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Course: AP®︎/College Art History > Unit 2
Lesson 4: Buddhism- The Historical Buddha
- The Great Stupa at Sanchi
- Images of Enlightenment: Aniconic vs. Iconic Depictions of the Buddha in India
- Four Buddhas at the American Museum of Natural History
- Bodh Gaya: center of the Buddhist world
- Beliefs made visible: Buddhist art in South Asia
- Buddhist Monasteries
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Bodh Gaya: center of the Buddhist world
Bodhgaya, Eastern India, is where Prince Siddhartha became the enlightened Buddha under the Bodhi tree. This sacred site, home to the Mahabodhi temple and a descendant of the original Bodhi tree, attracts pilgrims worldwide. Buddha's teachings spread across Asia from here, leaving a rich spiritual and artistic legacy. Created by Asian Art Museum.
Want to join the conversation?
- What caused Buddhism to decline in India, its birthplace?(20 votes)
- Many different religions starting evolving after a period of time and invasions .(4 votes)
- At1:10how tall is the Mahabodhi Temple?(5 votes)
- I apologize for the banality, but here's a link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple(4 votes)
- at 2.07 monk is doing some practice what it is?(3 votes)
- i believe vippasana is the practice the monk is doing(3 votes)
- Bodhgaya Centre of Buddhist world? What happened to his birthplace,Lumbini that is in Nepal?(3 votes)
- I am a theravadi buddhist, so I know a lot of Buddhism.(It's the original branch of Buddhism Bodhgaya is a major part of the center of the buddhist world. Lumbini park is in India. It still exsists as Dhammbadiva. Dhammbadiva are the major places the Buddha's events took place. Hope this helps you.(2 votes)
- What is the purpose of art?(2 votes)
- That's an awfully large question, Zach. It may help you (then again, it may not help) to look at this video at the very beginning of the Khan Academy art history curriculum.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics/tools-understanding-art/v/how-art-can-help-you-analyze-amy-e-herman(2 votes)
- how did buddha attained enlightment(2 votes)
- How many tourists visit Bodh Gaya?(2 votes)
- at2:04there isa huge statue do you think it is hallow?(2 votes)
- Why would Ashoka order a temple built at Bodh Gaya, instead of a stupa, as he did at Sanchi?(2 votes)
- who built maha bodhi temple?(0 votes)
- but they where all built by somebody else and the pyramids where by kings(0 votes)
Video transcript
but Gaia is one in eastern India associated Buddhism about 2500 years ago it was here under the Bodhi tree close to the present-day mahabodhi temple that the prince named Siddhartha attained enlightenment he became the Buddha the enlightened one he began to teach his wisdom setting in motion beliefs and practices that would spread throughout Asia Bodhgaya is a major pilgrimage site the focus of worship is the Bodhi tree the present tree is a descendant of the original a commemorative stone platform built by the Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE still stands underneath the boughs of the tree and is covered with offerings the mahabodhi temple was originally built more than 1600 years ago but it has been restored many times since images of the Buddha and other figures can be found in niches covering the walls and in numerous small shrines and stupas that surround the temple these images manifest the Buddha's presence and communicate his teachings although Buddhism declined in India the spiritual and artistic legacy of Bodhgaya spread throughout East and Southeast Asia pilgrims to Bodhgaya took souvenirs home with them such as this small plaque covered with scenes of the life of the Buddha pilgrims and tourists from all over the world still come to boogie different countries have built their own temples monasteries and hotels they accommodate the many visitors to this most sacred site in the Buddhist world you you