Buddhist Art

Buddhist art includes statues, paintings and ritual items associated with Buddhism. Buddhists have used painted and carved images of enlightened beings including Buddhas, Guanyin, Bodhisattvas, Lohans, monks and other deities, attendants and acolytes for nearly two millennia to show devotees how Truth can be found within oneself through meditation and spiritual training. Statues of the Buddha and other enlightened beings are placed in temples, monasteries or home shrines as a reminder of the spiritual potential inherent within all of us to awaken to the Truth as the Buddha, a fellow human being, did. When one pays reverence to Buddhist images, they are not worshipping the image, rather the image reminds them of the great compassion of the Enlightened Ones who have taught them the way to liberation.