The Rise And Spread Of Buddhism - 954 Words

The rise and spread of Buddhism brought about many radical changes throughout Asia. This included many new styles and inspirations for Asian art. The influence of Buddhism affected many art forms, particularly sculptures and architecture. For those who adopted Buddhism, it became a way a life, it changed the way they wanted to live. This in turn, influenced the artistic aspect of life in Asia. This can be easily shown in several art pieces, such as the Lion Capital, the Bull Capital, as well as architectural designs in the building of the Great Stupa. Buddhism is based on teachings by the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Buddha translates to the â€Å"awakened one.† Buddhist practices are accepted as a way of life rather than solely a religion.†¦show more content†¦With the help of the Silk Road and the interaction of other cultures, Buddhism was able to spread. â€Å"It spread slowly at first, mainly among Chinese scholars and aristocrats, but by the early fourth century, its rituals, repetitive prayers†¦had drawn in the common folk as well† (â€Å"What Life Was Like...† 50). This high traffic trade route was â€Å"formally established during the Han Dynasty of China, which linked the regions of the ancient world in commerce... the greatest value of the Silk Road was the exchange of culture. Art, religion, philosophy, technology, language, science, architecture, and every other element of civilization was exchanged through the Silk Road along with the commercial goods the merchants carried from coun try to country† (â€Å"Silk Road†). As more people began to accept this way of life, they were moved to celebrate it through art forms, such as sculptures (Nardo 43). An example of a sculpture impacted by Buddhist influence is the Lion Capital (Figure 1). This sculpture was placed on a column in Sarnath, at the request of emperor Ashoka, who adopted Buddhism himself. The piece was made of polished chunar sandstone and full of Buddhist symbols. This large sculpture has four lions facing outward, sitting on top of a ring containing three additional animals, a horse, a bull, and an elephant. A wheel separates each animal, with four wheels in total. These animals may represent the four directions or lesser deities. The