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A scholarly and fascinating explication of the Buddhism symbolism in the ancient silk painting “The Guiding Bohdisattva” in “The Cave Temples Of Dunhuang” exhibition at the British Museum.
Beautiful pictures of a glowing work of ancient art, and amazing cultural treasure.
Key Takeaways:
- The white silk banner held by the bodhisattva, for instance, suggests the importance of such banners in worship.
- These implements may have been used to incorporate scent into ceremonies and processions, thereby heightening the sacred dimension of rituals
- The Guiding Bodhisattva painting thus represents a fascinating fusion of the sensuous and the spiritual, visualizing an amalgam of our earthly experience and the world beyond.
“In Mahayana Buddhism, the form commonly practiced in East Asia, bodhisattvas are beings who have reached an advanced level of spiritual development and are resolved to become fully awakened—that is, to become Buddhas. Motivated by their deep compassion, they work tirelessly for the enlightenment of all living things.”
