Go around the world of Buddha statues ４: Buddha statue of Asia 1

 

＜　Great Buddha of Kamakura, Japan, the 13^th century 　＞

I introduce representative Buddha statues of Asia in twice.

The Buddha statue began to be made from about the 1st century in India, and spread in East Asia and Southeast Asia.

The Buddha statue comes to have a characteristic style before long in each place.

今回は、アジア各地の代表的な仏像を２回に別けて紹介します。

仏像はインドで1世紀頃から造られ始め、東アジアと東南アジアに広がっていきました。

やがて仏像は、各地で特徴ある様式を持つようになります。

＜　Asia map ＞

The Buddhism of each country was affected by the intention of the dynasty, their own culture, and the competition with other religion.

In East Asia, Buddhism and Confucianism mainly competed.

In south and Southeast Asia, Islam and Hinduism competed with Buddhism

Furthermore, the difference between Mahayanist Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism brought the difference between Buddha statues of East Asia and Southeast Asia.

I chose best one from a multitude of Buddha statues of each country and introduce it to you.

Buddhism died out in some countries, and the temples and the Buddha statues became inheritances.

I intend to choose the Buddha statues of when the Buddhism of each country has been the best days.

それぞれの国の仏教は、王朝の意向、文化、他の宗教との競合によって影響を受けました。

東アジアでは主に仏教と儒教が競合しました。

南・東南アジアではイスラム教とヒンドゥー教が仏教と競合することになりました。

さらに大乗仏教と小乗仏教の違いが、東アジアと東南アジアの仏像に違いをもたらすことになる。

今回は、数ある中から各国一つを選んで紹介します。

国によっては仏教が廃れ、遺産になってしまったのもあります。

概ね、各国の仏教が盛期であった頃の仏像を選んだつもりです。

＜　Great Buddha of Kamakura, Japan, the 13th century ＞

The Buddhism was born in India, but it began to decline from when Hinduism became the state religion.

Furthermore it was thoroughly destroyed and oppressed by Islamic influence in the 13th century, and almost disappeared.

仏教はインドで誕生したが、５世紀、ヒンドゥー教が国教になると衰退し始め、１３世紀にはイスラム勢力によって徹底的に破壊・弾圧され、ほとんど姿を消した。

この遺跡に最後の栄華を留め、インド仏像史約５００年の幕を閉じることになった。

＜　Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, the 12 th century 　＞

Although Buddhism already had been introduced into here in the third century BC, making Buddha statues became the 4th century.

It was late like India in where the stupa preceded the Buddha statue for several centuries.

Buddhism was protected by the dynasty from generation to generation, and became a leader of Southeast Asia as for Hinayana Buddhism at the 12-13th century.

This Buddha statue is a thing in the days of the golden age.

The most popular religion is Hinayana Buddhism still now.

この地に仏教が伝来したのは紀元前3世紀と古いが、インドと同じくストゥーパーが先行し仏像が造られるのは遅れて4世紀以降になる。

仏教は代々王朝に保護され、１２～１３世紀には小乗仏教で東南アジアの師匠格となった。

この仏像は最盛期の頃のものです。

現在も一番の宗教は小乗仏教です。

＜　Longmen Grottoes, China, the 7th century　＞

The Buddha statue production of China was transmitted from Silk Road, began in the 4th century, prospered in the 8th century, and still is continuing.

This Buddha statue was the same type as Great Buddha of Nara that would be built after five decades.

The religion was prohibited by Communist Party nation birth, but the most popular religion has no change besides Buddhism.

中国の仏像制作はシルクロードより伝わり、４世紀に始まり、8世紀に盛期を迎え、その後も続いた。

この仏像は如来で、半世紀後に造られた奈良の大仏と同じタイプです。

共産国家誕生で宗教は封殺されたが、国民の一番の宗教は仏教に変わりはない。

＜　Sokkuram Grotto, South Korea, the 8th century 　＞

The Buddha statue of the Korean Peninsula was built from around the 5th century, and developed.

However, since the last Korean dynasty made Confucianism the state religion and oppressed Buddhism at the end of the 14th century, the vigor of the Buddha statue was lost.

This Buddha statue reminds us of former times, but the most popular religion continues being Buddhism still now.

On the next time, I introduce Buddha statues of Southeast Asia to you.

朝鮮半島の仏像は５世紀頃から造られ、発展していった。

しかし最後の朝鮮王朝が14世紀末、儒教を国教にし仏教を弾圧した為、仏像に勢いはなくなった。

この仏像は往時を偲ばせるが、現在も国民の一番の宗教は仏教であり続けている。

次回は、東南アジアを紹介します。