ARCHAEOLOGICAL RELIC (TUNHUANG) TEACHING "ARHAT" -ONE WHO IS WORTHY
HEIGHT 37 cm
A FINE POLYSTONE CASTING
THIS FINE REPLICA IS COPIED USING A DIRECT MOLD USED IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS FROM EXCAVATIONS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST CHINA. THE DEPICTION WILL USUALLY BE OF AN IMPORTANT "CHARACTER" OR PERSONIFICATION OF A CERTAIN "STATE OF MIND". THE COMPLETION STAGES IN THE BUDDHIST SYSTEM ARE ARHAT: Theravada Buddhism defines arhat (Sanskrit) or arahant (Pali) as "one who is worthy" or as a "perfected person" having attained nirvana. Other Buddhist traditions have used the term for people far advanced along the path of Enlightenment, but who may not have reached full Buddhahood. BODHISATTVA: (in Mahayana Buddhism) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings. BUDDHA: THE PERFECTION OF WISDOM & COMPASSION AND THE ATTAINMENT W/O A TEACHER.
