1. Buddhism `

2. The Dream of Maya, Barhut c.100-80 BCE
Narrative Art: How do artists use images to tell stories? How do artists differentiate extraordinary events from ordinary events?
Text and Image, registers, continuous narrative, monoscenic (single scene), synoptic (jumbled), use of perspective,

3. Maya’s Dream, Birth of the Buddha c.100-80 BCE
Synoptic narrative
Aniconic representation of Buddha: Buddha as a cloth (scene 3) and in scene 4 as a cloth and with little footprints where Maya takes Buddha to a Yaksha for his blessing.
Iconic representations appeared in the 1st C CE
The king being told of his son’s future
Maya’s dream
Maya giving birth – holding a tree like a yakshi (a female nature spirit associated with trees & fertility), Buddha as a cloth
Maya takes buddha to a Yaksha for his blessing. Buddha as cloth, with little footprints
A lack of individuality can actually make the story more accessible. The stylized is preferred over the naturalistic

4. Bud- Siddhartha leaving the palace, relief, BMFA

6. Buddhist, Buddha at Moment of Enlightenment, Meditating Under Bodhi Tree, Gandharan, 100s Freer

7. Buddhist, B in Earth-Touching Pose

8. Buddhist, Buddha's 1st Sermon, Turning of the Wheel, Freer

9. The Great Stupa at Sanchi.
Madhya Pradesh, India. Buddhist, Late Sunga Dynasty c BCE – 100 CE Stone masonry, sandstone on dome
Stupa at Sanchi
Sacred Space: How do artists shape beliefs, ideas, attitudes, and behaviors of people? How do artists differentiate extraordinary places from ordinary places?
The architect for a sacred space has to answer several questions:
1. Is there communal ritual? If yes, how is that going to affect the design of the
space? Size and structural support
2. Does the Ritual involve the participants moving around within the structure? If
yes, then what does the arch. have to make sure the space provides? Is
there a clearly defined ritual pathway?
3. Does the ritual require that the participants be able to see a focal point? How
does this affect the structural support?
4. How can transitions from ordinary, secular space into increasingly sacred
space be facilitated? Light - the transition from light to dark as you transition
from profane to sacred. Size - The more sacred a space is the smaller it is
and the fewer people are allowed in.
5. How can the structure and its ornamentation be a visual representation of the
religious beliefs of the participants?
Function of the stupa: A Symbol of the Buddha
Commemoration: A site for relics a “burial mound”. The stupa itself is classified as a relic
Worship: Pradakshina=circumambulation. Stupas are worshipped by walking around them clockwise.
The right shoulder (the auspicious side) always closest to stupa.
Cosmological Diagram: The stupa’s dome is heaven. It encompassed a world and floats on the cosmic ocean
Represents the creation of the Universe (an Indra myth)
The yashti is a pole (Indra’s pole) which anchors the earch to the cosmic ocean.
At Sanchi a wooden yashti was found with blue tiles at the bottom base (representing water)

10. Bud- Sanchi north gate illustrating Jataka tales, 1c BCE (Ions 96)

12. Buddhist, Standing Buddha, Gandharan, broken halo; Buddhist, Gandharan Standing Buddha, 1-2c CE; Buddhist, Gandharan Standing Buddha, 2-3c CE 7ft6in

13. Buddhist, Gandharan Standing Buddha; Buddhist, Greek High Classical, Polykleitos, Doryphorus, ~450 BCE; Roman, A Roman Patrician w Busts of His Ancestors, late 1st c BCE, marble, lifesize

14. The Silk Road 300 BCE – 100 CE

15. Jowo Rinpoche
Enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 CE
Gilt metal with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint. Various offerings

17. Bamiyan Buddha, Afghanistan. Ghandharan. C. 400-800 CE
Destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th-century monumental statues of standing buddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan Built in 507 AD (smaller) and 554 AD (larger), the statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art.
The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modeled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. This coating, practically all of which wore away long ago, was painted to enhance the expressions of the faces, hands, and folds of the robes; the larger one was painted carmine red and the smaller one was painted multiple colors.
The lower parts of the statues' arms were constructed from the same mud-straw mix while supported on wooden armatures. It is believed that the upper parts of their faces were made from great wooden masks or casts. Rows of holes that can be seen in photographs were spaces that held wooden pegs that stabilized the outer stucco.
Bamiyan lies on the Silk road, which runs through the Hindu Kush  mountain region, in the Bamiyan Valley. The Silk Road has been historically a caravan route linking the markets of China with those of the Western world. It was the site of several Buddhist monasteries, and a thriving center for religion, philosophy, and art. Monks at the monasteries lived as hermits in small caves carved into the side of the Bamiyan cliffs. Most of these monks embellished their caves with religious statuary and elaborate, brightly colored frescoes. It was a Buddhist religious site from the 2nd century up to the time of the Islamic invasion in the later half of the 7th century. Until it was completely conquered by theMuslim Saffarids in the 9th century, Bamiyan shared the culture of Gandhara.
The two most prominent statues were the giant standing Buddhas Vairocana and Sakyamuni, identified by the different mudras performed. The Buddha popularly called "Solsol" measures 53 meters tall, and "Shahmama" 35 meters—the niches in which the figures stand are 58 and 38 meters from bottom to top.  Before being blown up in 2001 they were the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world 

24.  Restoration
The UNESCO Expert Working Group on Afghan cultural projects convened to discuss what to do about the two statues between 3–4 March 2011 in Paris. Researcher Erwin Emmerling of Technical University Munich announced he believed it would be possible to restore the smaller statue using an organic silicon compound. The Paris conference issued a list of 39 recommendations for the safeguarding of the Bamiyan site. These included leaving the larger Western niche empty as a monument to the destruction of the Buddhas, a feasibility study into the rebuilding of the Eastern Buddha, and the construction of a central museum and several smaller site museums.  Work has since begun on restoring the Buddhas using the process of anastylosis, where original elements are combined with modern material. It is estimated that roughly half the pieces of the Buddhas can be put back together according to Bert Praxenthaler, a German art historian and sculptor involved in the restoration. The restoration of the caves and Buddhas has also involved training and employing local people as stone carvers. The project, which also aims to encourage tourism to the area, is being organised by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites(ICOMOS).
The work has come under some criticism. It is felt by some, such as human rights activist Abdullah Hamadi, that the empty niches should be left as monuments to the fanaticism of the Taliban, while NPR reported that others believe the money could be better spent on housing and electricity for the region. Some people, including Habiba Sarabi, the provincial governor, believe that rebuilding the Buddhas would increase tourism which would aid the surrounding communities.
Rise of Buddhas with 3D light projection
After fourteen years, on 7 June 2015, Chinese artists Xinyu Zhang and Hong Liang filled the empty cavities where the Buddhas once stood with 3D laser light projection technology. The projector used for the installation, worth approximately $120,000, was donated by the Chinese couple, Yu and Hu, who were saddened by the destruction of the statues. With the desire of paying tribute, they requested permission fromUNESCO and the Afghan government to do the project. About 150 local people came out to see the unveiling of the holographic statues on Sunday, 7 June 2015

25. Longmen Caves, Luoyang, China. Tang Dynasty 493-1127 C.E
Worship and power struggles, enlightenment and suicide—the 2300 caves and niches filled with Buddhist art at Longmen in China has witnessed it all. The steep limestone cliffs extend for almost a mile and contain approximately 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, 60 stupas (hemispherical structures containing Buddhist relics) and 2,800 inscriptions carved on steles (vertical stone markers).
Buddhism, born in India, was transmitted to China intermittently and haphazardly. Starting as early as the 1st century C.E., Buddhism brought to China new images, texts, ideas about life and death, and new opportunities to assert authority. The Longmen cave-temple complex, located on both sides of the Yi River (south of the ancient capital of Luoyang), is an excellent site for understanding how rulers wielded this foreign religion to affirm assimilation and superiority. 
Most of the carvings at the Longmen site date between the end of the 5th century and the middle of the 8th century—the periods of the Northern Wei (486­–534 C.E.) through early Tang dynasties (618–907 C.E.). The Northern Wei was the most enduring and powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that ruled before the reunification of China under the Sui and Tang dynasties.
The Wei dynasty was founded by Tuoba tribesmen (nomads from the frontiers of northern China) who were considered to be barbaric foreigners by the Han Chinese. Northern Wei Emperor Xiao Wen decided to move the capital south to Luoyang in 494 C.E., a region considered the cradle of Chinese civilization. Many of the Tuoba elite opposed the move and disapproved of Xiao Wen’s eager adoption of Chinese culture. Even his own son disapproved and was forced to end his own life. At first, Emperor Xiao Wen and rich citizens focused on building the city’s administrative and court quarters—only later did they shift their energies and wealth into the construction of monasteries and temples. With all the efforts expended on the city, the court barely managed to complete one cave temple at Longmen—

26. Fengxian Temple
This imposing group of nine monumental images carved into the hard, gray limestone of Fengxian Temple at Longmen is a spectacular display of innovative style and iconography. Sponsored by the Emperor Gaozong and his wife, the future Empress Wu, the high relief sculptures are widely spaced in a semi-circle.
The central Vairocana Buddha (more than 55 feet high including its pedestal) is flanked on either side by a bodhisattva,  a heavenly king, and a thunderbolt holder (vajrapani). Vairocana represents the primordial Buddha who generates and presides over all the Buddhas of the infinite universes that form Buddhist cosmology. This idea—of the power of one supreme deity over all the others—resonated in the vast Tang Empire which was dominated by the Emperor at its summit and supported by his subordinate officials. These monumental sculptures intentionally mirrored the political situation. The dignity and imposing presence of Buddha and the sumptuous appearance of his attendant bodhisattvas is significant in this context. 
The Buddha, monks and bodhisattvas (above) display new softer and rounder modeling and serene facial expressions. In contrast, the heavenly guardians and the vajrapani are more engaging and animated. Notice the realistic musculature of the heavenly guardians and the forceful poses of the vajrapani (below). 

28. Todai-ji. Nara, Japan.
Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei School. 743 C.E.; rebuilt c Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood with ceramic-tile roofing

30. Nio guardian statues

35. Hinduism

36. India and sacred geography: A river culture where "Everything is a manifestation of the divine"
The Ganges River came from Shivas hair to cleasnse the earth. Water is sacred, a bridge between two worlds. Running water is auspicious.
Mountains are divine Temples represent maountains
Trees are sacred to circumnavigate them is an act of worship
According to traditional Indian culture the Indian subcontinent undergoes six seasons, with the approximate duration of each being two months. These are as follows: spring, summer, monsoons, early autumn, late autumn & winter. But according to the modern climatic studies India has only three predominant seasons they are summer season, rainy season and winter season.
The Vedas of the Aryan culture became the basis for much of Hinduism and Buddhism. which led to the Upanishads, outlining Karma, the idea of rebirth and the seeking to end rebirth, and the idea that Brahman (god, the universe 'out there') = Atman (the human soul)
Brahman (Hinduism) - the eternal, infinite, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe (genderless)
Brahma (Hinduism) - the god of creation who is thought to be the father of all human beings. Rarely depicted in art forms or worshipped. Some theorize he is a human depiction of Brahman and to depict him will bring bad luck.
Brahmins (Hinduism) - Hindu priests
Brahma (Buddhism) - "Great One" — an inhabitant of the non-brahman sensual heavens of form or formlessness.
The brahman (Buddhism) - (brahmin) caste of India has long maintained that its members, by their birth, are worthy of the highest respect. Buddhism borrowed the term brahman to apply to those who have attained the goal, to show that respect is earned not by birth, race, or caste, but by spiritual attainment 36

37. Lakshmana Temple. Khajuro, India. Hindu Chandella Dynasty c. 930-950 C
Lakshmana Temple. Khajuro, India. Hindu Chandella Dynasty c C.E. Sandstone
In the Hindu temple, large niches in the three exterior walls of the sanctum house sculpted images that portray various aspects of the deity enshrined within. The sanctum image expresses the essence of the deity. For instance, the niches of a temple dedicated to Vishnu may portray his incarnations; those of a temple to Shiva, his various combative feats; and those of a temple to the Great Goddess, her battles with various demons. Regional variations exist, too; in the eastern state of Orissa, for example, the niches of a temple to Shiva customarily contain images of his family –his consort, Parvati, and their sons, Ganesha, the god of overcoming obstacles, and warlike Skanda.
The exterior of the halls and porch are also covered with figural sculpture. A series of niches highlight events from the mythology of the enshrined deity, and frequently a place is set aside for a variety of other gods. In addition, temple walls feature repeated bands of scroll-like foliage, images of women (figure 4), and loving couples known as mithunas (figure 5). Signifying growth, abundance, and prosperity, these were considered auspicious motifs.

38. In the Hindu temple, large niches in the three exterior walls of the sanctum house sculpted images that portray various aspects of the deity enshrined within. The sanctum image expresses the essence of the deity. For instance, the niches of a temple dedicated to Vishnu may portray his incarnations; those of a temple to Shiva, his various combative feats; and those of a temple to the Great Goddess, her battles with various demons. Regional variations exist, too; in the eastern state of Orissa, for example, the niches of a temple to Shiva customarily contain images of his family –his consort, Parvati, and their sons, Ganesha, the god of overcoming obstacles, and warlike Skanda.
The exterior of the halls and porch are also covered with figural sculpture. A series of niches highlight events from the mythology of the enshrined deity, and frequently a place is set aside for a variety of other gods. In addition, temple walls feature repeated bands of scroll-like foliage, images of women (figure 4), and loving couples known as mithunas (figure 5). Signifying growth, abundance, and prosperity, these were considered auspicious motifs.

42. Maithunas Hindu, Amorous Couple, 10-13c Maithunas
images of women (figure 4), and loving couples known as mithunas (figure 5). Signifying growth, abundance, and prosperity, these were considered auspicious motifs.
Maithunas

43. Buddhist, Yakshi of east gate, Great Stupa, Sanchi, India, 1c

44. Hindu, Vishnu w attributes & consorts; Hindu, Vishnu w companions Bangladesh 11c CAI
Deities are frequently portrayed with multiple arms, especially when they are engaged in combative acts of cosmic consequence that involve destroying powerful forces of evil (figure 1). The multiplicity of arms emphasizes the immense power of the deity and his or her ability to perform several feats at the same time. The Indian artist found this a simple and an effective means of expressing the omnipresence and omnipotence of a deity.
The Hindu god Vishnu is distinguished by the war discus (chakra) and the conch-shell trumpet (shankha) that he holds in his hands. Vishnu wears a tall crown and rich jewelry and is often accompanied by his divine consort, Lakshmi, goddess of fortune. A theory of ten incarnations, or avatars, is associated with Vishnu, who is believed to have been born on earth on nine occasions; the tenth is yet to come. Most popular among the avatars are Rama, prince of Ayodhya, a model of a warrior-king, hero of the Ramayana epic, and Krishna, the cowherd prince, beloved of the cowherd girls of Brindavan and teacher of Arjuna in the famous philosophical poem Bhagavad Gita.
Vishnu is dressed like a king, with a crown, and royal jewelry. He holds his weapons—the discus and the mace—and the conch he uses to call his troops to battle. From the Upanishads: "In my lower right hand, which represents the revolving or creative tendency, I hold the conch, symbol of the five elements. In the upper right hand, which represents the cohesive tendency I hold the discus, shining like an infant sun, symbol of the mind. In the upper left hand, which represents the tendency towards dispersion and liberation, I hold the lotus, symbol of the causal power of illusion, from which the universe rises. In my lower left hand, which represents the notion of individual existence, is the mace, symbol of primeval knowledge."
The conch in the fountain that evolves the five elements: water, fire, air, earth and ether(space). When blown it produces a sound that is associated with primeval sound from which creation developed.
The discus or wheel (Chakra) has six spokes and symbolizes the six petal lotus. It represents the limitless controlling ass the six seasons and is the fearful weapon that cuts off the heads of all demons.
The Lotus of Vishnu is named Padma. It is the symbol of purity and represents the unfolding of creation. It is the truth (Sathya), the element from which emerges the rules of conduct (dharma) and knowledge (jnana)
The Mace (Gada) of Vishnu is named Kaumodaki. It represents the elemental force, from which all physical and mental powers are derived.
In some images a bow, arrows and quiver are shown instead of the mace. The bow represents the ego, origin of sensorial perception which means that it is the symbol of the divine power of illusion (Maya), while the numerous arrows of vishnu are the senses, the fields of activity of the intellect and quiver is the store-house of actions.
Vehicle and consorts:
Lakshmi

45. Shiva as Lord of Dance (Najaraja)
Hindu. India, Chola Dynasty c. 11th Century Cast bronze

46. Hindu, Standing Parvati, Chola dynasty, 10c
Parvati, the consort of Shiva, with the lion as her vehicle (vahana), is a major deity in her own right. As Durga, she slays demons whom the gods were unable to control. One of her most celebrated feats is the destruction of the buffalo demon, Mahisha. Two other deities are considered their children. Elephant-headed Ganesha is the god who removes obstacles and is worshiped at the start of any undertaking; his vehicle (vahana) is the mouse. Skanda, a warlike youth, rides the peacock.

47. Hindu, Shiva w Parvati & Skanda, Chola

48. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
A temple with a lost name
Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat, translated from Khmer (the official language of Cambodia) literally means “City Temple.” As far as names go this is as generic as it gets. Angkor Wat was not the original name given to the temple when it was built in the 12th century. We have little knowledge of how this temple was referred to during the time of its use, as there are no extent texts or inscriptions that mention the temple by name—this is quite incredible if we consider the fact that Angkor Wat is the greatest religious construction project in Southeast Asia. 
A possible reason why the temple’s original name may have never been documented is that it was such an important and famous monument that there was no need to refer to it by its name. We have several references to the king who built the temple, King Suryavarman II ( /50 C.E.), and events that took place at the temple, but no mention of its name. 
Historical Context
Angkor Wat is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu who is one of the three principal gods in the Hindu pantheon (Shiva and Brahma are the others). Among them he is known as the “Protector.” The major patron of Angkor Wat was King Suryavarman II, whose name translates as the “protector of the sun.” Many scholars believe that Angkor Wat was not only a temple dedicated to Vishnu but that it was also intended to serve as the king’s mausoleum in death. 
The construction of Angkor Wat likely began in the year 1116 C.E.—three years after King Suryavarman II came to the throne—with construction ending in 1150, shortly after the king’s death. Evidence for these dates comes in part from inscriptions, which are vague, but also from the architectural design and artistic style of the temple and its associated sculptures. 
The building of temples by Khmer kings was a means of legitimizing their claim to political office and also to lay claim to the protection and powers of the gods. Hindu temples are not a place for religious congregation; instead; they are homes of the god. In order for a king to lay claim to his political office he had prove that the gods did not support his predecessors or his enemies. To this end, the king had to build the grandest temple/palace for the gods, one that proved to be more lavish than any previous temples. In doing so, the king could make visible his ability to harness the energy and resources to construct the temple, and assert that his temple was the only place that a god would consider residing in on earth. 
The building of Angkor Wat is likely to have necessitated some 300,000 workers, which included architects, construction workers, masons, sculptors and the servants to feed these workers. Construction of the site took over 30 years and was never completely finished. The site is built entirely out of stone, which is incredible as close examination of the temple demonstrates that almost every surface is treated and carved with narrative or decorative details. 
Carved Bas Reliefs of Hindu Narratives
Angkor Wat as Temple Mountain
An aerial view of Angkor Wat demonstrates that the temple is made up of an expansive enclosure wall, which separates the sacred temple grounds from the protective moat that surrounds the entire complex (the moat is visible in the photograph at the top of the page). The temple proper is comprised of three galleries (a passageway running along the length of the temple) with a central sanctuary, marked by five stone towers. 
The five stone towers are intended to mimic the five mountain ranges of Mt. Meru—the mythical home of the gods, for both Hindus and Buddhists. The temple mountain as an architectural design was invented in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian architects quite literally envisioned temples dedicated to Hindu gods on earth as a representation of Mt. Meru. The galleries and the empty spaces that they created between one another and the moat are envisioned as the mountain ranges and oceans that surround Mt. Meru. Mt. Meru is not only home to the gods, it is also considered an axis-mundi. An axis-mundi is a cosmic or world axis that connects heaven and earth. In designing Angkor Wat in this way, King Suryavarman II and his architects intended for the temple to serve as the supreme abode for Vishnu. Similarly, the symbolism of Angkor Wat serving as an axis mundi was intended to demonstrate the Angkor Kingdom’s and the king’s central place in the universe. In addition to envisioning Angkor Wat as Mt. Meru on earth, the temple’s architects, of whom we know nothing, also ingeniously designed the temple so that embedded in the temple’s construction is a map of the cosmos (mandala) as well as a historical record of the temple’s patron. 
Angkor Wat as a Mandala
According to ancient Sanskrit and Khmer texts, religious monuments and specifically temples must be organized in such a way that they are in harmony with the universe, meaning that the temple should be planned according to the rising sun and moon, in addition to symbolizing the recurrent time sequences of the days, months and years. The central axis of these temples should also be aligned with the planets, thus connecting the structure to the cosmos so that temples become spiritual, political, cosmological, astronomical and geo-physical centers. They are, in other words, intended to represent microcosms of the universe and are organized as mandalas—diagrams of the universe. 
Angkor Wat Today  
Angkor Wat continues to play an important role in Cambodia even though most of the population is now Buddhist. Since the 15th century, Buddhists have used the temple and visitors today will see, among the thousands of visitors, Buddhist monks and nuns who worship at the site. Angkor Wat has also become an important symbol for the Cambodian nation. Today, the Cambodian flag has emblazoned on it the silhouette of Angkor Wat. 

50. Churning of the Ocean of Milk (detail),
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia,
Churning of the Ocean of Milk (detail), Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia, (photo: John Brennan, CC BY-ND 2.0)
The relief depicts the moment when the two sides are churning the ocean of milk. In the detail above you can see that the gods and demons are playing a sort of tug-of-war with the Naga or serpent king as their divine rope. The Naga is being spun on Mt. Mandara represented by Vishnu (in the center). Several things happen while the churning of milk takes place. One event is that the foam from the churning produces apsaras or celestial maidens who are carved in relief throughout Angkor Wat (we see them here on either side of Vishnu, above the gods and demons). Once the elixir is released, Indra (the Vedic god who is considered the king of all the gods) is seen descending from heaven to catch it and save the world from the destruction of the demons.