Jain Journal 1977 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 19

OCTOBER, 1977
53
and symbolic form. It appears that, from early times the ideals of stūpa or eduka migrated to the east, as far as distant shores of the sea. Apart from the aspect of the dissemination of Buddhism in South-East Asia, China, Korea and Japan one may wonder whether in antiquity the stūpa architecture had been introduced in the New World. Either the ascending height of the great edifice of Borobudor and the decorative constructuion of Sali Vihar in Java or the elegant pagodas of Shantung, Honan, Jehol, Manchuria and Hopei in China will illustrate how the ideal of stūpa radiated to the East. While the pagoda of T'ien-ning-ssu, Peking will highlight the usual emphasis on the umbrellas i.e. the chatrāvali in China, the northern pagoda on mount Tang in Hopei has defined the stūpa as an elongated super-structure on a storied shrine. Apart from the vast repertoire of stūpa forms scattered in Asia covering Japan, Korea, Tibet, the Gobi desert, Afganistan, Sri Lanka and other regions the diffusion of the ideal of the samavasarana or eduka as ascending structuras also deserves an appropriate study. The symbolism of the samavasaraṇa has inspired among others the monuments of Paharpur (Bengal) and Borobudor (Java). The stepped pyramidal shrines, whatever may be their origin, can be traced as far as distant Mexico. The great 'Pyramid of the Sun' at Teotihuacan as also the monuments of 'Olmec' or Maya styles as to be seen in Guatemala or Honduras are a number of monuments to be referred to in this respect. Besides the question of their origin which obviously requires a wide survey and comparative study a Toltec painting envisages the stūpa to an extent recalling the early style which developed in India in the context of the wide acceptance of the tenets of Mahavira and the Buddha. This is a unique fresco published by B. C. Vaillant in his famous book The Aztecs of Mexico (Penguin Books Ltd., reprinted 1951). The offering scene reproduced in Plate 24 depicts fire-altars and domical constructions crowned with box-like members. According to Vaillant the domical forms are symbolic of the water-goddess. The painting has been described by the noted expert on Mexican archaeology as follows:
“The figures at either side suggest the Water Goddess. Flames shoot up from the altars in front of them, while tribesmen and longrobed priests bring their offerings of feathers, food, jade, shell and a bird.” The author has drawn our attention to "Speech Scrolls” in this Toltec painting. The pair of domical constructions with decorative bands, garlands and crowning members appear to be no other than stūpas, either Buddhist or Jaina. Though partially hindered by the flames of the corresponding pair of altars before them the motifs visualise the formalised dome (anda) and the balustrade (harmikā) of the stūpa. Since the upper part of the painting has disappeared it is not possible to