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The Art of Burma


history
of burma
burmese buddhism
& its protectors
the transmission of
​religious knowledge
donors &
​religious practice
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The Transmission of Religious Knowledge


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Buddhist knowledge was transmitted in a wide variety of ways. Burma was once highly literate, and this is amply demonstrated by the extensive numbers and types of manuscripts in existence. Often produced in monastery workshops, parabaik (an illustrated manuscript on paper), lacquer books such as kammawaza, and works on gold, ivory, copper, and palm leaf described and portrayed many of the canonical and Burmese concepts of Buddhism. The expense of producing manuscripts made such objects highly valuable, and manuscript chests (sadaik) and stands were made to house and protect the written texts. Monasteries throughout the country kept such items, and functioned as repositories of Buddhist knowledge.
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Burmese monks played an extensive role in the transmission of Buddhism throughout the country. Not only were monks sent by the court to standardize the Buddhism practiced in Burma, but some traveled abroad to other religious centers to ensure the standardization of the religion. Manuscripts would have been carried to different Buddhist areas by the monks, thereby enabling the exchange of ideas and visual images, as well as the consolidation of religious beliefs. Specific monks traveling through Asia, such as Shin Upago and Shin Thiwali, have been mythologized by the Burmese, and they are now also attributed with protective and other beneficial functions. These figures have been reproduced in paintings, wood carvings, and sculpture.

Stories were one of the main ways in which Buddhist concepts were transmitted to lay people and monks. These narratives popularly consisted of tales of the life of the Buddha and the Jataka stories (the Buddha’s previous lives). The Buddha’s last ten lives where he perfected the ten virtues necessary for enlightenment, including the Vessantara and Temiya Jatakas, were frequently represented in art in such diverse forms as lacquer, paper, textile, ceramic, and wood. Functioning as a reminder of how the Buddha reached enlightenment, these stories would have provided the viewers with information on the appropriate behavior for eventually achieving enlightenment.

Gallery

Buddha in Bhumisparsa mudra (gesture of calling the earth to witness)

Elephant Tusks with carvings of the Twenty-Eight Previous Buddhas

Buddha in Bhumisparsa mudra (gesture of calling the earth to witness)

Monk

Lidded Begging Bowl on Lattice Base

Sadaik (manuscript chest)

Sadaik with Two Doors (storage chest)

Manuscript of the Temiya Jataka (one of the previous lives of the Buddha that tells of his forbearance)

Manuscript with Tamarind Seed Alphabet

Manuscript of Maniyadanabon (tales for the king of Ava)

Kammawasa manuscripts

Three kalaga (wall hangings) Illustrating the Vessantara Jataka

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  • HOME
  • Burmavision2021
  • Past Conferences
  • Resources
    • ONLINE EXHIBITS >
      • Looking at Women in Contemporary Burma​
      • The Art of Surviving: ​ The Journey of Burmese Karen Refugees in Illinois
    • PAST EXHIBITIONS
    • Archived Bulletins
    • Past events