Author: Inchang Kim
Publisher: D K Printworld
Year: 1997
Language: English
Pages: 415
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8124600821
Description
Maitreya is not just one of the myriad divinities of the Buddhist pantheon; he is revered by the devout as the Buddha of the fifth world cycle, the Ultimate Buddha, the Much-Awaited Deliverer, who (like Kalki — a would-be incarnation of Visnu in Hinduism) will descend on the earth, in human form, sometime in the distant future and lead people to both enlightenment and the final nirvana. The cult of Maitreya, however, goes as far back as to the second century bc, and even beyond, when perhaps, his images, in varying anthropomorphic forms, came to be chiselled alongside the earliest sculptural representations of the Buddha and Boddhisattvas.
Here is the first iconological study to exclusively focus on the Maitreya phenomenon in almost the whole range of Buddhist sculptural art. Exploring the historical evolution of the Maitreya cult, the book admirably highlights the different phases of Maitreya iconography with an in-depth analysis of the images from various regions of the Indian subcontinent — Gandhara, Kashmir, Mathura, Sarnath, Nalanda, Orissa, Western Deccan and South India. Dr. Inchang Kim has skilfully combined his extensive fieldwork with diverse literary sources to contextually explore some of the problematic issues to their last thread like, for instance, the genesis of Maitreya cult, its nature in the pre-Christian era, and its role in Hinayana, Mahayana and Yogacara Buddhism. Also spelling out the symbolism of Maitreya iconography, the study specially underscores the iconographic attributes that help not only identify Maitreya, but also distinguish the Buddha of the Future from other Bodhisattvas.
Together with a generous supplement of visual material comprising over 240 photographic reproductions with an extensive bibliography and index, the book is invaluable to art historians, connoisseurs/specialists of Buddhist sculptural art and scholars of Buddhist studies.
Contents
FOREWORD - by Prof Lokesh Chandra
PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Introduction
2. The Origin and Development of Maitreya Cult
The Origin of Maitreya Cult
Theory of Iranian Origin of Maitreya Cult
Theory of Indigenous Origin of Maitreya Cult
The Legend of Maitreya
The Nature of Faith in Maitreya
3. The Origin and Development of Maitreya Image in Kushana Mathura
The Combined Image of Buddha and Bodhisattva
The Standing Maitreya Images
The Seated Maitreya Images
The Iconological Background for the Early Maitreya Images
The Chronology of the Early Maitreya Images
The Identification of Early Maitreya Images
The Images of the Celestial Maitreya
The Controversies in Maitreya Iconography
The Controversy Regarding Bodhisattva Siddhartha and Maitreya
The Controversy Between Maitreya and the Naga Iconography
The Controversy About Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara Identification
4. The Origin and Development of Maitreya Iconography in Gandhara
The Representations of Maitreya on the Coins of Kanishka
The Combined Image of Buddha and Bodhisattva
Maitreya Images with Ushnisha
The Chronology of the Early Maitreya Images from Gandhara
Maitreya Images with Combination of Buddha, Bodhisattva and Ascetic Elements
The Ascetic Type of Maitreya Images
Controversies in the Iconography of Maitreya in Gandharan Art
Siddhartha or Maitreya
Iconography of Maitreya in Tushita
Maitreya as a Future Buddha
Miscellaneous Features of Maitreya Iconography
5. The Evolution of Maitreya Iconography in Western Deccan
The Advent of New Maitreya Iconography in Gupta Domain
Gupta Mathura School of Art
Sarnath School of Art
Bodhisattva Iconography at Bagh Caves
An Introduction to the Study of Maitreya Iconography in Western Deccan
Maitreya in the Group of Manushi Buddhas
The Early Phase in the Evolution of Maitreya Iconography in Western Deccan
Ajanta
Aurangabad
Kanheri
The Middle Phase in the Evolution of Maitreya Iconography in Western Deccan
Nasik
Karla
Ellora
Aurangabad
The Later Phase in the Evolution of Maitreya Iconography in Western Deccan
Ellora
Maitreya as an Attendant of the Buddha - Maitreya in the Buddha Mandala
Aurangabad
Ajanta
Kanheri
6. Maitreya Iconography under Tantrayana Buddhism
Maitreya Iconography in the Early Tantric Phase
Early Phase of Nalanda
Early Phase of Orissa
Maitreya Iconography in the Mature Tantric Phase
Maitreya in the Group of Manushi Buddhas
The Standing Images of Maitreya
The Seated Images of Maitreya
Maitreya as an Attendant in the Buddhist Triad
Maitreya in the Buddha Mandala
Cult of Maitreya Under Tantric Buddhism
Iconography of Maitreya in Kashmir
Later Maitreya Iconography
7. Controversies in the Iconography of Maitreya
The Contemplating Bodhisattva
The Cross-Ankled Bodhisattva
Buddha in Pralambapadasana and Dharmacakra Pravartana Mudra
The Crowned Buddha
8. Conclusion
VISUALS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GLOSSARY
INDEX