Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.s5.15

c13.s5.15

The genesis of the Buddha image should be traced to the religious attitued that had been evolved amongst the various Buddhist sects as we know from the religious history of Buddhism. The followers of the Sarvāstivādī sect were in the ascendency at Mathura and also in Gandhāra. They were realists who believed in the value of the worldly ideas in the service of humanity and selfless action for the relief of human suffering and sorrow. It means that they placed higher value on the ideal of the Bodhisattvahood so much so that they declared that lord Avalokiteśvara would condescend to go to the Avīchī hell if he could make man happy by his presence there. This was a very powerful point of view which stirred deeply the feelings and emotions of all who listened to the new ideal. It appears that the Buddhists were divided into two camps, the traditionalists or Thervādins who were adherents of the Nirvāṇa ideal, viz. attaining Nirvāṇa by following the ascetic path; there were others the Sarvāstivādins who did not withdraw from the exacting struggle of the world but took utmost joy in sacrificing themselves for the happiness of all beings. This was in essence the ideal of the Bodhisattvahood in the palmy days of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Bodhisattva ideal proved as of supreme attraction and it provided a new inspiration of positive service and devotion and endowed with social virtues and conscience. The effect of this bifurcated attitude was best seen in the case of the Buddha image. The followers of the Buddha ideal continued with their old restrictions on the image of the Buddha and most probably they confined themselves to the continuation of symbolical representation of the Master as was known in the art of Sanchi and Bharhut. On the other hand the Sarvāstivādin monks were getting more dynamic and powerful spreading of their activities from Taxila to Mathura and declaring fearlessly their faith in the tangible worship of the Buddha in a human from, for then the image was as real an element of religious worship as faith in the doctrine. We, therefore, find the earliest images were those not of the Buddha but of Bodhisattva which agreed with the Sarvāstivādin ideal.