The Significance of the Buddha Footprint in the Bagan Metropolis

Su Latt Win

Buddhism in the Bagan Metropolis

• King Anawratha conquered Thaton and brought the thirty sets of Tipitaka

• Theravadha Buddhism had been highly developing

• Pal̄i texts supported the meaning of religious structures eg; pagodas, temples, Buddha images and mural paintings etc.,

• Artists attempted to transmit messages about the Buddha and Buddhism

• The pilgrims could learn the Buddhist teachings and doctrines

• Buddha footprints have been developed in conformity with the other Buddhist arts

• The majority of footprints reflect textual influence from Sri Lanka

The tradition of the footprint veneration• A common devotional practice in many religions

• Footprint could be regarded as the physical evidence

• The devotees have been worshipping the footprint as the divine object

• The footprint is actual trace of the venerated one, “Śākyamuni”o Pāribhogika-cetiya and Uddissaka-cetiyao Uttama Purisa lakṣaṇa (32 Characteristics of Buddha)o Royal renunciations

• Touching the feet of a person is ritual practices of Indian tradition

• Showing the great respects to the gods and deities

• Buddhists had been inherited this concept and practice

The Significance of the Buddha Footprint in the Bagan Metropolis

• Footprints can be classified into at least three different formso an image of the soles of the Buddha’s feeto an isolated object for worshipo a painted on the ceiling of the religious temples

• Veneration of footprint came from Sri Lanka

• List of 108 auspicious symbols also mentioned the early texts from Sri Lankao Samantabhaddika (during the 5th century A.D)o Jinalankara-tika (11th century A.D)

• The complete set has not yet been found in Sir Lanka

• The earliest example have been found in Bagan, mainly based on the Jinalankara Pal̄i text

An image of the soles of the Buddha’s feet• Impossible to depict all symbols, only Cakka on the palms and soles since Pyu

period

• The earliest complete signs found reclining Buddha image of Kok-Thi-Nar-Yon

• The few symbols have been remained on two-third of the right sole

• This pattern probably early type because it is similar layout to Lokananda

Reclining Buddha image at Kok-Thi-Nar-Yon temple

Isolated Buddha Footprints • The cult isolated footprint is common practice of the lay devotees

• The isolated Buddha footprints can be divided into two types pāribhogika-cetiya and uddissaka-cetiya

• pāribhogika-cetiya refers to the real footprints of Buddha• uddissaka-cetiya is created by image maker for the

commemoration

• Normally found inside the pagoda yard or near the entrance of the temples

• The source of the material easily obtained from the neighbor areas brown-sandstone for early period and red-sandstone for late period

• No frame normally, the toes are uniform and have the conch lines in each toe

• Bagan stone artwork is the best example for the later period

Lokananda Buddha Footprint (Now Bagan Archaeological Museum)

Shwe-zi-gon Buddha Footprint

Ananda Buddha Footprint

The depiction of the 108 auspicious marks

• Upper part of the Cakra has 9x5=45

• Left and right of the Cakra has 9x9=18

• lower part of the Cakra has 9x2=18

• The heel has 2+5+9+11=27

• Total 108 auspicious marks

9x9=18

Gu Taung Taw Ya Buddha feet with footprints (new finding)

• It is loated at Gu Taung Taw Ya, the west of Myit Chae Township, one mile away from Tant Kyi Mountain

• The big stone feet “uddissaka-cetiya”• Source from U Win Maung (Tampawaddy)

Photo source : U Win Maung (Tampawaddy)

Photo source : U Win Maung and Mr . Suzuki Takashi

Painted footprints on the ceiling of the religious temples

• The tradition has been originally started in the Bagan period

• This form does not exist anywhere in Southeast Asian art

• It probably used as protective emblem rather than veneration object

• According to U Aung Kyine (Minbu) stated as “Symbol for prevent and protect to danger or harm”

• A pair on the main hall’s ceiling or four pairs on the ceiling of each vestibule at the majority of temples in Bagan.

Buddha footprints mural painting on the ceiling of temple no.475

• The footprints decorating side by side the center of the ceiling• The framework is more prominently decorated rather than the footprint• Transmit messages about veneration practice of the Buddha footprints

Decoration VsMessage

Buddha footprints mural painting on the ceiling of Hlan-Kya temple

• Buddhapādamaṅgala represented the cosmologic themes• The most valuable things in the world contains in the 108 auspicious• Buddha occupies the ruler position at the center of the cosmos

Relationship between Cosmology and Buddha footprint on the ceiling of Winido temple

The impure part of a person (probably the feet) placed above the purest part of other’s (probably the head), described the absolute superiority and complete purity of the venerated one

By : Strong, John S. (2004)

Thank You