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Search - The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History, Iconography and Progressive, Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries (Classic Reprint)

The Gods of Northern Buddhism Their History Iconography and Progressive Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries - Classic Reprint
Author: Alice Getty

Excerpt from The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History, Iconography and Progressive, Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries — It is difficult for those who are unacquainted with the iconography of the gods of the Mahayana Pantheon to realize the degree of interest that may be attached to even a crude representation of a Northern Bud... more »dhist divinity.

To the uninitiated the images of these deities are only of value as works of art, or as grotesque curios, with their various heads and many arms; but to the initiated, apart from their artistic merit, they furnish an almost inexhaustible fund for study and research.

The most accurate source of information in regard to the Northern Buddhist divinities has been found in the sadhana, or texts of invocations of the gods, in which they are described with much detail. Unfortunately, sadhana of all the gods of the Mahayana Pantheon have not as yet been discovered, and there remain a number of deities about whom very little is known. At any moment, however, a flood of light may be thrown on these obscure divinities, for, among others, Mr. Ekai Kawaguchi (a Japanese Buddhist priest who spent three years in Tibet disguised as a Chinese monk) is translating some valuable manuscripts which he succeeded in carrying out of Tibet.

The study of the iconography of the Northern Buddhist deities is therefore in its infancy. With the exception of a few erudite books, little has been written on the subject, and it is only by persistent research, and by a comparative study of the examples in the museums of Europe, India, and Japan, as well as in the temples of the Northern Buddhist countries, that one can arrive at a comprehensive knowledge of these gods and of their evolution during the process of transmission from India via Chinese Turkestan (and later, through Tibet) to China, Mongolia, and Japan.

The Tibetan and Mongolian lamas, from whom one would expect to get much valuable information, are, unfortunately, with few exceptions, more versed in the tenets of their religion than in the iconography of their gods: and as Tibet is still 'a forbidden land', intercourse with the Tibetan lamas in their own country is practically impossible. Among the Japanese Buddhist priests, however, there are some very learned men.

Through the kindness of the late Professor Arthur Lloyd, whose death has recently deprived Japan of one of its greatest authorities on Japanese Buddhism, I was put into communication with Mr. S. Tachibana, Buddhist priest and Sanskrit scholar, who has kindly made many researches for me. I have also to thank Sramana Kawaguchi of Benares, Sramana Jeshu Oda, Rector of the Chomoji Monastery at Nagoya, and Mr. Hanazono of Tokyo, for their help in making certain researches possible.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

ISBN-13: 9781330045886
ISBN-10: 1330045882
Publication Date: 6/13/2016
Pages: 392
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Forgotten Books
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
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Genres:

History >> Asia
Categories >> Kindle eBooks >> Religion & Spirituality >> Buddhism
Religion & Spirituality >> Buddhism
Nonfiction >> Philosophy >> Eastern

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Search - The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History, Iconography and Progressive, Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries (Classic Reprint)

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