13 replies to this topic

[ghostexorcist]

=== EDIT 5-1-11 (PLEASE READ) ===

I am fully aware that Garuda is from Hinduism and that Buddhism adopted him within their pantheon of celestial beings a long time ago. There is no reason to bring this up. I felt this message was necessary because several people have misinterpreted what I have written below.

=== EDIT 5-1-11 (PLEASE READ) ===

A Tibetan Buddhist iconographic motif has the celestial bird Garuda (大鹏金翅明王） sitting atop the Buddha's throne. This fifteenth-century Thanka is a good example (notice Garuda at the top).

The theme was obviously known in China as the folk biography The Story of Yue Fei (1684) mentions Garuda being demoted from this position after killing the embodiment of a star constellation and subsequently being reborn on earth as Yue Fei. Journey to the West (1592) gives a folk origin for how Garuda came to hold such a rank in the Buddhist hierarchy. But when did the motif appear in China? Are there any Chinese religious paintings showing Garuda above the Buddha?

Dunhuang has two Tang-era caves (no. 131 and 358) with paintings of Garuda, but neither of them are of him above the Buddha's head.

On a related note, does Garuda appear in other works of Chinese fiction?

Edited by ghostexorcist, 01 May 2011 - 03:11 PM.

[ghostexorcist]

Garuda makes an appearance in the Avatamsaka Sutra (大方廣佛華嚴經, Flower Adornment Sutra). The Naga serpents take refuge with the Buddha because Garuda is eating them to extinction. The Buddha then uses his powers to keep Garuda from attacking them. Realizing the cause of his hindered abilities, Garuda goes to see the enlightened one, who tells him the reason why. When Garuda complains that he will surely starve to death, the Buddha says he will have his followers leave food out for him. This doesn't mention him above the Buddha's head either, but it has a connection to one of the works of fiction I mentioned above.

In chapter 77 of Journey to the West, after the Buddha has trapped the great Peng (鹏) in his halo, the creature complains that he had a good life on earth eating humans. He then asks why he should enter into the Buddha's service. The enlightened one tells him he will instruct those of his followers wishing to make an offering to the Buddha can sacrifice themselves to the bird so he will have plenty of fresh meat to eat.

One book I found has this to say about the Sutra's eastern journey to China:

The monk Chih Fa-ling 支法领 acquired in Khotan the first part of the Hua-yen Sutra, thirty-six thousand verses, which had not been translated before. The fourteenth year of Yi-yi (418), Meng-yi, the Governor of the Wu Commandery and Chu'u-shu-tu, General of the Guard of the Right, asked Buddhabhadra to translate it. He held the Sanskrit text together with Fa-yeh and Hui-yen; in addition there were over one hundred collaborators. They translated it in the Tao-ch'ang Temple. The text and its meaning were scrupulously rendered; the correspondence between Chinese and the foreign language was perfect; the sutra's meaning was wonderfully achieved. On this account, in the Tao-ch'ang Temple, the Hua-yen Hall still exists. (Hui-chiao, Kao-seng chuan, vol. 50, no. 2059, p. 335 c, 3-9)

Hui Jiao (慧皎, 497-554) lived during the Liang Dynasty. His Gaoseng Zhuan (高僧傳, Biographies of Eminent Monks) consists of 14 rolls.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 06 December 2010 - 03:06 AM.

[ghostexorcist]

Although I don't have any concrete proof, I think I know why Garuda is portrayed above the Buddha's head. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is considered one of the four cardinal animal guardians--the others being the snow lion, tiger, and dragon. (One source I read said this was a borrowing from the Chinese culture.) Garuda guards the north and rules the element of air. And there is scriptural evidence that shows other protector deities have manifested above the Buddha's head. What follows is some material I added to Wikipedia some time ago:

The Pali Canon's Ambattha Suttanta, which challenges the caste system, tells of one instance of him appearing as a sign of the Buddha's power. At the behest of his teacher, a young Brahmin named Ambatha visited the Buddha. Knowing the Buddha's family to be the Shaykya clan who are Kshatriya caste, Ambatha failed to show him the respect he would a fellow Brahmin. When the Buddha questioned his lack of respect, Ambatha replied it was because the Buddha belongs to a "menial" caste. The Buddha then asked the Brahmin if his family was descended from a “Shakya slave girl.” Knowing this to be true, Ambatha refused to answer the question. Upon refusing to answer for a second time, the Buddha warned him that his head would be smashed to bits if he failed to do so a third time. Ambatha was frightened when he saw Vajrapani manifest above the Buddha's head ready to strike the Brahmin down with his thunderbolt. He quickly confirmed the truth. (Vessantara, Meeting the Buddhas, p. 162)

I had totally forgotten about adding this to the page until today. As Vajrapani is considered, according to some traditions, to be the ever-present protector of those on the path to Buddhahood, it seems only natural Garuda is located above him to serve the same function.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 19 December 2010 - 12:50 PM.

[ghostexorcist]

A relief engraving on the Great Wall is the earliest reference to the motif in China that I have been able to find so far. It appears at the top of an arch on the "Cloud Platform" of the Juyong Gate, which was built in 1345. Other Tibetan Buddhist symbols appear on the gate as well. I imagine the Mongols were instrumental in bringing the motif to China because of their adherence to Tibetan Buddhism.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 19 December 2010 - 07:45 AM.

[ghostexorcist]

A relief engraving on the Great Wall is the earliest reference to the motif in China that I have been able to find so far. It appears at the top of an arch on the "Cloud Platform" of the Juyong Gate, which was built in 1345. Other Tibetan Buddhist symbols appear on the gate as well. I imagine the Mongols were instrumental in bringing the motif to China because of their adherence to Tibetan Buddhism.

Here is a close-up of the engraving: http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

[lesterado]

Garuda as a Buddhist motif appeared in China long before there's any Buddhism in Tibet.

[ghostexorcist]

Garuda as a Buddhist motif appeared in China long before there's any Buddhism in Tibet.

I know. This thread is about the motif of him sitting above the Buddha's head in religious art.

[ghostexorcist]

Regarding portrayals of Garuda in China. I found this picture in a small book on the ethnic minorities of China. This is from an altar of the Bon-based Dongba religion practiced in Yunnan province. His beak seems to have been replaced with a sharp tongue:

[ghostexorcist]

The earliest examples of the Garuda motif above the heads of religious figures in Tibetan Buddhist textiles come from the 12th century. I can't find any examples of the motif in Buddhist art from India or China that hasn't been influenced by the Tibetan culture. The research of one prominent expert on Sino-Tibetan art supports my own assertion that the motif is exclusive to Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism didn't come to Tibet until the 7th century or so. That is why I am a bit puzzled at the moment.

I having been taking a class on Buddhist art for the last couple of weeks. The teacher was showing us slides of famous Buddhist cave temples, when she flipped to the following picture. This is one of the interior walls of Yungang cave #12, dating to the late 5th century:



I am always on the look out for the motif, so I instantly zeroed in on the bird with spread wings on the border just below the ceiling. Here is a detail:



This looks a lot like the Garuda from the 15th century textile from above. Do others here think it is some early example of the motif, or something else? I don't think it is a phoenix because there are examples of them off to the right and left of the bird in question (see the full slide above). I would like to talk more, but I have to go to my next class.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 14 February 2011 - 06:32 PM.

[李正龍]

I thought Garuda (and the other mythical creature like Naga) was derived from Indic culture, especially Hinduism, long before Buddhism took it's establishment by Gotama Buddha. Garuda also depicted as a particular animal for particular Hindu deities.

Even several ancient kingdoms in Java (e.g. Kahuripan, Kediri, Jenggala, etc in East Java), took Garuda as their emblem.
And, AFAIK, don't forget the Jatayu, 1 popular Garuda in Hindu's mythology.

CMIIW

[ghostexorcist]

I thought Garuda (and the other mythical creature like Naga) was derived from Indic culture, especially Hinduism, long before Buddhism took it's establishment by Gotama Buddha. Garuda also depicted as a particular animal for particular Hindu deities.

Even several ancient kingdoms in Java (e.g. Kahuripan, Kediri, Jenggala, etc in East Java), took Garuda as their emblem.
And, AFAIK, don't forget the Jatayu, 1 popular Garuda in Hindu's mythology.

CMIIW

The point of this thread is to pinpoint when the motif of Garuda flying over the Buddha's head appeared in Buddhist art. I'm not trying to say that he was exclusive to Buddhism. I may have to edit my first post to show that I am aware of Garuda's origin in Hinduism for future readers of this thread.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 01 May 2011 - 03:10 PM.

[ghostexorcist]

Here is another example of the motif in Beijing's Yonghegong Lama Temple. It was built in 1694.



This was the biggest example that I could find. I read about this in a dissertation about the origins and influences of the Thunder god Lei Gong.

[李正龍]

Here is another example of the motif in Beijing's Yonghegong Lama Temple. It was built in 1694.



This was the biggest example that I could find. I read about this in a dissertation about the origins and influences of the Thunder god Lei Gong.

OOT.
Kinda odd.
The left part of the couplet consisting 9 characters, but the right part only 8 characters?

[ghostexorcist]

I have just concretely figured out why Garuda is always drawn in a superior position. I have an account on ARTSTOR (an archive for pictures of art) through my school, and I was just browsing through the pictures of statues, textiles, and paintings of Garuda. Each picture comes with accompanying information about the time, place, creator, media, and (if applicable) the position. Well, I noticed that the oldest statues of Garuda in said superior position, many of which predate the aforementioned Tibetan Buddhist motif, were located on load bearing / decorative lintels and archways. These structures decorated the entrances to the Hindu and Buddhist temples of India and other countries. Here are a couple of examples.

This is the oldest example that I can find (thus far) of him above an arch. This is from the archway of an Indian Buddhist Chaitya Hall in Maharashtra dating from the 2nd-3rd century BCE. He is the one on the left.



This is from an interior lintel of a cave temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu in Karnataka dating to 578 CE.



This is from the lintel of a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga in Karnataka dating to 700 CE. Notice the Roman influence.



This from the lintel of a (Buddhist?) temple in Cambodia dating between 875-925.



These are just a few of what I have found. Please keep in mind this photo that I posted earlier of what I thought was Garuda in Yungang cave #12. As you can see, the bird is located on a decorative-type lintel above the three bodhisattvas’ heads, so this is most likely Garuda.



Therefore, it appears that the Tibetan Buddhist motif of Garuda being in a superior position above the head of the Buddha or other Buddhist figures in paintings and textiles was spawned from ancient Indian Buddhist and Hindu architecture. Any deity placed above a doorway, archway, or lintel acts as a protective guardian.

Edited by ghostexorcist, 13 October 2011 - 07:31 PM.