Founded over 2,500 years ago, Buddhism has been a universal religion based on the teachings of the Buddha that encourage followers to reason and question, even the teachings of the Buddha himself. The highest goal of Buddhism is to escape the cycle of death and rebirth by achieving enlightenment and entering a timeless state known as nirvana in which one is free of all desire. Buddhism is divided into several sects, the main ones are Theravada in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos ) which uses Pali texts, Mahayana in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam) which uses Sanskrit texts and Vajrayana (Tibet, Nepal). Chan is the oldest Mahayana school and the originating tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism from the 6th century. Vajrayana, also called Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism, is an outgrown of Mahayana Buddhism and most closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism developed about 500–600 C.E. in India.
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A stupa is a memorial shrine and a sacred burial mound to house sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other Buddhist saintly persons, a symbol of the Buddha’s enlightenment and a model of the Buddhist cosmos (McArthur, p. 179). Initially they were hemispherical mound-like shapes and were transformed in East Asia into a pagoda…
Made in Pagan this miniature hsun ok demonstrates the remarkable sense of design of Burmese wood carvers. It is crafted in two separate parts and replicates the shape of larger hsun-Ok, which traditionally have covers with spired lids topped by elegant finials that imitate the soaring outline of Burmese stupa finials. This modest piece has circular tiers repeated on the foot and the stupa finial top.
Mask carving is among the oldest of Tibetan art and folk-art forms dating to 6th century Bonpo dances, the religion predating Buddhism, that embraces animism and shamanism dances. Totem animal masks were traditionally used in sacred ceremonial dances: shamanic rituals to thank the gods, expel bad spirits, and ask for blessings; operas in performances without…
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