Qiqi Cai's Rubin Museum Project

Qiqi Cai

Professor Dana Trusso

HUP 105

18 April, 2017

Buddhism Tara

The museum I visited was Rubin Museum of New York. The artwork I choose was Goddess Tara, the period that this artwork was done was the 18th century. In its contextual meaning, Tara (Buddhism) is a female Buddha who is referred by different names in different Buddhism societies. She was one of the Bodhisattva, most ubiquitous Bodhisattva around. She was my first contact with the Bodhisattva, and could be found in my grandmother's house, so I was impressed by her. Because of her compassionate heart, many people believed in her.

In all the communities, Tara is represented as the mother of liberation and is associated with aspects of success and achievements in any work that she engages in. The artwork attached is one of the White Tara, also known as the White Liberator. She belongs to the Kriya classification of the Tantra. History has it that the White Tara emanated from the Green Tara. The one on the artwork has three eyes on her face, one on each of her hands and two more on her legs, reaching a total of seven. Her right-hand rests on her right knee, symbolizing her extreme generosity. The left hand, on the contrary, holds the stem of a green lotus. She is decorated with an assortment of jewelry and ornaments (Chakrabarty, 254).

Moreover, the drawings surrounding the White Tara are Buddhas who play significant roles in the kingdom. The red Amitabha sits at the top left corner, just above the Avalokiteshvara. At the top right is the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, who sits in the same position as Tara. She seems to be in deep meditation. Maitreya is found just below the Tara and seats in a posture likely to suggest that she is teaching.

As I know that the artwork presented is influenced by Buddhism. The art has evolved from as early as 5th and 6th century BC and spread from Asia to the rest of the countries of the world. The architecture is part and parcel of all Buddhists in the sense that their religion values every aspect of the art. Buddhists narratives were passed from generation to generation through word of mouth. They believed that it was easier for a child to get Buddhist concepts through seeing colorful drawings. The artwork is indeed colorful for any eye to ignore. It represents a Tara Buddhist who is devoted to ensuring a peaceful coexistence within the Buddhist community. Just by making a keen observation on the piece of art, it is clear that followers of the religion will be attracted to the message that is being conveyed (Claude, Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Laziz & Levenson, 98).

Artwork skills in the Buddhist world have to evolve significantly to what is seen today. The pre-iconic phase saw sculptors widely used to convey the life and teachings of Buddha. Women bodies were decorated using a variety of substances. The entire community had immense respect for the women since they ensured the religion did not become extinct. To protect them, all members were had no obligation but to respect the women. It was a blessing to have as many women as possible.

Buddhists worship in monasteries, temples or shrines while the Hindus worship purely in temples.  The difference between Buddhist and Hindu doctrines stem from the fact that Hinduism is all about comprehension of oneself while Buddhism entails believing in the absence of self or the soul. Buddhists refute the whole idea of an omnipotent and omnipresent God. Hindus have many gods, but give credit to the fact that Atnan created them. The goal of the Buddhist religion is to attain enlightenment and be released from the death and being born again (Nirvana). On the contrary, Hinduism is about being born, dying, reincarnated before they can attain salvation. The Buddhist Sangha is appointed to carry out the religious duties among the Buddhists, while there are no official clergies among Hindus. Finally, Buddhists and Hindus are differentiated by the scriptures they read. Buddhists have a Tripitaka, while Hindus read the Vedas, Puranas, Gita and other oral scriptures (Brach, 50).

There exists a few if any similarity between the two religions. Both of them prefer using statues and scriptures in during their time of worship. They have a similar place of origin, which happens to be the subcontinent of India. People in both religions practice meditation as a form of worship in their respective temples. In as much as the two categories of people have a different perspective on how they came into being, at least it is clear to both that someone somewhere was responsible for their existence.

Religion is defined as a system of faith that gives credit to the existence of supernatural being, who happens to be God in most cases. Going by this definition, it is impossible to categorize Buddhism as a religion. The teachings of Buddhism do not demand that its followers have blind faiths and hope for eternity. Adherents of the religion are encouraged to possess confidence and knowledge. A Buddhist does not owe their allegiance to Buddha in anticipation of eternity. Rather, they do so since it was Buddha alone that that discovered their path of deliverance.

For one to belong to Buddhism, they must acknowledge that knowledge and reasoning are the driving force of humanity. It is worth noting that the worship of images among Buddhists is done without expecting earthly or spiritual favors as is the case with other religions. There are no intercessory prayers among Buddhists since Buddha himself does not believe bring salvation among his people. In as much as there is nothing like faith among Buddhists, an image plays a crucial role in shaping their lives. Buddha’s image is taken to be a perfect embodiment of spirituality in the form that can be seen.  To this point, Buddhism cannot be classified as a religion but a system of life.

The experience of Buddhism has taught me a different aspect of life that was interestingly missing. The aspect of beauty and respect for humanity are not only admirable but also the way forward for other religions. I have been appalled by the artwork that symbolizes the creativity of Buddhists. The experience that I obtained from the reading video and documentary enabled me in understanding the nature of religion in a much more different and better way. I have learned that in spite of the differences in how people worship, a peaceful co-existence is mandatory (Scott, David & Tara Duncan, 320).

Furthermore, I have realized the uniqueness of Buddhism. I have for once understood that it is not just a religion but a body of reason and knowledge that no one can ignore. Reading or listening to their ideology critically makes one wonder about the truth in their religions. It is argued that worship of images and idols does is not imply that they expect good things from Buddha. It is just a spiritual connection that human beings must fulfill to be complete. The aspect of meditation is integral in our day-to-day activities. Meditation not only leads to purification and self-control but also enlightens a person. The same is true for all other religions only that they have not said before.

Works Cited

Brach, Tara. True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart. Bantam, 2016. Print.

Chakrabarty, Abhibrata. "Resistance in imaging women in the contemporary visual art of India." (2015).

Levenson, Claude B, Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Laziz Hamani, and Claude B. Levenson. Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. New York: Assouline, 2004. Print.

Scott, David, and Tara Duncan. "Symbolic interactionism." Encyclopedia of Tourism (2016): 922-923.