Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c7.118

c7.118

It is pointedly observed by the Chinese historian that Hiuen Thsang, who was at first filled with reverence for Moksha-gupta's learning, from that time "regarded him as dirt." Though this refers to a comparatively late period in the history of Buddhist art in India, there is plenty of direct evidence that at the time when the Indian monastic schools began to represent the person of Buddha, the whole doctrine of Yoga was a recognised branch of hieratic learning. But long before that time all sects of Hinduism acknowledged the physical power of concentrated thought, and even Buddhists who might refuse to accept the philosophy of Yoga fully believed that by means of Dhyâna, or meditation, the living body could be etherealised and transported to one of the higher spiritual planes, or heavens. Hiuen Thsang declared that in this way an artist conveyed himself to the Tusitâ heavens to observe the person of Maitreya, the coming Buddha.¹ This points clearly to a mystical conception of Buddha’s personality, and not an ordinary naturalistic one.