90,065
edits
Lord Maitreya/is: Difference between revisions
Created page with "Búddhíski fræðimaðurinn Kenneth Ch'en skrifar um þessa mynd af Maitreya:"
(Created page with "The “Hampskjóða munksins” Japan, 17th century") |
(Created page with "Búddhíski fræðimaðurinn Kenneth Ch'en skrifar um þessa mynd af Maitreya:") |
||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
In Chinese Buddhism, Lord Maitreya is sometimes portrayed as the “Hemp-bag Bonze.” (A “bonze” is a Buddhist monk.) In his role, Maitreya appears as a plump, jolly, pot-bellied Laughing Buddha. He is often shown sitting and holding a sack, with happy children climbing all over him. To the Chinese, he represents prosperity, material wealth and spiritual contentment; the children represent the blessing of a large family. | In Chinese Buddhism, Lord Maitreya is sometimes portrayed as the “Hemp-bag Bonze.” (A “bonze” is a Buddhist monk.) In his role, Maitreya appears as a plump, jolly, pot-bellied Laughing Buddha. He is often shown sitting and holding a sack, with happy children climbing all over him. To the Chinese, he represents prosperity, material wealth and spiritual contentment; the children represent the blessing of a large family. | ||
Búddhíski fræðimaðurinn Kenneth Ch'en skrifar um þessa mynd af Maitreya: | |||
<blockquote>One feature of his appearance singled him out—he carried a hemp bag wherever he went. Into this bag was deposited whatever he received, and for this reason, the bag became an object of intense curiosity, especially among the children. They would chase him and climb all over him, and force him to open his bag. On such an occasion he would place the bag on the ground, empty the contents one by one, and just as methodically put them back into the bag. The expressions attributed to him were all enigmatic and exhibit [Zen] characteristics.... Once a monk asked him about his bag; he replied by placing it on the ground. When asked what this meant, he shouldered the bag and went away. Once he was asked how old the bag was, and he replied that it was as old as space.<ref>Kenneth K. S. Ch’en, ''Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey'' (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1964), pp. 405–6.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>One feature of his appearance singled him out—he carried a hemp bag wherever he went. Into this bag was deposited whatever he received, and for this reason, the bag became an object of intense curiosity, especially among the children. They would chase him and climb all over him, and force him to open his bag. On such an occasion he would place the bag on the ground, empty the contents one by one, and just as methodically put them back into the bag. The expressions attributed to him were all enigmatic and exhibit [Zen] characteristics.... Once a monk asked him about his bag; he replied by placing it on the ground. When asked what this meant, he shouldered the bag and went away. Once he was asked how old the bag was, and he replied that it was as old as space.<ref>Kenneth K. S. Ch’en, ''Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey'' (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1964), pp. 405–6.</ref></blockquote> | ||