An Exhibition of Buddhist Art in Singapore From A Positive Proven 2020
A special exhibition of rare, Buddhist artifacts is now ongoing in Singapore. The name of this event is “On The Nalanda Trail: Buddhism in India, China And Southeast Asia.” The venue is the Asian Civilizations Museum, in Singapore. This unique show runs from November 2, 2007 – March 23, 2008.
This exhibition was named “on The Nalanda Trial” because it traced the origins of Nalanda. There was a famous university in Nalanda, India. This institution attracted students worldwide since the 5th century C.E. This trend lasted for 700 years. This university taught advanced learning like anatomy and alchemy, but it was renowned for its quality Buddhist studies.
In religion, the revered are represented in objects. Disciples focus and concentrate better in front of an image. Hence the propagation of religious artifacts was widespread. The earliest concrete representations of Buddha were traced back to the 1st century C.E. There were stone and bronze sculptures of Buddha, bodhisattvas, deities and other legendary goddesses.
The studies of Buddhist scriptures and art showed that India was the first to set the style in Buddhist art. Thereafter, China and the rest of Southeast Asia followed suit. Gradually, as the artists in individual regions and countries grew more confident in their artistic imitations, they evolved to display their personal styles. These styles were also influenced by their local tradition and customs. In brief, the new styles reflected the local flavors of the regions.
The photograph showed a Buddha statue in a pose. He was depicted with many arms. Each position and gesture has a meaning. Although Buddha was a human, this image with many hands showed his reputed attributes. He was revered for his abilities to multi-task.
The Buddhists believe that a proper image of Buddha is a hypostasis. It meant that it was a spiritual emanation of Buddha and it possessed supernatural qualities. Buddha was never treated as a god but as an intermediary to communicate with the spirit world.
Some of the rare exhibits have never traveled out of their places of origins before. An exhibition is an excellent opportunity to see the wealth of centuries of art, conveniently placed under one roof. If you have the capacity to attend, please do not pass up this opportunity.
Buddhist Art in Singapore 2020
Category: Culture
