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Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 1
Lesson 2: Buddhist art and culture, an introduction- Introduction to Buddhism
- How to recognize the Buddha
- How to recognize a bodhisattva
- The main branches of Buddhism
- Zen Buddhism
- The stupa
- The stupa
- Buddhist Monasteries
- Bodhisattvas, an introduction
- The Historical Buddha
- The Buddha Shakyamuni
- Images of Enlightenment: Aniconic vs. Iconic Depictions of the Buddha in India
- Jatakas: the many lives of Buddha as Bodhisattva
- Conception of the Buddha-to-be in Queen Maya’s dream
- Bodh Gaya: center of the Buddhist world
- Varanasi: sacred city
- How to identify a Buddha
- Development of the Buddha image
- Four Buddhas at the American Museum of Natural History
- The Buddha triumphing over Mara
- The Buddha triumphing over Mara
- Maitreya
- Bodhisattva Maitreya
- Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara: Guanyin
- Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
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Varanasi: sacred city
A short documentary about one of India's most sacred cities, Varanasi. Learn more about Varanasi on education.asianart.org. Created by Asian Art Museum.
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Why is this video under Buddhist art and culture? It didn't seem to have anything to do with Buddhism. In fact, at0:42, the narrator says that the city's principal deity is Shiva.(10 votes)
this is Buddha's favorite place he spend most of his life here he become popular..only because of this place he win heart of varanasi saints and monk ..and buddha all disciple are from varanasi ..buddha love for river ganga every1 know here ( sorry for my horrible english i am learning)(7 votes)
So, I can see how the place appeared in 2002. Does it still look like this in 2016?(5 votes)
There is a video about Varanasi in 4K Ultra HD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDsOi3MByCI
It is without words but worth checking to see whether the place has changed.(2 votes)
How is a candle which is dense and heavier than the leaf because of the wax able to float on a water lily and not push the water lily down into the water and extinguish itself?(4 votes)
Whether an object floats is dependent on whether there is "positive buoyancy". A boat loaded with automobiles is much heavier than the water beneath it, yet it still floats. So while weight matters, it isn't the deciding factor. The density (which you mention) is a much bigger factor.
When a candle is sitting on a leaf, the entire object (both candle and leaf) should be combined to measure the density.
The leaf has these little air pockets called stoma, which decreases its density (air is not very dense).
Since floating is boiled down to the lifting force of a liquid (buoyancy) being stronger than the gravitation (downward) force of an object. We can see through experimentation that the leaf and candle are supported enough by buoyancy to not float.
Something with a negative buoyancy will sink, neutral buoyancy will neither sink to the bottom nor float to the top (think of a perfectly balanced submarine) and something with a positive buoyancy will float.
Bottomline: because a leaf displaces the water, has several pockets of air, despite carrying a candle, the force of buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity and it floats.
On a related note:
You can imagine adding marbles on top of a leaf until this no longer is the case--perhaps a leaf can hold one or two marbles well, but a 3rd marble overcomes the buoyancy force and then sinks. The same experiment would apply to loading up a boat with too many people/automobiles.(4 votes)
Why is this video called "sacred city"?(2 votes)
Idk if this place is still paradise since Covid-19 happened. Hopefully the people there are happy though.(1 vote)- The lesson does not say that it is paradise, only that it is sacred. There's a difference.(3 votes)
So, do the hindus of Varanasi bathe and drink in the same water they dispose of the dead in?(1 vote)- Yes. But before disposing of their dead there, they burn the bodies.(2 votes)
I think that in varanasi, there is no principal deity(2 votes)
ok I'm the first one to question: why is the city holy?(2 votes)- Varanasi is holy as legend has it that this is where Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati stood when time started ticking for the first time.Some Hindus believe that if they die at Varanasi, they might be able to attain moksha sooner.(1 vote)
- how do they honor their gods(1 vote)
- I wonder where they get all the stuff they are selling?(1 vote)
0:42Video transcript
[Music] one of the holiest sites in India is Varanasi located along the banks of the river Ganges each year millions of pilgrims come to visit the sacred city also known as Banaras or Kashi the City of Light the principal deity here is Shiva he and other gods and goddesses are worshiped at thousands of temples throughout the city stone steps called carts lead pilgrims down to the river every morning devotees can be found immersing themselves in the holy waters chanting to the Rising Sun the waters are taught to clean and purify along the carts are platforms where Brahmin priests and other holy men dispense prayers debate texts and conduct various rituals the riverfront is a meeting place there are beggars and astrologers tourists renting boats and Men offering haircuts and massages Varanasi is a center of pilgrimage scholarship and tourism five men five masters but it is also a place where the old come to die to be liberated from the cycle of rebirths to be released from suffering the dead are cremated here and their ashes are strewn in the holy waters of the Ganges [Music] [Music] you