Heilbrunn Timeline Of Art History: The Birth Of The Buddha

The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is a historical figure, founder of philosophy and religion Buddhist, the first major world religion, which soon spread throughout Asia. The story goes that the Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in terms of a family of Kshatriyas. His birth was announced in the dream of his father, in the same, Siddhartha became a beggar. To avoid this, Gautama is deprived of his liberty soon after, but when he grows old escapes and discover pain. Time after he says goodbye to his family and becomes a monk in order to find out why people suffer. In his journey he meets yogis and ascetics, and decides to sit below a Bodhi tree until he finds that the reason for human suffering is desire. The Buddha in meditation finally comes

to the enlightenment, a state called nirvana, he had to free himself away from the pain and suffering of the outside world. Gautama died at age 80 after a life of professing his philosophy. During the following centuries, Buddhist philosophy was fragmented into different groups according to the interpretation of each, giving different symbolism and representations to the Buddha iconography, but the essence is always the same.
The Buddha's message directed to the common men had to do with the simplicity which urges the follower to wear a virtuous and modest life. The Buddha teachings professes in the middle path, the four noble truths, which can be interpreted as a process for the soul as part of the symptom, the diagnosis, the possibility of recovery and subsequent prescription, the way the cessation of suffering. The first noble truth is that everything is suffering, evidencing the existence of pain; the Second, the cause of pain is suffering, and this is because of the ignorance of people to the three characteristics of existence: impermanence, suffering and there not being as everything is fleeting. Thirdly how to get rid of Suffering is rid of desire, through enlightment.
Finally, the fourth Truth has to do with following the path of the eightfold path, which is detailed right to on the teachings of the Buddha and the difference between good and evil. Right thought, has to do with thinking about the truth, again Buddha's teachings, and to reach the domain of ourselves. Correct speech is to not lie, slander or talk others. Correct Action follow the five precepts, not to kill, not to steal, not sexual sin, do not lie or consume alcohol. Also it includes four unlimited virtues; kindness, compassion, and joy and equanimity solidarity that means remain calm, which is possible after meditation. Right Livelihood; have a right livelihood, some occupations are banned the faithful Buddhists, such as selling weapons, a butcher, produce intoxicants, among others, and the others are ‘Right effort’, ‘Right Mindfulness’, ‘Right Concentration’.
According to the website “Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History”, the article “Muromachi Period (1392 – 1573)” states, “The era when members of the Ashikaga family occupied the position of shogun is known as the Muromachi period, named after the district in Kyoto where their headquarters was located.” ‘The Birth of the Buddha’ is a perfect example of ‘The Life of the Buddha’, because the painting shows how the life and people in Japan used to dress up in that period of time.

According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website, “The nativity, with its symbolism of cosmic renewal, is one of the most important events in the story of the Buddha's life and is celebrated as an annual rite on the Buddhist ritual calendar. A reenactment of the first bath, where a small icon of the standing child with arm raised in the gesture of proclamation is placed in a basin and purified with water, is a significant part of this celebration. This rare and unusual fourteenth-century painting most likely decorated a temple hall as part of a complete cycle of events from the Buddha's life used to instruct worshippers.” The painting of ‘The Birth of the Buddha’ doesn’t have a painter because up to this point in life, the painting continues to have an anonymous artist. All that it shows is that it was painted in Japan from 1000 – 1400 A.D. According to the ‘Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website the painting is formed like this, “Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573), Date: early 15th century, Culture: Japan, Medium: Section of a wall panel mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk, Dimensions: 29 1/2 x 43 7/8 in. (75 x 111.5

cm).”
The second example of ‘The Life of the Buddha’ is ‘Fasting Siddhartha’. This sculpture and reflects what the Buddha put his body and himself to go through in the time when he only meditated and starved himself for days to reach the so-called enlightment and the maximum control over his body. According to the website “Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History”, the article “Fasting Siddhartha” says, “After renouncing his luxurious existence in search of an end to the suffering caused by infinite rebirths, Siddhartha went through six years of profound austerity. At one point, he is said to have eaten only a few grains of rice a day. This subject originated with the artists of ancient Gandhara (an area encompassing parts of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), who clearly emphasized Siddhartha's emaciated body; his visible ribs and veins are poignant testimony to years of spiritual trials. The theme was common in Gandhara and though it is not found in later Indian Buddhist sculpture, it reappears in Chinese and Japanese art of the Chan/Zen tradition.” The period of this sculpture was the Kushan period which it was when the third emperor Kanisha ruled the northwest of India and some other regions. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website, the sculpture is formed like this, Period: Kushan period, Date: 3rd–5th century, Culture: Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara), Medium: Schist, Dimensions: H. 10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm).”