Curated OER
Images of the Goddess in India
Students recognize several Indian goddesses, identify the symbols representing aspects of divinity in India, and appreciate how the goddess represents both creative and destructive forms of power.
Curated OER
The Medium And The Message
Students compare and contrast Buddhist sculpture in varying materials through in-class discussions and small cooperative learning groups. This lesson includes possible lesson extensions.
Seeker
Seeker: Week of 11 25 13: Oldest Buddha Shrine Dates Birth 6th C. b.c.
When was the Buddha, or Enlightened One, born, and when? The recent discovery of the oldest known Buddist shrine tells archaelogists more than we've ever know.
The British Museum
The British Museum: Ancient India: The Buddha
Richly illustrated life of the Buddha, told in a click-through storybook format with an embedded glossary. Includes an interactive tour of the stupa of Amaravati, an early Buddhist shrine, and a matching game designed to instruct players...
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Arts: The Art of Asia: Buddhism
Find out about different kinds of art inspired by Buddhism. Richly illustrated, with useful overviews of the origins of Buddhism, Buddhist sects, and similar aspects of the religion.
British Library
British Library: 20th Century: Art, Music and Popular Culture
Discover the music, art, and popular culture that shook the world in the 20th century.
Other
How Does Art Tell Stories?
This lesson plan--for social studies or an art class studying the culture of India--features great clip art examples, resources for teachers, and a glossary of vocabulary words.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Conception of the Buddha to Be in Queen Maya's Dream
This relief scene from around 100 to 300 depicts the dream of Maya, the mother of the historical Buddha. Queen Maya is asleep in her palace under a full moon. An attendant stands guard outside. In her dream, a white elephant enters her...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Buddha Shakyamuni
How do we recognize this figure as Shakyamuni Buddha? This is the traditional representation of the Shakyamuni Buddha or the historical Buddha. The statue shows the moment of his enlightenment at a place called Bodh Gaya in India, which...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Seated Amitabha Buddha (Amida Nyorai)
Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of a historical figure known as the Buddha Shakyamuni, who lived about 2,500 years ago. This sculpture shows Amitabha, identified as the Buddha of the Western Paradise. Amitabha is shown...
PBS
Pbs: Nova: Lost Treasures of Tibet: Deciphering Buddha Imagery
Interactive presentation explains the many ways that the Buddha is represented in art. Discusses the symbolic nature of his appearance as well as the Buddha's characteristic hand gestures, or mudras.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Development of the Buddha Image
There is significant debate concerning the development of the Buddha image--where it first occurred, why, and when. Broadly speaking, the image of the Buddha emerged during the first few centuries C.E. in two major centers of Indian art...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Standing Crowned Buddha With Four Scenes of His Life
This is an image of a crowned and bejeweled Buddha, standing on a lotus pedestal, surrounded by four other figures representing four famous scenes from the life of the historical Buddha. It dates from approximately 1050-1100 C.E. The...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Seated Amitabha Buddha (Amida Nyorai)
This sculpture shows Amitabha, identified as the Buddha of the Western Paradise. Read a brief history of Amitabha and the techniques used to make this sculpture.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Development of the Buddha Image
There is significant debate concerning the development of the Buddha image-where it first occurred, why, and when. This article traces the history of the Buddha image through two centers of artistic production: Gandhara and Mathura.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Conception of the Buddha to Be in Queen Maya's Dream
View an example of a frieze that would have decorated the wall of a Buddhist monument or monastic building. These images told a story to worshipers, essentially reminding them of key moments in the life of the Buddha. This frieze shows...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Buddha Shakyamuni
This is the traditional representation of the Shakyamuni Buddha or the historical Buddha. The statue shows the moment of his enlightenment at a place called Bodh Gaya in India. View a picture of the statue and read the background in this...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: How to Identify a Buddha
Buddha images vary greatly from place to place and period to period. This article identifies common features that most Buddha images share.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: How to Identify a Buddha
The earliest surviving representations of the Buddha date from hundreds of years after his death, so they are not portraits in the usual sense. Buddha images vary greatly from place to place and period to period, but they almost always...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Historical Buddha
Among the founders of the world's major religions, the Buddha was the only teacher who did not claim to be other than an ordinary human being. Read about his life in this article.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Buddha Triumphing Over Mara
This is an image of the historical Buddha. View a picture of this statue and read the history in this essay.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Jatakas: The Many Lives of Buddha as Bodhisattva
Jatakas reached the laity and monks through art, which proved to be a powerful tool in communicating Buddhist tenets and philosophy to a wide public. View examples of their art and read about their famous tales including the Great Monkey...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Images of Enlightenment: Aniconic vs Iconic Depictions of Buddha
Some of the earliest depictions of the Buddha reaching enlightenment appear as sculptural friezes on the exterior of sacred Buddhist monuments known as stupas. View pictures of these friezes and read the history of Prince Siddhartha in...