Images of Enlightenment from Asia
The Buddha was a man who archived the ultimate spiritual goal - "enlightenment" - and taught his "Buddhist" method until his passing more than 2500 years ago. Icons of the Buddha are found in numerous Asian countries East of river Indus. The first Buddha images were created in India and present day Pakistan. Withe the spread of the Buddhist faith and teachings, actual Buddha images were exposed throughout Asia during "missionary" phases, inspiring diverse styles, which evolved in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and beyond, as well as in Nepal, Tibet China, Japan and Korea. In different periods and Asian cultures, an iconographic "language" evolved which expressed the seminal events and myths of the Buddha's lifetime and his previous lives, along with the mysticism of his spiritual teachings. Artists and sculptors sought to express the essence of these teachings through their representation of Buddha forms, which serve to remind us of his achievement, and server as focal points for devotional practices and supports for meditation, the ultimate goal of which is spiritual Enlightenment or "Buddha-hood".
