Module 8: South & Southeast Asia

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https://asia.si.edu/object/F1970.30/

    The art piece I picked is the depiction of Buddha Sakyamuni entering what is referred to as Nirvana. Nirvana is the state of one basically being released from every stress and worry that comes with life. Karma was a big focus in Buddhism  when transcending into Nirvana, Karma is something not to be worried about. In Buddhism Karma is looked at as something inevitable, if you put good into the universe and atmosphere, then good is what you will get back and receive, meaning if you're putting bad energy into the universe, then bad energy is what you will receive in return. To people who practice Buddhism, suffering is birth and rebirth, and this is kind of where karma connects into it again. Karma follows you into your next life, whether your next life is human form or not. Nirvana is like the final goal in Buddhism  and what comes along with that is release from birth and rebirth, and karma. Meaning complete peace. Nirvana and Karma can't really exist without each other, it is quoted in Introduction to Buddhism by Jennifer N Mcintire, "How do people (beings) move about in this world? The answer is karma. Karma is the law that regulates all life in samsara. Existence in time and space is ruled by karma. Karma means action or deed. Every action has a result. Every deed has an effect. Karma is a built-in universe scale for good and evil—good leads to good result and vice versa.". Karma controls whether you receive Nirvana in the buddhist religion. Samsara means the cycle of death and rebirth, so when the author says , "...karma is the law that regulates all life in samsara," That is what I mean when I say karma and nirvana can't exist without each other, samsara is nirvana, on a different level, and that is control by karma. 


Citations:

McIntire, Dr. Jennifer N., and Dr. Jennifer N. McIntire. “Introduction to Buddhism.” Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-buddhism/. 

“Nirvana of the Buddha.” Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 10 Apr. 2021, https://asia.si.edu/object/F1970.30/. 

Menon, Dr. Arathi, and Dr. Arathi Menon. “A Brief History of the Art of South Asia: Prehistory–c. 500 C.E.” Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/south-asia-prehistory-500/. 



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