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…
Used in Theravada Buddhism in Burma/Myanmar a larger hsun ok is a vessel with a round bowl set on a pedestal that flares out to a circular foot-ring, with the top surmounted by a stupa like spire finial. Referred to as an offering vessel, traditionally many Burmese households use large ones to routinely bring offerings…
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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