Buddhism in its connexion with Brahmanism and Hinduism and in its contrast with Christianity . This represents the Buddha seated, in meditation, 478 IMAGES AND IDOLS. on a raised seat under the sacred tree, with the twohands supinated, one over the other. Tlie second sedent attitude may be called the Witness-attitude, It is perhaps the most esteemed ofall, and is represented in a good sculpture delineatedbelov/ (from Sir A. Cunnino-hams photograph, see XXX. 17). This represents Gautama at the moment ofachieving Buddhahood after his long course of medita-tion, seated on a lion-throne (sinha
Buddhism in its connexion with Brahmanism and Hinduism and in its contrast with Christianity . This represents the Buddha seated, in meditation, 478 IMAGES AND IDOLS. on a raised seat under the sacred tree, with the twohands supinated, one over the other. Tlie second sedent attitude may be called the Witness-attitude, It is perhaps the most esteemed ofall, and is represented in a good sculpture delineatedbelov/ (from Sir A. Cunnino-hams photograph, see XXX. 17). This represents Gautama at the moment ofachieving Buddhahood after his long course of medita-tion, seated on a lion-throne (sinhasana) with an orna-mental back, having two lions carved below (compareP- 394)- His legs are folded in the usual Indianfashion, the feet being turned upwards, while the righthand hangs over the right leg and points to the earth,and the left hand is supinated on the left foot. He WITNESS-ATTITUDE. 479 has an aureola round his head and a mark—perhapsthe caste-mark of a Kshatriva—on his forehead, and anumbrella over the sacred tree. This attitude is wellshown in the Sarnath sculpture (facing ^d. 477). The tradition is that at the moment of his enlighten-ment Gautama was taunted by the evil being Mara withbeing unable to give any proof or sign of his Buddha-hood. Thereupon Gautama pointed, not to heaven asa Brahman might have done, but to the earth beneathhis feet, calling it to w^itness. Then a six-fold earth-quake and other miraculous phenomena fo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbuddhism, bookyear188
