The Profound Beauty and Striking Similarities Between Orthodox Christian And Tibetan Buddhist Art (PHOTOS)

"Embodying the Holy," a new exhibition at New York City's Rubin Museum of Art, brings to light striking similarities between Orthodox Christian icons and traditional Tibetan Buddhist painted scrolls.

Martin Brauen, the museum's Chief Curator, said that the exhibition will "provide points of basic understanding of what connects the so-called East and West on a spiritual level." Elaborating on this spiritual connection, he said that Christian icons and Tibetan painted scrolls are "both representations of a reality that is beyond our human realm. They are depictions of a divine state of being."

Referring to the aesthetic similarities between the two artistic traditions, Brauen noted, "In both cases the motifs and the general structure are prescribed in a clearly set canon of images. The figures on some of these paintings are shown frontal and axial, there is no vanishing point perspective, and often the names of single figures are inscribed."

"But there are also differences that can be explored in the exhibition," Brauen added. "These are related to the painting technique but also to the content."

"Embodying the Holy" will run Oct. 6, 2010 to March 7, 2011.

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Amulet Box (Gau)

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Himalayan, 19th century; metal, silver; Rubin Museum of Art, C2008.21 (HAR 57003)

Amulet Box (Gau)

Himalayan, 19th century; metal, silver; Rubin Museum of Art, C2008.21 (HAR 57003)

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Comments

[Ohbeewun]

01:20 PM on 11/06/2010

I have long felt a deep kinship between my own Tibetan Buddhist practice (in the Nyingma lineage) and that of "Eastern" Orthodox Christianity. The similarities go deeper than even artistic conventions and representations. Compare the deeply mystical teachings of the Philokalia of Orthodoxy with the Buddhist teachings on mind and meditation. At depth we all partake of a single ineffable reality, so it should not surprise us that authentic teachings of our true nature (that at depth we are already Buddha-nature, Christ-consciousness, etc.) merge in unity. It is only our superficial attachment to conceptual constructs that keep us separate and at war with each others' beliefs and practices. If you connect with your true nature, however conceived, you will see all people, all life, all of creation and beyond as your own dear family.

[RideTheSnake402]

01:19 PM on 10/29/2010

It's like walking into someones trip.. HAH

[Amalek]

10:56 AM on 10/13/2010

Buddhism and Christianity both flourished in China during the Tang Dynasty - 7th Century Nestorian Christians had found their way there down the Silk Road. There got to be so many monasteries that the Emperor finally cracked down. Christianity died out, not to return for hundreds of years. Buddhism survived.

Not surprising at all that the religions influenced each other.

[Pandoras Folly]

10:28 PM on 10/11/2010

At the same time Roam was building great road networks so were the Mayans. both the mayans and the egyptians and just about everyone else built pyramids. Humans are humans are humans are humans. If you study the subjective religous experience as expressed thru religious metaphor, iconography, art, etc we find the same stories of creation and interaction with each other and the world at large playing over and over again. The obvious cultural origin of the eastern mediterranian and central asian peoples and the ongoing cross cultural pollination makes the similarity certain and obvious.

[aprohricht]

12:02 PM on 10/11/2010

Of course there are similarities. Where do you think so many of these "Christian" ideas came from? From the Hindus, to the Buddhists, to the Greeks, then the Jews, then the Christians, then the Muslims. It has all been done before. Everything is recyclable.

[Martin Davis]

10:09 PM on 10/10/2010

I've long noticed the similarity between the two forms of devotional art. As Tibetan Buddhism traces it's origins back to the 8th century C.E., I can't help but think that there were influences brought by travelers on the Silk Road. "Spike Nard" - a perfumed spice originating from the Himalayas is what was used to anoint Jesus in John's gospel.

[Myoho]

05:44 AM on 10/10/2010

Copy Cats

[Rhonnybay]

12:41 PM on 10/07/2010

You find similarities with all ancient cultures and Christianity in art.

As I Christian, I know that we've "borrowed" from Egypt, India, and the Far East.

[Chris Fraas]

10:03 AM on 10/07/2010

To add to my quote ...
you can find a portion of an interesting documentary from the BBC on this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCS7P-vdRM
It's only 7 mins. long. Interesting stuff that goes into much better detail about it than I do.

[khandha]

01:37 PM on 10/06/2010

Devotional art, whether Christian, Buddhist or otherwise, has a specific purpose to help the viewer concentrate the mind and let go of distractions. In other words, it is an object for meditation. It makes sense that art directed towards a common purpose would have stylistic similarities, and this in itself provides an excellent ground for contemplating the truth of the law of cause and effect.

Although the practice of meditation and mind training is prominent in Buddhism, in Christianity it seems to be more obscured, although it is there when you look for it. Prayer isn't so different from meditation (depending on how you practice prayer). Certainly when the Christian art in these exhibits was created, it was created with a purpose -- to inspire devotion, not just express it, and certainly not (one hopes) just to decorate.

It inspires me to see this common effort between Buddhism (my own faith) and the Christian tradition. Not only does it strengthen my faith in Buddhism, but it gives me further evidence that human beings are essentially the same, regardless of faith (or lack thereof), nationality, or other circumstances.

[Niasia]

11:10 AM on 10/06/2010

The art is just beautiful. I would love to see these pieces up close to see the detail. I would even like a few of them to hang in my home as reproductions.

[Doreen Payne]

07:55 AM on 10/06/2010

you know I just like looking at the art.

[ionthegravity]

05:58 PM on 10/05/2010

shhh....if you allude to the fact that all religion is just repackaged superstition that was spread by travellers and soldiers then all those deluded religionists might see the truth!!

[Weirdwriter]

10:18 PM on 10/05/2010

Shhhh, if you are publicly, gratuitously rude about people who dare to have chosen to have a different belief system than yours then you risk looking like one of those bigoted, intolerant, narrow-minded folks you look down on.

[ionthegravity]

01:47 PM on 10/06/2010

I'm a survivor of those bigoted, intolerant, narrow-minded belief systems that you love to defend.

[GraphicMatt]

09:28 AM on 10/06/2010

Or you could have that discussion in a non-condesending manner in an article that is about that topic. Now this may be a stretch for you, but some people, regardless of their beliefs on religion, actually enjoy looking at art from other cultures and consider people like you trolls.

[ionthegravity]

01:45 PM on 10/06/2010

that has nothing to do with the fact that history is on my side....i'll go back under my bridge now...and continue being right.

[LMPE]

04:55 PM on 10/05/2010

watch Glenn Beck allege a conspiracy between Buddhists and Orthodox Christians

[khanti]

08:23 AM on 10/05/2010

Maybe I don't have an eye for the arts but the only striking similarity I see is the halo behind their heads.