Art in Heaven 2016
Alice (12)
The Castle School
Visionary Buddha
I have chosen to do an art project on Buddha. Buddha was a prince called Siddhartha Gautama who lived in 4 or 5 B.C (before Jesus was born). Buddha, did not go outside the place he lived in. Buddha, then one day decided to go outside the palace walls. He then saw old and sick people who had diseases. He also saw a dead person. Buddha felt sad and worried. Buddha decided to go on a journey to look for a way to help people.
My art work shows Buddha sitting under a Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree is a very old and sacred tree. Buddha is meditating in my art work, meditating means clearing your mind of thoughts. Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating, like a vision. On the tree in my art work there are four leaves which represents the four Noble Truths thought of by Buddha. The Noble Truths incudes that suffering happens, suffering has a cause; it has an end and there is a way to end the suffering.
Buddha thought of the Eight Path Plan to help people and end suffering. I placed a lotus flower on my art work. On the petals of the flower I have written the Eight Path Plan. The Eight Path Plan tells us to have the right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration (mediation).
I chose to use a lotus flower because it represents us in Buddhism. The lotus flower starts growing from the mud at the bottom of pond and grows into a fabulous flower out of the water. The lotus flower dies like us.
Buddhism, all started from Buddha achieving enlightenment. Buddhism, has been followed by millions of people for thousands of years.