Custom «Religion and Artistic Expression» Essay Paper Sample

It is very evidence that different religions have different form of artistic expression based on their religious beliefs. The most commonly known religions are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. In our discussion I have largely focus on the Buddhism and Hinduism forms of artistic. In the religious arts of the universe many may vary based on cultures, where few have seem to provide as a broader canvas is as the Tibetan on which to develop visualizations of the enormous variety of potential aspects of the liberal mind (Bakhi%u0304t, 2000). Firstly, it is important we understand what is entailed in the Buddhism religion. For over two decades the Buddhism religion has widely influenced the thoughts and lives of a large number of individual across the world. Symbols and images associated to the Buddha religion point both to individuals they highly stand for and to the indescribable meaning attached to they embody.

For the Buddhist, beginning to adapt to their way of life begins with greater understanding of the possibility and realizing the nature of the Buddha culture. Bakhi%u0304t (2000) asserts that, it is only when one has greatly understood this possible evolution then; one is challenge to start understanding the nature and visualize ones inner potential so as an individual can be able to develop an art form which greatly matches up with the intended inspiration. Originating from India, the Buddhist art is defined as the symbolic and ornamental art connect to its religion. Buddhist art come into being in two different phases i.e. aniconic phrase which avoids direct representation of the Buddha and the iconic which had direct representation of the Buddha.

In the aniconic phrase, there were several arts that represented the emergence of the Buddhist religion, for instance the wheel of law also known as dharmacakra consisted of four noble truth widely expressing the Buddha denomination, the Bodhi tree which was a sacred tree used by the Buddha's to reached for a specific enlighten. According to Bakhi%u0304t (2000), it was belief to contain some percent of antecedent whereby the fertility within this particular tree represented life. Other than the tree and the wheel of law, this phase has a lion which symbolized presence of loyalty to their god. This particular lion was known as "shakya lion" and resembled a pillar to which they could lean on during tough times.

After the aniconic period, the iconic period followed up where it contained anthropomorphic representation within the Buddha's community. This phrase was marked up with displays from which were very influential leading to the emergence of the development of Greco-Buddhist art. Other than been linked to the Greeks, the iconic art was highly characterized with idealism, realism, attitudes and attributes which created the sense of perfection and serenity that was intended to reach the supreme divine. This expression of idealism and realism connected man to god whereby they become an iconographic canon for various Buddhist art (Bakhi%u0304t, 2000).

Other than the arts in these two phrases, there are other notable Buddha art such as the portable shrine where they carried their goddesses over the shoulder straps. There is also Tibetan art which involved diagrams of a divine temple whose purpose to assists their worshippers to focus their attention into meditation so as to be able to follow fully the path which leads to the centralized part of the Buddha.

Langham (2007) asserts that, Hinduism being one of the most of the oldest religion across the world has been linked to various form of artistic incorporated in their way of life and their religion. As a religion, Hinduism has grown to be a social and a political force world wide. Though there have been a close association between Buddhism and Hinduism it is very evident that the two religions have different forms of arts. Firstly, it is important that we understand that, Hindu religion has been known to have a great storage area of heterogeneity beliefs. Their range of heterogeneity beliefs included the worshiping of various kinds of deities where everyone was given a choice to decide on which type of deity he would like to worship.

It is very observable that many Indians who constitute of a majority people in the Hindu community in one way or another has his own way of expressing art. The most characterized Hindu art work is that of the temple which has a wider focus towards the spiritual and social life of individuals governed under it. It is evident that Hinduism has contributed to the larger being Indian civilization other than what people believes to be a religion. Hindus art work is highly considered to be a disciplinary style of worship and one which is self resistant it is also known to be the oldest native science (Langham, 2007). Lord Shiva also represented as king of dance is considered to be the created y an Indian artistic genius represent symbol that is of divine nature. Hindus with the help of bronze and stone could shape up human shapes which at times could represent different gods. It was from the transition of carvings which depicted to dramatic and powerful emergence of Ellora which was in the shape of a mountain. The Ellora became one of the most famous and beautiful monument within the Hindus dedication. The Ellora greatly connected the Hindus religion to their philosophy where unless one had insight which would govern the mind of the Hindus.

Finally, in order to understand clearly on both the Buddhist and Hindu religion it is very important that we try to compare and contrast the principles governing each religion. Based on their comparison, the art of these two religions are believed to portray more on secularism other than their main religion views. It is important that those who believe on secularism to allow other beliefs to belief what they want without any form of hindrance.

On the differences, Hindu form of art seemed to target their gods with incredible accuracy while largely avoiding deception associated to other religions. This art work of Hindus created great misconception due to the fact that it created misconceptions by the nude painting such that many researchers failed to understand why a religion would like to represent their god and goddesses with such level of nudity. It is so obvious out of the major kinds of religions in the worlds; no religion would stoop to the level of depicting the nature of their gods to nudity. When basing our differences connected to the Buddhism religion, it art work was beginning to be practiced in India therefore it divided people between Hinduism and Buddhism. There were also reasons created by the religion causing negligence to the people believing in it. The symbols used in their art work from a scientific point of view, gave the idea that something which can not be measured is can never exist in the world. Finally, it is clear that there is a connection between these two religions since both originated in India but it is a matter of fact that these two religions are different from one another.