Two Sculptures of the Buddha

The first work is a wooden statue of the Yakushi Nyorai, the healing Buddha or the Buddha of medicine, from the early Heian period (circa 793 A.D.). It is located in the Jingoji temple at Kyoto. The statue was sculpted from a single piece of cypress wood which was left in its natural state. Painted detailing was applied only to the eyes and lips. This bare-wood style derived from the example of Chinese sandalwood sculptures (Kidder 22). The figure stands on a lotus blossom and is back by a simply ornamented halo and screen that barely protrude beyond the outline of the shoulders and head. The statue measures 5 feet 6.8 inches

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in which the thumbs meet over the interlaced fingers as the hands rest in the lap, palms up. In the particular variation of the jo-in employed at Byodoin, the bent index fingers are placed back-to-back. The jo-in symbolizes "the complete absorption of thought by intense contemplation of a single object of meditation" which results in the mind detaching itself from the 'real' world in order for the worshiper to identify entirely with the Supreme Unity (Saunders 87). The jo-in is symbolic of Guatama's attainment of Buddhahood during his period of contemplation under the bo tree. The simple differences in the two Buddhas under consideration are due in part to the fact that they represent two different manifestations of the Buddha. But the prevalence of the types of Buddha and the changes in artistic style were due to the change in religious traditions from the early to the late Heian period. In the late eighth century the monks of Nara had become involved in the business of the imperial Court "to the detriment of proper administration" (Stanley-Baker 59). In China such interference often resulted in active suppression of Buddhism, but in Japan the unusual method of moving the court was employed. The Court also encouraged th
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2240
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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