Comparative Arts

1. Comparative Arts Indian Civilizations and Southeast Asia October 6, 2010

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=872LRkujZ3E

3. South Asia and Southeast Asia played important roles in early trade routes, both land routes and maritime - both regions were connected to China, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean These early global connections can be seen in the religion, arts, literature, architecture, culture, etc in these regions

4. India vs. South Asia – what is the difference?

5. Ancient South Asia Indus River Valley Civilization • Ancient cultures emerged in what is now Pakistan and India in the Indus Valley during the Bronze Age, 3300-1900 BCE • Scholars estimate there were over 500 cities in this region at its peak • The people had a written language, although it has not yet been deciphered • Millions of bricks were taken from ancient cities by the British to create a foundation for the railroad they built in the 1800s • Locals also used ancient bricks for their homes – the destruction of early cities limits our understanding of early Indus civilization • The word Hindu derives from Sindhu, the Sanskrit name for the Indus River

6. Many seals have been excavated in the Indus Valley, 3000-1500 BCE They feature a written language that has not yet been deciphered

7. Mohenjo-Daro The best preserved city in the Indus Valley.

8. Mohenjo-Daro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdGbamPgf8o

9. Ancient society in South Asia • Several major world religions emerged in India: Hinduism and Buddhism (as well as the Sikh religion) • The origins of Hinduism are unknown, believed to date back as early as 1500 BCE • Society was extremely hierarchical and people were divided into five castes: (from highest to lowest) • Brahmin – priests and scholars • Kshatriya – rulers and warriors • Vaishya – artisans and merchants • Shudra – unskilled workers • Untouchables – so scorned that they were not even considered a caste • The caste system is now banned but is still important in many aspects of social life (esp. marriage)

10. Religion and religious texts • Two major world religions emerged from South Asia: Hinduism and Buddhism, which challenged Hinduism’s hereditary class structure, or caste system • Like ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hinduism has a pantheon of gods and goddesses who have special purposes • However, unlike these other religions, these gods and goddesses are believed to be different manifestations of the one essence of everything • Hinduism has multiple religious texts, written in Sanskrit: • Vedas • Upanishads • BhagavadGita • Mahabharata

11. Hindu beliefs • Hinduism is formed from various traditions and has no single founder or founding moment (unlike Christianity, Islam or Buddhism) – believed to emerge around 1500 BCE • Hindus believe in reincarnation and the notion of karma, a system of moral cause and effect in which one’s current life was determined by one’s actions in previous lives • Hinduism is considered to be the oldest living religious tradition • Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam – more than 1 billion followers • One is re-born until all karma is shed and one reaches moksa (liberation, release, freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth, everlasting happiness and peace – referred to as nirvana in Buddhism) • Upon moksa, atman (the soul) united with the cosmic spirit • The cycle of action, reaction, birth, death and rebirth is called samsara http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKE7enkhZyo

12. Major Hindu Gods Brahmin (the creator), Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the preserver) Ganesh, elephant god of prosperity, one of the most popular Hindu gods

13. Incarnations of the Hindu god, Vishnu

14. Vishnu as depicted in Indonesian wayangkulit, or shadow puppet theatre The Hindu epics have been performed in Indonesian wayangkulit for over 1,000 years, even after most Indonesian converted to Islam in around the 14th century http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVN-Df2Hatc

15. Gods and goddesses featured on temples tell stories from the Hindu religious texts

16. Unlike in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, Hindu gods and goddesses continue to be worshipped

17. Hindu temples Hindu temples – modeled after the holy Mount Meru, abode of the gods

19. The Srivijaya Empire

20. Hindu temple, Bali, Indonesia • Hinduism in Southeast Asia • Spread from India to what is now Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia in around 200 CE • only the island of Bali, Indonesia is still predominantly Hindu • Hinduism adapted to local culture and was expressed through local artistic traditions

21. Ramayana • One of Hinduism’s holy texts • Depicts the duties of relationships and portrays ideal characters: ideal servant, ideal brother, ideal wife, ideal king, etc • Tells the story of Prince Rama (an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu) and Sita • Sita is out in the forest and is kidnapped by Ravana, the evil demon king • Rama tries to get her back • After many adventures and battles, he gets Sita back but questions her purity • Sita must undergo ‘purity’ tests to determine whether she has been loyal to Rama while kidnapped by Ravana (!) • The Southeast Asian versions of the Ramayana differ from the Indian ones: new characters, different ending, also used as entertainment Ramayana dance, Indonesia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMdE3fbBp_0 Ramayana wayangkulit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVxPoRu2bw&feature=related

23. Buddhism • emerged in the 5th century BCE in what is now northern India, some say southern Nepal • Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond • The two main types of Buddhism are Theravada and Mahayana

24. Location of followers of Buddhists today

25. Prince Siddhartha: The Buddha • Siddhartha was a prince in Lumbini, India / Nepal (563-483 BCE) and was raised to eventually become the king • After his birth, an astrologer prophesized that Siddhartha would either become a great king or renounce the material world to become a holy man • His father tried to shelter him, but Siddhartha ventured out of the palace and four sights transformed him: an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic holy man • Siddhartha abandoned his royal life to take up a spiritual quest • Studied with famous religious teacher • Sat under Bodhi tree to meditate until enlightenment • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LfOl0iRdu8&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-nKJFJakW0&feature=related

26. Key beliefs of Buddhism • Buddhism emerged in part as a response to the hierarchical nature of Hinduism, the many powerful Hindu priests, and the lack of opportunity to reach release from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in one’s lifetime • Buddhism does build on Hinduism and there are many parallels between the religions (reincarnation, same ultimate goal but difference paths to reach it, karma, yoga as connected to religious beliefs and practices, moksha/nirvana) • Buddha preached the Four Noble Truths: • Life is Suffering • This suffering has a cause, which is ignorance • Ignorance can be overcome and eliminated • The way to overcome ignorance: follow the Eightfold Path of right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration • The Four Noble Truths are Buddha’s recommendation to his followers as to how they can quell their desire for material things (the root of all suffering) and reach nirvana in their lifetimes • A Buddha is someone who has reach near total enlightenment but who has vowed to help others achieve Buddhahood

27. Buddhist architecture • The key type of Buddhist architecture is the stupa, a mound-like structure containing relics of the Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship • Buddha’s remains were cremated and distributed to eight stupas • The emperor Ashoka dug up the remains and distributed them to thousands of stupas Great stupa, Sanchi, India

28. Stupa at Sarnath, India – oldest stupa in the world Stupa in Sri Lanka – one of the original eight

30. What are some distinctive features you notice about the Buddha’s body?

31. What differences can you observe between these Buddhas?

32. Not actually a Buddha! Budai, an eccentric Chinese Zen Buddhist monk, not a depiction of Buddha Unlike Buddha, Budai is not tall and slender

33. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist King (273-232 BCE) • A warrior kill, appalled by the carnage he inflicted on the battle field • After seeing a monk walking among the dead, he was moved to decry violence and spread the teachings of the Buddha • This was the main period in which Buddhism spread • He erected over 8,400 Buddhist shrines and monuments, including his famous pillars

34. The spread of Buddhism, thanks to Ashoka