RE Visit Activities. Buddha Trail

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Britton Ford
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You will see these symbols on your trail which tell you what you need to do to find out more about the

1 RE Visit Activities Buddha Trail Imagine you are on a Buddhist Trail in Asia and you are keeping a diary of your journey. You will see these symbols on your trail which tell you what you need to do to find out more about the sculptures of Buddha and his followers. Look & Discuss Look & Draw Look & Write Use the map on the next page on your trail through Asia. When you find the sculptures in the trail, mark on the map where they have come from. Name

Use this map on your trail through Asia. When you find the sculptures in the trail, mark on this map where they have come from. Tibet Seated Buddha or Buddha Sakyamuni Room 47A Find this sculpture.

2 Use this map on your trail through Asia. When you find the sculptures in the trail, mark on this map where they have come from. Tibet Seated Buddha or Buddha Sakyamuni Room 47A Find this sculpture. What are your first impressions of it? Look at the size of the sculpture. Do you think it was made for a temple or for someone s home? Find the Buddhist symbol for the Wheel of Life on the sculpture. Make a drawing of this opposite.

3 Myanmar The Warriors of Mara Room 47A Case 1 Find this glazed tile from Myanmar showing The Warriors of Mara. This was part of the decoration of a temple built by a King to honour the life of the Buddha. The entire building was decorated in similar tiles. Most Buddhist images are beautiful, to remind followers of how attractive enlightenment is, but the Warriors of Mara are a reminder of how difficult it is to reach enlightenment. Buddhists believe that Mara (sometimes called the Buddhist devil) sent millions of his evil warriors to try to prevent the Buddha from achieving enlightenment. They tried to distract him from his meditation by attacking him from all sides with their weapons and blood-curdling screams. However the Buddha s meditation was so powerful that they had no effect. Look closely at the Warriors of Mara sculpture. Can you work out what material it has been made from? Draw one of the warriors here. What can you see that tells you they are warriors? What colour are the warriors? What effect does this have on you?

Bihar Railing Pillar Room 47B This pillar was once part of the railing around the site of the Bodhi Tree or Tree of Wisdom under which the Buddha meditated until he achieved enlightenment.

4 Bihar Railing Pillar Room 47B This pillar was once part of the railing around the site of the Bodhi Tree or Tree of Wisdom under which the Buddha meditated until he achieved enlightenment. The original tree is no longer alive, but it is believed that the Bodhi Tree that stands today next to the temple in eastern India is a descendant of the original. This is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Buddhist world. Can you find an elephant on the pillar? An elephant represents strength. Why do you think that it is an important symbol in Buddhism? Choose and draw an oval round one of the statements below. Buddhists are keen weightlifters The path to enlightenment is difficult The path to enlightenment is easy Buddhists have very physical jobs Can you identify any of the other symbols on the pillar? Can you find some people worshipping the Bodhi Tree?

Nepal Preaching Buddha Room 47A Case 15 Now make your way to Nepal. This small sculpture of the Buddha is nearly 1000 years old. The Buddha holds his hands in a rather complicated position.

It reminds buddhists of the Buddha s first sermon at Sarnath where he gave the Buddhist teachings called the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

5 Nepal Preaching Buddha Room 47A Case 15 Now make your way to Nepal. This small sculpture of the Buddha is nearly 1000 years old. The Buddha holds his hands in a rather complicated position. This hand gesture (mudra) is known as Dharmachakra. It reminds buddhists of the Buddha s first sermon at Sarnath where he gave the Buddhist teachings called the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Sarnath is one of the major Buddhist pilgrimage sites because the Buddha preached his first sermon there. Look closely at the sculpture. Can you put your hands in the same position? This sculpture was found in what is now Pakistan. Like the Preaching Buddha, it is small, which shows that it was likely to have been used in the home rather than in a temple. Can you see that this Buddha has a halo around its body? The name for this body halo is a mandorla. Some other Buddhas have a head halo called a nimbus. Buddhism was the first of the main religions to use mandorlas and nimbi. Can you think of any other religion that uses these symbols? Which of the features on this sculpture help you to identify it as a Buddha?

6 Kushinagara (Now known as Kasia) Scene of the Death of the Buddha Room 47A North Wall The Buddha died at the age of 80. He was in a lot of pain but he managed to stay calm and continued to think of others. He said that anyone who was upset had not listened to his teachings. He taught that people will continue to be reborn in the world until they reach a state of inner calm, above greed and anger. This is the state that Buddhists call enlightenment and is the ultimate goal of all Buddhists. Buddhists believe that the Buddha attained complete enlightenment known as Parinirvana. This is the ultimate goal of all Buddhists. A popular destination for pilgrims is the Stupa at Kushinagara in northern India where the Buddha died. This stone carving which shows reactions to his death is at least 1700 years old. Look at the image of the five people in the scene? Can you tell how they felt about the death of the Buddha? Which of them had understood the teachings of the Buddha? How do you know? Draw one of the people in the scene.

China Bodhisattva Guanyin Room 44 Case 60 Buddhism arrived in China in the 1st century CE (AD) and sacred Indian texts were translated into Chinese. This is a sculpture of a Bodhisattva.

7 China Bodhisattva Guanyin Room 44 Case 60 Buddhism arrived in China in the 1st century CE (AD) and sacred Indian texts were translated into Chinese. This is a sculpture of a Bodhisattva. These are people who have achieved enlightenment who decide not to enter immediately into Nirvana. Instead they choose to dedicate their lives to helping others achieve enlightenment. Bodhisattvas make a commitment to help others develop six perfections or virtues in themselves. These are: Generosity Wisdom Patience Morality Energy/Courage Meditation Draw Guanyin here. Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of compassion. His name means the one who always hears sounds and it is believed that he listens to every prayer for help. Many Buddhists pray to Bodhisattvas for help in reaching enlightenment as well as for help in everyday life. Compare this Bodhisattva to images of the Buddha that you have already seen. What is different about him? How can you tell the difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva? How can you tell that Guanyin is ready to go and help people?

Nepal Standing Tara Room 47A Case 13 Find the following two sculptures. You are back in Nepal. Standing Tara was made in the 14th century. Tara is the feminine form of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

Tara lived such a good life that the monks told her that they would pray for her to be reborn as a man because they believed only men could become enlightened.

8 Nepal Standing Tara Room 47A Case 13 Find the following two sculptures. You are back in Nepal. Standing Tara was made in the 14th century. Tara is the feminine form of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. According to legend, she was once an ordinary person. She was born as a princess and was kind and compassionate. Tara lived such a good life that the monks told her that they would pray for her to be reborn as a man because they believed only men could become enlightened. However Tara believed that anyone could achieve enlightenment and she was the first woman to reach enlightenment. She is an important reminder to Buddhists that anyone can achieve enlightenment. Note down some of the features on this sculpture that you have seen before and see if you can work out what some of these might mean. The Tara is wearing something that reminds us that she was a princess. Can you see what it is? What else do you think it might symbolise? Look at the sculpture of the Lotus Bearer opposite. This is one of the male forms of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara. Write and draw some of the similarities. Are there any major differences?

9 Find the clues... Asanas The image of the Buddha tells us things about his life and teachings. An asana is what we call his pose. Usually you will see him standing, sitting with his legs crossed or reclining. The first two asanas are linked to episodes from his life. When you see him reclining, this symbolises his death. Draw the pose of one of the Buddhas that you found on the Buddha Trail here and then look at other sculptures from the Buddha Trail to find examples of the other poses. Lakshanas Images of Buddha include symbols which tell us about Buddha s spiritual character and power. These are called lakshanas and there are 32 of them. Look at two or three sculptures of Buddha and see if you can find any of the lakshanas listed below and then draw them. Mark of the Wheel of Law on soles of feet or palms of hands Webbed fingers and toes Hairs on the head arranged in soft curls that point to the right Cheeks like a lion

10 Find the clues... (continued) Mudras Buddha s five hand gestures are called mudras and each one has a different meaning. Most symbolise a major event in the Buddha s life; others represent a characteristic act such as the giving of charity. Look at the Buddha s on the Buddha Trail and see if you can find the five different hand gestures and then draw them here. When you get back to school, find out what these different mudras mean. Look at our website below.

Art & Design Visit Activities. Look & Discuss. Look & Draw. Look & Write. Name

Art & Design Visit Activities. Look & Discuss. Look & Draw. Look & Write. Name Buddha Trail Imagine you are on a Buddhist Trail in Asia and you are keeping a diary of your journey. You will see these symbols on your trail which tell you what you need to do to find out more about