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Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:24 pm
by Huseng
I was at the Asian Civlizations Museum in Singapore today and found this. It is from the Tokugawa era in Japan when Christianity was outlawed. Someone could covertly worship the cross.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:09 pm
by Dronma
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing, Indrajala!
I would never believe, before I see it, that it existed such a symbol.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:39 pm
by lobster
Someone could covertly worship the cross.
An iron cross eh.
Seems very natural to have a female or crucified Buddha. However some prefer their icons clearly labeled.
Shakyamuni, King of the Buddhas.
. . . maybe repos are available . . . I think I would use one . . .
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:06 am
by rory
gives me the creeps, really fascinating though. I've seen icons of Kannon that stood for the Virgin Mary.
gassho
Rory
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:20 am
by Wayfarer
I saw a photograph of a similar 'hybrid' style of icon from, I think, the Gandhara era, silver, many years ago in a journal. I was interested in finding out more, but never managed to track it down again. I wondered if it might be related to the so-called
Jesus Sutras of the Nestorian Christians, who managed to get as far as Imperial China.
In 1907, explorers discovered a vast treasure trove of ancient scrolls, silk paintings, and artifacts dating from the 5th to 11th centuries A.D. in a long-sealed cave in a remote region of China. Among them, written in Chinese, were scrolls that recounted a history of Jesus' life and teachings in beautiful Taoist concepts and imagery that were unknown in the West. These writings told a story of Christianity that was by turns unique and disturbing, hopeful and uplifting. The best way to describe them is collectively, with a term they themselves use: The Jesus Sutras.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:26 am
by oushi
Gnostics would be proud of it.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:13 pm
by plwk
Ven Indrajala, a 'crucifix' / 'cruci fixus' is technically a cross with a fixed carving of a crucified Christ on it.
The one in the pic looks like a plain cross with a carved image of a Buddha, although I can't see the back side of it...
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:26 am
by Huseng
Ah, okay.
Basically it is a covert Christian symbol. They would stick it on the wall and people would think they were worshipping the Buddha.
In the Tokugawa period being a Christian was prohibited.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:09 am
by Ramon1920
I remember seeing a documentary about some mirrors that appeared normal but reflected Christian images before.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:21 am
by Thomas Amundsen
I don't see much harm in it. Seems like a win-win.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:45 am
by Grigoris
Or a lose-lose!
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 2:33 am
by rory
Sorry the crucifix where Jesus is crucified for your sins , the load of guilt plus you'll never be a christus/a is a billion miles away from a Buddha whom we all can become. Not to mention that Jews (my people) have been discriminated and murdered in Jesus' name for 2 millenia. Buddhism is much more syncretic and prefers to absorb rather than persecute...
gassho
rory
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:35 am
by Kim O'Hara
rory wrote:Sorry the crucifix where Jesus is crucified for your sins , the load of guilt plus you'll never be a christus/a is a billion miles away from a Buddha whom we all can become. Not to mention that Jews (my people) have been discriminated and murdered in Jesus' name for 2 millenia. Buddhism is much more syncretic and prefers to absorb rather than persecute...
gassho
rory
But Rory, this buddha-on-a-cross was never intended as a Buddhist symbol, if Indrajala is correct. The Buddha-figure was just stuck on the cross to camouflage an object which was intended to be, and used as, a strictly Christian symbol.
The similarities and differences between the two religions are therefore quite beside the point. So are their habits of borrowing/absorbing ideas from other religions, which is a whole topic in itself.
Kim
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 9:07 am
by rory
I was replying to the win-win, idea that it's all okay, good etc...symbols have tremendous power. To a Japanese covert Christian that was a helpful symbol; to me seeing the buddha on a cross is amazingly upsetting.
Re: Buddha on a crucifix
Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:12 am
by Kim O'Hara
rory wrote:I was replying to the win-win, idea that it's all okay, good etc...symbols have tremendous power. To a Japanese covert Christian that was a helpful symbol; to me seeing the buddha on a cross is amazingly upsetting.
Thanks for your explanation, and it does make sense - our responses are highly dependent on our prior experiences. But perhaps you could have made it clear that you were responding to a particular post and from a different perspective?
Kim