Monthly Archives: October 2015

This beautiful Shakyamuni Buddha statue is seated in dhyana asana or meditative pose. In this position, the legs are crossed, closely locked with the soles of both feet visible. Lord Buddha is wearing a beautiful detailed carved monastic robe incised with floral motifs. He is seated on a single lotus base also known as padmasana.

The Buddha Shakyamuni, at the moment of enlightenment, invoked the earth as witness, as indicated by the fingers of his right hand, which spread downward in bhumisparsha mudra, “the earth touching gesture”. As the Buddhist sutras narrate, the sun and moon stood still, and all the creatures of the world came to offer respect to the Supreme One who had broken through the boundaries of egocentric existence. All Buddhist art celebrates this moment and leads the viewer toward the Buddha’s experience of selfless and unsurpassed enlightenment.

The first humanlike representations of the Buddha are said to have been drawn on canvas from rays of golden light emanating from his body. Later Buddhist art pictured the Buddha in numerous manifestations, but always as a model of human potential, never as a historically identifiable person. All forms of the Buddha, however, are commonly shown seated on a lotus throne (as seen here), a symbol of the mind’s transcendent nature. As a lotus rises from the mud to bloom unsoiled in open space, so too does the mind rise through the discord of its own experience to blossom in the boundlessness of unconditional awareness.

“Be a light unto yourself,” Buddha Shakyamuni declared at the end of his life. Become a Buddha, an awakened being, he urged, but never a blind follower of tradition.

The piece is made of copper and hand painted. The lotus throne and other parts of the statue are gilded with 24 karat gold. The base of the piece is sealed with a small double vajra symbolizing the balance of the four elements and harmony of the four directions. This statue is a beautiful portrayal of Shakyamuni!

This sculpture was individually handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master artisans of the Shakya clan who are considered among the best in the world. These craftsmen are the modern heirs to a centuries-old tradition of creating sacred art for use in temples and monasteries. The fine metalworking techniques have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.

http://www.dharmasculpture.com/category/new-arrivals.html

This stunning piece is quite old and has been in the possession of one of our artist’s family for some time. It was part of their private collection. Shiva is seated with his loyal and loving wife, Parvati. The small bull is Nandi, Shiva’s vehicle and gatekeeper. As depicted in this piece, when the husband and wife are together in sculpture Shiva is generally larger. The motif on the base resembles their mountain home of Kailasa.

Shiva’s lower right hand is in the vitarka mudra. His upper right hand holds a string of malas (prayer beads). His upper left hand holds an axe while his lower left hand is caressing Parvati’s breast. He wears an elaborate head dress with a crescent moon and has a cobra sitting on his right shoulder. Shiva’s third eye is a symbol of higher consciousness.

Shiva the Destroyer, the Creator and Auspicious One, is one of the main deities of Hinduism, worshipped as the paramount lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the most complex Hindu gods, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. He often holds a trident, which represents the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction, although preservation is usually attributed to Vishnu.

The crescent moon that Shiva wears on his crown, besides being a symbol of Kama the goddess of nightly love, is also representative of Nandi embodying sexual energy and fertility.

http://www.dharmasculpture.com/category/new-arrivals.html