Here is the translation of the given content: "Thirty Lectures on Gold and Bronze Buddha Statues"

Author: Liu Ning
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Buddhism originated in ancient India around the 6th century BC. Buddhist sculptures are artistic representations of the deities revered by Buddhism. The appearance of Buddha statues occurred during the reign of Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty in India. Emperor Ashoka was a follower of Buddhism and made it the state religion. He also sent many Buddhist monks to spread the Dharma across the world. During this period, some Buddhist practitioners felt that depicting the life of the Buddha in sculptures or paintings using only empty spaces or symbolic elements like lotuses or Bodhi trees was insufficient. Therefore, Buddhist practitioners in ancient India adopted the artistic expressions of Greek art and began to directly represent the appearance and physical form of the Buddha in human form. According to Buddhist scriptures, when Shakyamuni Buddha was staying with his disciples in the Jetavana Grove in Shravasti, he was requested by Indra, the king of the gods, to go to the Tushita Heaven to teach the Dharma to his deceased mother, Queen Maya. While Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching in the heavens, a ruler of an ancient Indian city-state, King Udayana, wishing to emulate the Buddha, ordered the carving of a five-foot-tall Shakyamuni Buddha statue from sandalwood, which emitted a fragrant scent. Coincidentally, at the same time, another ruler of an ancient Indian city-state, King Kanishka, also, out of reverence for Shakyamuni Buddha, ordered the creation of a five-foot-tall Shakyamuni Buddha statue from gold. It is said that these were the world's earliest Buddha statues. The widespread emergence of Buddha statues is also closely related to the development of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism claims that its goal is to save all sentient beings and strongly advocates that constructing Buddha statues brings immense merit, leading to infinite blessings and rewards. Under this influence, Mahayana Buddhists began to produce a large number of various Buddha statues. In addition to Shakyamuni Buddha, the principal figure of the religion, Mahayana Buddhism also believes that in the past, future, and all directions—up, down, and across the universe—there are countless Buddha statues, Bodhisattvas, and celestial beings and disciples who protect the Dharma. As a result, various Buddha and Bodhisattva statues quickly became popular.