preview

Radical Changes On The Views Of Buddhism

Good Essays

Radical Changes on the Views of Buddhism in One Century As time progresses, our views and perspective on certain topics may start to change, in order to adapt to our dynamic society. An example of this change, is the different ways Buddha has been portrayed over the generations. As society progressed and developed, our views on Buddhism started to alter as well, in order to be more appealing to the general public. From the original belief in India, where the main objective of Buddhism was to achieve nirvana, and break free from cycle of samsara into nothingness; to a new belief that said that, after breaking free from samsara, one then enters a paradise instead of just non existences. This change in religious beliefs is prominent in the comparison of the two Buddha heads; one from Thailand during the 18th century (Buddha head A) and one from either Cambodia or Thailand during the 17th century (Buddha head B). Although the two Buddha heads came from the same area and virtually the same time period, their radical differences in iconography and style, allude to the drastic changes in Buddhist beliefs.
Through trading on the Silk Road, the ideas and beliefs of Buddhism were spread throughout Asia, eventually reaching Thailand. We can see an example of this through the iconography and style that Buddha head A possess when compared to earlier Buddha heads from Gandhara and Mathura. For an example, Buddha head A has snail shaped curly hair which covers the top of his head, and

Get Access