Heavenly Kings in Japan, the 9th century A.D. 

< 3.  one of Four Heavenly Kings in Japan, the 9th century A.D. >

In other words, Buddha statue expression had been changed by the aboriginality culture of each country, the religion movement, the social situation, and the inflow of the foreign country culture.
In Japan, the aspect of the anger of Four Heavenly Kings statue was unique, when people of other country looked at it.
In the Korean Peninsula, the Buddha statue was greatly affected by the invasion of the different ethnic groups and the civil war even in Goryeo period having ardently taken care of the Buddhism.
In Cambodia and Thailand, the leadership struggle between Hinduism and Buddhism brought about the change and the mixture to Buddha statue, too.

つまり仏像表現は各国の土着文化と宗教運動、社会状況、さらには異国文化の流入によって変化し続けた。
日本において、四天王像の憤怒の形相は、他地域から見れば特異なものでした。
朝鮮半島において、仏教を篤く保護した高麗も、内乱と異民族侵攻により仏像は大きく影響を受けました。
カンボジヤやタイにおいて、ヒンドゥー教と仏教(大乗、小乗)の主導権争いも仏像に変化と混淆をもたらしました。


Buddha statue in Thailand, the 14th century

< 4.  Buddha statue in Thailand, the 14th century >

Another aim

I want to know why the production of the sacred statue suddenly began in spite of having been evading it by people.
The similar phenomenon happened all over the world.
These are in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto of Japan, etc.
As seen in my series " Birth of primitive art", human beings were producing and using many images that already had religious implications 30,000 years ago.  
However, it did not last long, changed the form and appeared suddenly in many cases.

もう一つの狙い
それは、なぜ尊像の製作が最初、忌避されていたにも関わらず、突如として起こったかと言う疑問を解き明かしたいからです。
これと似たことが世界で同じように起こった。
ユダヤ教、キリスト教、イスラム教、仏教、ヒンドゥー教、日本の神道などです。
連載「原初美術の誕生」で見たように、人類は3万年前、既に宗教的な意味合いを持った数々の像を製作し、使用していました。
しかし多くの場合、それは長続きせず、途切れ、形を変えて突如として姿を現しました。


Venus in Germany, 25,000 years ago

< 5.  Venus in Germany, 25,000 years ago >

From now on, searching the hint to clear up this mystery, I pursue the birth process of the statue in antiquity around the world.
Probably I may find a mystery of human beings even if I do not lead to deep truth.

From next time, I go round mysterious world in antiquity.


これからは、この謎を解くヒントを求めて、世界各地の古代を巡り、像誕生の経緯を追います。
おそらく深い真理には至らないでしょうが、何か人類の不思議に出くわせるかもしれません。

次回より、ミステリアスな古代、想像の世界を巡ります。



2 comments:

  1. I like your article. You want to investigate the relation between people and religion. Great posting

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow nice when i read your article. People and religion are always walk together

    ReplyDelete