The University of Kansas

Unknown artist (Japan)

Standing Amida Buddha, 15th centruy
wood
Gift of Dr. W. Clarke and Barbara Benton Wescoe Fund, 90.80

Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th century, when images and scriptures were sent to the Yamato court by the King of Paekche on the Korean peninsula. Buddhism provided the main vehicle for transmission of philosophy, science, medicine, and the arts to the Japanese islands, as it did elsewhere in Asia.

The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni [meaning sage of the Sakya clan], was born to the royal Sakya family as Prince Siddhartha Gautama and lived from 563 to 483 B. C. E. At age twenty-nine the prince left his home and life of luxury in search of an answer to the inevitable pain and sorrow that he saw as inherent to human existence. When practicing extreme asceticism for six years failed to progress his search, the prince changed his approach. Finally, he achieved enlightenment while sitting in meditation beneath the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha, with means the Enlightened One. Sakyamuni spent the remainder of his life as a great teacher.

Buddhist imagery is classified into several categories, with the primary groups being Buddhas, shown clothed only in a monk’s robe and either standing or seated cross-legged in the full lotus position, and bodhisattvas depicted in jeweled princely garb wearing richly ornamented headdresses (often missing over time) that covers hair piled into a high topknot. The bodhisattva’s appearance recalls Sakyamuni’s royal heritage. Among the characteristics common to both classes of images are the urna or "all-seeing" third eye in the center of the forehead, a rounded protuberance on the top of the head [usnisa], and elongated earlobes from the wearing of heavy earrings. The high topknots on the two Chinese images shown from the Spencer collection, one a standing stone figure and the other a large wooden head, indicate that they are bodhisattvas.

Buddhist art also depicts a vast array of deities (oftentimes with a wrathful demeanor) with multiple arms, legs and heads to represent their powers to vanquish ignorance and evil. These images reflect the lasting influence of native Indian traditions on Buddhist art.

Buddhist schools of thought that expanded on the original principles taught by Sakyamuni explained that he was only one manifestation of a universal principle and that he was only one of countless numbers of Buddhas in innumerable universes. Along with Sakyamuni, the "historical Buddha" who actually walked on our earth, other important Buddhas include Amitabha, the "Lord of the Western Paradise"; Bhaisajyaguru, the "healing Buddha"; and Maitreya, the "Buddha of the future." There are also innumerable bodhisattvas, beings who have attained ultimate enlightenment but remain in our world to work for the salvation of all sentient beings. The most popular is the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokite_vara (called Guanyin in China and Kannon in Japan).

The Spencer’s standing wooden sculpture is an image of Amit_bha (Amida in Japanese). Buddha images can often be identified according to the mudr_s, or symbolic positions of he hands. Here the right hand is raised in the symbol for "fear not" and the left hand is held in the sign of charity.