Set in Stone

Overview
For a religion that explores the impermanence of existence it’s interesting that Buddhists opted for such a “permanent” medium to tell the story of enlightenment. Not confined, of course, to the Himalayas, stone and terracotta steles and reliefs were the textual Buddha biographies for the masses, the clearest, most consistent way to educate about nothingness.

Styles, interpretations, and materials may vary by region and artistic schools, embellishments and augmentation may tweak the stories here and there, but steles shared a common iconography easily interpreted by avid nirvana seekers and everyday Tashi Sixpacks alike. From the story of Siddhartha’s journey into Shakyamuni to recurring symbols that identify celestial bodhisattvas like nametags, these stone stories gave Buddhism a common, foundational narrative, a starting point into accessibility. And while Buddhists certainly did not invent synoptic art, devoted (and market-savvy) artist/storytellers were essential in helping the story and belief system spread far and wide, radiating east and west from India.

The Story
Check out these links that share a clear look at the 2,500-year-old story of the Buddha – his path to enlightenment, creation of the sangha and teachings of the darma, and parinirvana. It is the same story told over and over again in stonework throughout Asia. The links offer documentary, website, and coloring book respectively.
http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/          

http://viewonbuddhism.org/buddha.html        

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/storybuddha.pdf  

Stone Iconography

The steles and relief work can show the highlights of the Buddah’s life, they can provide detailed looks into specific stories, and they offer specific, common iconography to represent Shakyamuni.

Artists often turned to the 32 lakshunas, or characteristic marks, to create the Buddha identity in stone. These can include: the ushnisha, or head bump; the urna, or small whirl of hair between his eyebrows; the spoked dharma wheel on this palms and feet.

Buddha is always depicted seated upon a lotus and wears the spare clothing of a monk who has relinquished worldly desires. His mudras, or hand gestures also tell a story: meditation, teaching, giving, etc. (Fisher, Robert, Art of Tibet)

Secondary Sources
Looking for more insight, opinion, and analysis on the iconography  of Buddha stonework? This link should be of some help.

http://www.chinainstitute.cieducationportal.org/cimain/wp-content/themes/chinainstitute/pdfs/education/fromsilktooil_pdf7.pdf           

Primary Source Examples
Steles and stonework are not trapped amid the Himalayan region. The stories and symbols of Buddhism depicted in stone span time and geography. This powerpoint is simply a chance to see different variations on a theme, different looks at primary sources.

Stele PowerPoint