center
 |
| |
|
A Tantric Goddess Nepal, 14th century Copper alloy, 5 7/8 in (14.7 cm)  Originally,
the goddess would have been seated either directly on a lotus, which is
now missing, or on a mount placed on a lotus. Her posture is the
graceful lalitasana, though the right leg is not extended fully. She
wears an animal skin around her loins and a garland of severed human
heads. Another noteworthy feature is her hairdo, which, like that of
Bhairava, rises vertically to form a fan-like halo. The tiara is
adorned with grinning skulls, and the forehead is marked with the third
eye. The upper hands are now without their emblems. The lower two hold
the chopper in the right and a skull cup in the left.All her attributes and appurtenances make it clear that she is a tantric emanation of the great Hindu goddess, though without the additional attributes in the upper hands, an exact identification is not possible. The chopper and the skull cup are common emblems of various forms of the goddess in Nepal. Several of her attributes, such as the garland of severed heads, the third eye, and the tiara of skulls, are common to Kali, but in Nepal the more popular form of the goddess is the emaciated Chamunda. However, in eastern India and in the South, Kali is never emaciated but is portrayed with a beautiful body that she is not shy to flaunt, as indeed is the case here. Moreover, neither the Bengali nor Tamil Kali wears an animal skin, as does the Ford Kali. Her distinctive hairstyle is seen only in South Indian Kalis. Thus, this robustly modeled and delicately detailed figure reflects both the originality of tantric iconography in Nepal and the technical virtuosity of an unknown Newar master sculptor. It may have been gilded once. Close stylistic parallels may be seen in several fourteenth century works, crafted during the early Malla period, when the Newar artists created refined works of art in various media. |
| WHAT
IS TAOISM? taoist (daoism) IS MANY THINGS: TAOISM (DAOISM) is the philosophy of Lao Tzu (Laozi) that advocates the simplicity of existence, that teaches non-interference with natural events and the leaving of nothing undone. It is also the philosophy of Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) which emphasizes the relative nature of what we "know". taoist (daoism) is the application of taoist (daoist) philosophy to a model for living. taoist (daoism) is a system of Chinese study founded on the teaching of Lao Tzu and many other Chinese taoist (daoist) teachers. (from
alt.taoism.philosophy)
contributors are: Steven Ericsson Zenith [sez] steven@thetemple.com Oliver Sterczyk [os] sterzczyk@unixg.ubc.ca Chad Hansen [ch] hrxxhac@hkuxa.hku.hk (these abbreviations will be used throughout the answers to the questions about Taoism.) Sources and quotes from: Peter Gaullart's "The Monastery of Jade Mountain" the Shrine of Wisdom. TAOFAQ is published by The Temple of the Immortal Spirit http://www.thetemle.com/ When wondering what [sez] [os] and [ch] mean throughout these questions and answers, refer to this page for the names of the contributors. EDITED BY Steven Ericsson Zenith [sez] This series will be continued each day. Watch for new answers and questions!! (This publication may be freely copied and used for any purpose) What is a taoist (daoist)? Tao (or Dao) literally means "The Way." It is a term used to refer to a dynamic and interactive way of being whereby one acts and lives in harmony with nature and change. A person following the Tao does not try to obstruct natural processes taking place. This kind of action, and stillness - being - requires great clarity of vision and strength of mind. To seek and follow the Tao is, then, a difficult but venerable task. The literal impossibility of expressing clearly and completely in words the perceived subtleties and pervasive nature of the Tao, or any human condition, underscores the value placed by Taoists on any individual's unique experience in the world, while also making clear the responsibility each individual has to engage the world in sincere interplay. The great teachers of Taoism, such as Lao Tzu, often met this challenge in communication with abstract yet profound verse, which tends to convey a vast sense of openness. [os] A taoist (daoist) is a person who attempts to live in harmony with the world and to apply the principles of taoist (daoism) to their behavior. Those who succeed find it easy, those who fail work hard at it. [sez] What about Yin and Yang? Taoists believe that the natural forces of this world are the product of tension-- namely, the ongoing tension between yin and yang. Nothing in the world is seen strictly as yin or strictly as yang, though one force may be slightly dominant in a given place, for a time. Things which do not embody both forces relatively evenly have been observed to not endure; out of their imbalance and lack of flexibility in their surroundings, they perish. Yin is described with words like feminine, flexible, yielding, flowing, poised, compromising, soft, weak, and patience. Yang is described as masculine, decisive, rigid, piercing, reversing, hard, strong, and overcoming. Fundamental to a realistic understanding of these forces is the notion of transformation, of change. No one object can embody a single force for a remarkable period of time-- the farther it strays from being balanced, the sooner it will have to "change its way" (or else destruct). To use the example of a jogger, the harder (s)he runs, the sooner (s)he will need to stop, rest, and relax. This change is predictable, as are many others, to the astute Taoist. In the end, walking the distance may have been more efficient. [os] What is Wu-Wei? Wu-wei means having no deliberate (intentional) purpose and implies non-interference in the natural order. Frequently it is misinterpreted to mean doing nothing which can be wrongly mapped to the Western idiom of a "carelessness" or an indifferent "laissez-faire" attitude. [sez] In Cantonese we pronounce [wu-wei] Mow why (both starting as low as your voice will go and then going lower). It means "No why." (not "No, why?") No answers to why questions. In either dialect it is possible to read the wei in a different tone and treat it as something like "purpose" or "end." Actually it means acting without assigning things to conventional categories used in society's guidance schemes--no naming and acting in virtue of a thing's name. The relevant meaning of "wei"What is Western TAOISM? As it generally appears in the discussion forum of alt.philosophy.taoism "Western TAOISM" is the application of TAOIST philosophy in the Western context. [sez] |