Page 20 - Christie's Buddhist Art May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

A MONUMENTAL SEATED MEDICINE BUDDHA

Robert D. Mowry
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus,
Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s

This magnificent lacquered-and-gilt-wood sculpture represents a Buddha ᪹ډՋˠ☸
ד ۬ as indicated by the robes, urna, ushnisha, benevolent countenance,
distended earlobes, small snail-shell curls of hair, and webbed fingers. It is ྼ⽖ᕱ⣐᭿㕹Ⳝສζঙӏ
typically represented by a painted disk or an inset cabochon jewel and often ᤀῊ
incorrectly termed a ‘third eye’ or even a caste mark, the urna ݏᬩ is the curl ޯζ૯ೀⳔ⻒ښḵ㩉̯ᨕ㒴᝟ㅁ˹ͯᔎ
of white hair between the Buddha’s eyebrows from which issues a ray of light ωૈྴ㭙♒㧣ࠑ
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illuminating all worlds ⏫㧿ݏ . The ushnisha ד㮱 , or cranial protuberance
atop the head, symbolizes the expanded wisdom that the Buddha gained at
his enlightenment ⵐᓽ ; it serves as the Buddha’s diagnostic iconographic
᫉ཉណ⫭ᶜ㞖㫌۬㫇༏ⵖ⧻卿Ԗ㯪՞⁒㫍הۿؗ
feature, as only Buddhas possess an ushnisha. The gilded surfaces not only
ᏢᏳ卿ֿ㈊ݯㄘㅝǮ⏫㧿ݏᬩǮ㮱⊂⪼㶌卿▵ካ
make the sculpture appropriate for representing a deity but symbolize the
ኙየǮ㫐⪆ௗ㧩Ǯ㯔⊂に㶂কᑨ㧿⣥⥑卿ஙஙك
light that, according to the sacred texts, or sutras ד⣌ , radiates from his body.
ᛓד㩜ԠᇨǯǸݏᬩǹᛓᑨד⏫㧿ᚅ⊂⎏⎊ᬝ卿
The Buddha sits in padmasana ⸥ⵖஶ , better-known in English as the lotus ᗌ㊯⏫㧿ݏ㑷ज᛿ᾅഌࢨӽ⊤卿㙁۬അ⊇㯭ᙠ⥾
position, a cross-legged sitting position, or asana ஶ , in which the feet are Ӭ஋ᆨᎵ㧏⾰㬷༾⒢׹ヿ→卿ֿ჎ㄴ㊩ἃǸ✄Ӳ

placed on the opposing thighs, soles up, the right foot atop the left thigh ␓ǹᎵ♎ඊ᧐㊗ǯ ד㩜㮱ӳ߃㑌⎏⪼㶌ࣽलǸד
and thus concealing from view the left shin and foot. The Buddha lowers 㮱ǹ卿㎜ᇨൈ׹㌴ነⵐᓽᇌדᜊ஋ᶕ厎᫉ԛד㩜
his right hand in the varada-mudra ⯝㯳ࣇ , or gift-giving gesture, in which
⁞ᝳԠ⏟卿അ⊇הד㩜⎏㦶ߣ⁞ᇨǯד㵲㤒㞖Ӷ
the open hand rests on the right knee, palm outward, signifying that the
ۣ⯝㫌۬⎏▵■㕇֍⏟♑卿ᝤ㎜ᇨԻד⣌Ꮢᑨד
Buddha is preaching ㊯ᯧ and is ready to answer prayers and give blessings.
㵲ᾃ⎉⎏㕇ݏǯ
The left hand rests in his lap, palm upward, in the dhyana-mudra ◲໸ࣇ , or
meditation gesture. In fact, the combination of right hand in varada-mudra
ទཉ⏎⭯⢙⸥ⵖஶ卿⭧ᓈង഍卿ठ㑷⧡ᙻႚഌ⭯
and left hand in dhyana-mudra indicates that this sculpture represents the
Medicine Buddha, known in Sanskrit as Bhaisajyaguru and in Chinese as ӳ卿ݯӴႚཎ⭯কႚ㑷Ӷज㇦ǯד㩜ठᏛௗᘞᙻ
Yaoshifo ⻹Ⴧד . ठ⮅Ԡӳ卿ᙼ⯝㯳ࣇ卿ᓈᇵཌം卿㎜ᇨד㩜᫈ங
㊯ᯧ卿Ԇཌؼ␕⎏▴◸□㯳ᝳ᭯ᇷ፽ǯד⎏ႚᏛ
Like all Buddhas, the Medicine Buddha is an enlightened being who has ⧡ᙻഌ⭯Ԡӳ卿ᓈᇵង഍卿ᙼ◲໸ࣇǯԿ༰ӳ卿
entered nirvana ᱯ ᦏ and who shows unbiased compassion for all living 㘺♎ठᏛᙼ⯝㯳ࣇ⯝ႚᏛᙼ◲໸ࣇ⎏⢑भ卿᫈ᛓ
beings. In particular, he protects all beings from illnesses—whether physical,
⻹Ⴧד卻ᢹᙔलἃ #IBJTBKZBHVSV卼⎏᧐ᴽ㙁௛ǯ
mental, emotional, or spiritual—just as he also protects them from other
dangers and obstacles; in addition, he helps them to eradicate the three
⻹Ⴧד㒛ݯձד㩜Ӭ᧙卿كྏႡ㌴ⵐᓽᇑݣᱯᦏ
poisons Ӳᬖ —attachment ㏗ , hatred ⑏ , and ignorance ⌝ —which are the
Ԡ㈅⩢卿▜጑ኙἃ᎜卿ཌ␕⊂Ӭ㇬ऱգ卿㚍⬒ἃ
source of all passions, delusions, illnesses, and dangers. 2
␕⊂ᯎ⋹ᱲỖ卿ᑄ㩶Ӭߏ㕇㵲Ǯ⠢▵ǮካዷᎵᇵ
The Medicine Buddha’s teachings are transmitted in the Bhaisajyaguru- 㬦ԠⲌ卿ᄊ׉ӽ՞ݒ㙷ࣈ༊୷ࣖǯ▜ᝤ⬒ࢇཌྷ՞
vaiduryaprabharaja Sutra ⻹Ⴧ↝∇ݏൈ׹ទ㯳࠻ᇪ⣌ , best-known in English ᇵ⎏㏗Ǯ⑏Ǯ⌝Ӳᬖ卿Ք࣊㋭അፁឃǮൊሗক⋹

as the Medicine Buddha Sutra, which characterizes him as a bodhisattva who ⲌԠᴹǯ

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