Interpretation of Siddhartha Samadhi

Editor's word:

This is an interpretation solely done by Visual Artist Sapta Raj Bajracharya. This article contains the information of Buddha life story and then finally there would be the interpretation of the sculpture.

Genre: Education

Buddha life story at the first would be best to know for the people. Buddha was born in a Shakya kingdom around 2570 years back. He was born with the divine purpose to liberate people from the sufferings caused by 5 poisons. He found out the cause and found out the solution to it and shared it with people. 

"Greed, Jealousy, Anger, Attachment and Love."

 When we born we are already in the samsara and it's activity that programs us to be use to of practicing 5 poisons. It makes us feel like it is normal to be lliving with such negative qualities. Buddha told everyone that this is the main cause for the sufferings so we have to come out of it. He also told every one to practice opposite 5 qualities more to be happy. 

"Speak Truth only, never chose the violence, never steal, do Charity and meditate."

He told many other good qualities but for simple practice that could make a big change in peoples' life. So all the qualities that are necessary and unnecessary are explained by Buddha since he did his self exploration for 6 and a half years of meditation in his life after which he got enlightened.  

Here we are going to go into a period of time where Buddha was doing his final meditation. As Buddha was near to the Enlightenment that is when he had no time to go out of the deep forest and to get alms food from village nearby. He got skinny and weak that he did not even realised. He was so deep in this meditation that he forgot to nurture his body. Once then Buddha came out of his deep meditation then he found out that he was not being able to move his body. not even he was able to move his fingers. He then had to worry. The reason for his worry though was different than general people. He worried that what if he dies at this state. He could feel just handicapped or paralyzed. All his knowledge would die with him. It would come to no use that is against his intention. So, he wanted to live back to healthy being that can make his efforts meaningful. Since Buddha was the selected one, a special part of supreme soul his this though was delivered to the supreme soul at the same moment. By that evening in the deep forest, there goes a shephard with his herds of sheeps and goats. The shephard did not even know that he crossed his limit of boundary that could be safe for his herds and reached to the place where Buddha was meditating. As he saw that he thought that there is a body that could be of a saint since he saw him in the meditation posture. Although body was found leaning backwards and rest on stone behind it still gesture of the hand felt like they were in Dhyan Mudra- posture of hands over another and thumbs touch each other. So the shephard had a idea that he wanted to try out to find out either the body has already died or is still alive. His intention was if the body is still alive he would help it to live back again as he could or he will cremate the body for it's final ritual so that the soul can unchain from this world and can get new life. He pulled his one of a mother sheep. He started to milk the ship and the milk was pointed to Buddha's open mouth. He fill Buddha's mouth with milk and looked at Buddha if he is going to swallow it or not. With a keen patience he observed at Buddha's throat for the signs of the movement of muscles. There again Buddha came back to his consciousness out of his meditation. 

"He felt warm liquid was fully filled in his mouth. In a long time he had not felt any external warmth like that. He slowly felt the taste of milk. When he felt the taste, he soon started to feel hunger."

So now he accepted the food that is the milk of a sheep. He thanked the universe and thanked this holy soul that appeared in the forest as a shephard. Shephard paid his deep respect to this divine saint and went back to the village and spread the news that there is a holy saint doing meditation. He told everybody that he is not an ordinary saint but a divine one since at such unimaginable state of body this saint is alive and is devoted to his meditation. He said that he offered the milk and the saint accepted it by drinking it. Like that the story spread and the next day Buddha was visited by a lady called Sujata. She offered milk porridge to Buddha and Buddha accepted it. It was Sujata who took care of Buddha for long time to set him back to healthy being. Then one fine day, Buddha left the village and headed to Bodhgaya. There he got enlightenment under a huge Bodhi tree (Pipal) in the day of his Birth that was same full moon night. 

The realization was the key note that made him enlightened. When Buddha left the village where villagers and Sujata took care of him, he was not feeling relieved. He was healthy but not his mind was fully peaceful. He had a question in his mind that he felt unless I find this answer how can I be okay. So under that Bodhi tree when we did meditation. He revised all his spiritual study, exploration and found out this thing.

"Only having a good though and intention is not enough. We have to be able to perform it as well. We have to be fully capable from not just mind but from our body too. So taking care of our own body is also as important as having beautiful intention."

After this he felt that there remained no anchors attached to him. So this is the key enlightenment part. 

Interpretation of the Sculpture:

Looks: The sculpture is made with a form that is skinny. Only skin and bones are visible. It is seen like the sculpture is reckling backwards suppose it is resting on something. The mouth is open. Muscles that connects jaw and collarbone is visible. Sculpture has a nice beard and moustache. The face still has the feelings of peace and harmony. Arms are cut just below shoulder joints as a very short bone are visible below the shoulder.

Definition: 

The sculpture is a form of a God at this age so the artist has made the face of Buddha a beautiful one. Short beard and moustache are the proof of it. Practically if a person raise their beard for 6 years, beards could have grown very long. So to show the beauty that was a nice touch with those.

The mouth is enough open shown that can help understand that like such food were served to him as per story. To make it logical the muscle that connects jaw and the collarbone are shown righteously. That makes it anatomically correct. 

The ribs cage is made beautifully as natural. The toleration of unhealthy skinny form of ribs cage is well balanced and is carved with fine details of bones shapes. the connection points bones structure is well defined. 

This sculpture leaves an impression to all mind when they observe it. The feeling of the face with closed eyes shows serene peace. It tells all that how deep one should go to acquire what they truly need. It also express's that true happiness is found only after devotion. These are all the visible parts that makes one feel and realize it. However, arms not made is an intentional work of Artist Pratham Raj Bajracharya. He wants to explain that moment of Buddha when he was in that state. Buddha was incapable. He was not being able to move his fingers like a paralyzed patient. 

As a creative artist when they make such a wonderful sculpture with wonder and mystery an interpretation is a must. I think so and that's the main purpose to write this article.

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-Sapta Raj Bajracharya

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