Video 1: Great Stupa at Sanchi

Basic Info on Buddhism:

● It began in India when Buddha achieved enlightenment
● Buddha is not a God, but a teacher
● Central beliefs/practices:
○ Eightfold path
○ Three jewels
○ No attachment to religious principles (no Buddhist services)
○ Chanting of Mantras (sacred word and sound formulas, “enlightened speech”)
○ Meditation/mindfulness
○ Oneness of all things
○ Samsara - cycle of death and rebirth; Nirvana is an escape of this
Great Stupa at Sanchi
● Date: 300 BCE - 100 CE
● Materials: Stone masonry, sandstone on dome
● Culture: Buddhist
● Location: Sanchi, India
○ When the Buddha died, it is said he was cremated with his ashes enshrined in 8
Stupas (burial mounds)
○ Called the Mahaparinirvana
○ Parinirvana - refers to Nirvana after death
○ Site visited to Asoka (major ruler in India)
○ Asoka sent Buddhist monks across the Silk Road to spread the faith
○ 1,000 small donors contributed to funding construction
○ Hemispherical form refers to the cosmos
○ Stupa is a solid object, it is not entered
○ People worship by walking around the Stupa in a clockwise direction
○ The mound is designed like a Mandala (how Buddhists think the universe looks
like)
○ Buddha is not a god but rather an example of enlightenment and attainment of
Nirvana
○ Mandalas always have a central figure with other designs radiating from it
● Parts of the Stupa
○ Medhi - represents the Earth
 ○ Cupola body & Anda - represents the heavens
○ Harmika - mythical cosmic mountain at the center of the universe
○ Chattravali - pivot point of the Stupa, domain of ultimate truth
○ Composed of 3 parts (the 3 jewels) - Enlightened (Buddha), Sangha (religious
community), & Dharma (teachings of the Buddha)
○ Circular space outside makes room for processions (pradakshina)
● Symbolism of the Stupa
○ The worshipping journey awakens the mind to the rhythms of the universe
○ Buddhist journey is circular - seek to reach Nirvana and escape Samsara
○ The Stupa symbolizes the World Mountain, Dome of Heaven, and Hallowed
Womb of the Universe

Video 2: Longmen Caves

Buddhism Types:
● Terrevada - traditional, monks, scripture, older
● Mahayana - new, mixes with local beliefs & traditions
Longmen Caves:
● Location: Luoyang, China (Tang Dynasty)
● Date: 493 - 1127 CE
● Material: Limestone
● Culture: Buddhist, Chinese
○ 2300 caves
○ About 110,000 stone Buddha statues
○ 60 Stupas with Buddhist relics
○ 2,800 inscriptions on steles
○ Nearly a mile long
○ Rest of the caves were built over time with various styles of Buddhist statues
○ Shows influence of Silk Road and contact with various other cultures
○ Most carvings are from the end of the 5th century and the middle of the 8th
century CE