National Palace Museum – Buddhist Relics 佛光普照

The Manchurian emperors of Qing dynasty were staunch believers of Buddhism, and this fervent belief resulted in one of the best collections of buddhist relics in National Palace Museum.

Buddhist sculptures arose out of the belief system that produced them. They are derived from the iconography in Buddhist sutras. Buttressed by the popular religious concepts of the time, they aptly convey the spiritual content in which the religion is rooted.

Believers thought that the production of these sculptures would bring about good fortune; practitioners meditated with these images in order to bring about a deeper understanding and wisdom. Religious sermons made use of such profound sculptures to align and intensify the believers’ conception of the Buddhist realm. 

Among single Buddhist sculptures, one often finds sculptures of the Buddha, Buddhist monks, Bodhisattvas and guardian deities.

Bodhisattvas were made in the image of a secular, royal prince—having reached Buddhahood, they chose to stay in this world in order to assist those who have not.

The Buddha is at the core of the belief and represents the attainment of enlightenment. Disciples rendered in the form of monks transmitted his teachings after his death.

Guardian deities look ferocious, but they avert physical enemies and internal demons.

Then there are stupas, representing Nirvana. All these come together to compose the fundamental elements of Buddhist art.

These three statues of Buddhas were placed outside the regular exhibition hall because of their sheer size. The middle Buddha is two storey tall.