Thailand, Ratanakosin, 19th Century Cast seated in dhyanasana on a shaped plinth with his hands folded in his lap in dhyana mudra, his face in a serene expression of meditation with deep set eyes beneath arched brows, his emaciated body revealing ribs and veins poised in total control.
Dimensions Height: 5 in. / 12.7 cm
Provenance Provenance: Property from the Collection of Jameson J. Wood.
Notes Prince Siddhartha, the Emaciated Buddha. Having renounced his former life, Prince Siddhartha travelled from place to place, begging for his food and questioning all the holy men he met about their beliefs and practices. All were seeking the same goal – the complete extinction of mind and body and entry into the state of pure being. Many of these yogis believed that the only way to achieve this was by undergoing terrible penances Eventually the Bodhisattva went to live in a forest on the banks of the river Nairanjan, where five yogis joined him. For six years he fasted and performed penances, and although these weakened his body, his spiritual powers became strong Eventually, however, it became clear to Siddhartha that extreme physical discipline would not lead to liberation. This could only be achieved by calm meditation – impossible for anyone whose body was worn down by hunger and thirst. 'From now on I will take the middle way. I shall neither starve my body nor feed it too richly, but will eat just what is needed and no more.' Images of the Emaciated Buddha are rare in Thai bronze sculpture and are modelled after Gandharan prototypes.