Introduction
A white marble Buddha sitting in a lotus pose on Mount Nakaked in the Chalonga district, guarding a temple dedicated to him. Believers come to him to worship and ask for health and wealth for themselves and their loved ones. It is pleasant to contemplate the sunset from the observation platform, freeing oneself from hectic thoughts. Thus, it is essential to explore this statue’s meaning and execution style.
Subject
It is important to note that the Seated Buddha pose is most often used for sculpture. This is because it means meditation and learning, which leads to enlightenment. At the same time, the Seated Buda can have different hand gestures. For example, if the left hand is depicted on the knee and the right hand is pointing down, this indicates that Buda is calling for respect for the earth. It is significant to mention that there are three Sitting Buda poses: virasana, vajrasana, and pralambanasana. The virasana position indicates that Buda will sit in a half-lotus pose. Then his legs are crossed, and one leg is visibly lifted. Vajrasana depicts Boudou in the lotus pose; the distinguishing feature of this statue is that the soles of his feet are turned upward (Strong 43). Pralambanasana demonstrates Boudou sitting on a chair; it is portrayed more in the European style.
Content
There are many poses in the Buddha, some symbolizing healing, others the bestowal of life. Moreover, the meaning of each pose is sometimes quite challenging to understand. The posture determines one or another state of the Buddha; if he is sitting in the lotus pose with his legs crossed, it means he is contemplating. The lotus in Buddhism symbolizes purity and perfection, as this flower, growing out of mud and silt, remains untainted (Strong 46). Buddhist meditation is traditionally performed in the lotus pose, and everyone can attend to its enlightenment.
Context
The Great Buddha of Thailand is the most prominent image of this deity in the country. It is located in the province of Angthong, in the district of Miang. Sitting in the lotus position Buddha was erected 18 years ago and reached 92 meters in height, while its width was 63 meters. Buddhism is the foundation of Thailand’s culture; about 95% of the country’s population follows Buddhism (Gombrich 90). On the principles of Buddhism, the rules of life of Thais are built. They follow the recommendations of the great Buddha in search of true happiness: non-violence, restraint, equilibrium, and help to all those in need.
Style
It is significant to remark that the sculpture has symbols of glow. That is, it is a flame on the head or a gold-plated surface (Seated Buddha). At the same time, the long earlobes extended through the years when he used to wear heavy earrings. The long fingers and the familiar lotus pose are also essential characteristics (Baker and Phongpaichit 81). Similarly, the right-hand placement outwardly indicates the Buddha’s bravery.
Medium
The tradition of sculpture production dates from Indian metallurgical techniques. The materials used for sculpture molding were gold, silver, and iron, with bronze being the most commonly used. It is noteworthy that there were specific requirements of tonometry in producing sculptural images of the Buddha. Most often, sculptures of Buddhist deities were made of different alloys, using hot and cold gilding (Wahab et al. 250). There were several methods of sculpture: the way of substituted wax and pecking.
Conclusion
Therefore, the depiction of the Buddha is a potent spiritual symbol that protects and assists people walking on the path of moral development. In addition, it is a symbol of abundance, happiness, good fortune, and cheerfulness in Thailand. Seated Buda demonstrates peace and meditation through lowered eyes, and his body, free from suffering, radiates bliss. Accordingly, this sculpture reveals Buda as an example of peace.
Works Cited
Baker, Chris, and Pasuk Phongpaichit. A History of Ayutthaya. Cambridge University Press, 2017.
Gombrich, Richard. What the Buddha Thought. Motilal Banarsidass, 2018.
“Seated Buddha”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Strong, J. S. (2018). Relics of the Buddha. In Relics of the Buddha. Princeton University Press.
Wahab, Zain Ul, et al. “Buddhist Gestures Demonstrating Gandhara Art.” FWU Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 12, no. 1, 2018, pp. 247-256.