Buddhist and Hindu Temples Essay -- Religion, Cultures, Art

Hindu and Buddhist cultures are both rich in religion and expressing their faith through art. The Buddhist culture was formed by Buddha who went out to discover the causes of pain and suffering. Once Buddha realized what the cause was, he provided a set of four guiding principles know as the â€Å"Four Noble Truths† that are exercised in Buddhism (Kleiner, p. 13). The Four Noble truths are â€Å"Life is suffering, the cause of suffering is desire, one can overcome and extinguish desire, the way to conquer desire and end suffering is to follow Buddha’s Eightfold Path†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 13). These truths are expressed in the following of Buddhism and commonly carried out through art. Buddhism is practiced throughout Southeast Asia and southern India where there is a strong presence of Buddhist artwork. This includes art in the form of statues, temples, paintings, and architecture. The two dominant forms or art are the stupas and the chaitya halls that often house t he stupas. The Stupa is a round burial mound that is essential to the Buddhist religion. The stupa itself is not a tomb for the dead, but a housing of Buddha. These means of burial came into existence when Buddha died and was cremated. His remains were then dispusred throughout the burial housing that solid and round. These stupas could not be entered. Stupas can come in many different sizes. There are handheld stupas, and there are giant structure stupas that represent a map of the universe. The most famous of the giant stupas is the Great Stupa of Sanchi. There are different parts of the structural stupas that represent different points in Buddhism. The main parts of the stopas are: the domes shape itself, toranas, the harmika, the yasti, the three chatras, and a stone fenc... ...o Vishvanatha because as you progress towards the main tower, there are a series of towers that ascend in size. With Vishnu being the â€Å"Preserver of the Universe,† the five main towers at Angor Wat represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, which is the mountain at the center of the universe. When Suryavarman II died it is believed the temple absorbed him so he is worshiped as a god. Images and sculptures of Suryavarman II and Vishnu are represented throughout the galleries of the tall towers of Angor Wat. Temples and structures represent religious ideals through the elaborate architecture. Hinduism and Buddhism share similarities because of the depiction of gods in art forms. The buildings of temples are important elements in expressing faiths in the deities because of the preservation and worshipping that takes place in them.