From the Temple to the Movie Screen and Beyond
Observing the changing representation of the Buddha in an ever changing society
The Buddha is the most universal image associated with Buddhism. In the modern cultural landscape, the image of the Buddha in a meditating pose is instantly recognizable and brings forward the spiritual perception of this religion. But behind the global perception of the image of Buddha lies its true religious roots. The image of Buddha is as much a part of the teachings of Buddhism as the teachings themselves, an enduring symbol of what Buddhists strive to achieve. My experiences come from growing up in a country that is 95 percent Buddhist. In any Buddhist temple, there will be a statue of Buddha. More often than not the walls will have murals displaying religiously significant events related to the Buddha’s journey towards enlightenment. Even in historical landmarks statues of Buddha are plentiful. The great presence of this speaks to the religious significance to the society of Thailand throughout its history. The most commonly seen form is that of the Buddha in a meditating pose. It is linked to how the Buddha gave his first sermon following his enlightenment. It’s why statues of Buddha are always present at religious structures, in homes, at any place of social significance in Thailand, a constant reminder to always learn from his teachings.
Emile Durkheim once discussed how religion is a reflection of society, and that religion changes as society does. While Buddhism has always been and still is a very influential part of Thai society and culture, the visibility and presence of the image of the Buddha has evolved and changed along with a growing society. In the past, as with many religions, the image of Buddha existed at places of worship and buildings of religious function.
As with many religious teachings, much was taught verbally and through scriptures and chants. In many religious places though, murals can be found. At some point it became a part of how the religion tried to communicate with people. Visuals helped to provide more clarity, it helps to solidify a verbal teaching with an image in the mind. It made sense that if art at some point became a way the culture expressed itself, then religion, or in this case Buddhism, would be one of the more common subjects of art.
Jump to modern society, and you see less images of the Buddha in everyday life, but the presence and meaning behind the image are still strong. In the age of technology and industrialization, Buddhism in Thailand is still an influential part of society, albeit not as influential as in the past. Much like the cross and Christianity, having a symbol that represents the religion allows it to maintain changes in society. In a sense, like the personalization of religion as spirituality, the religious embodiment of the temple finds itself into more personalized settings. It is common place for people to have smaller statues of the Buddha in their homes, in cars, at work places, even on their person as medallions. There are more and more Buddhist institutions who have turned to media as an additional communication tool in attempts to connect with no only the youth but also the increasing number of working class people who are constantly too busy. You can find books written by monks of the self-improvement, meditation category, as well as websites, forums, and even downloadable sermons.
In film making, the use of the image of Buddha allows very strong use of imagery to set the tone of films. Due to so much being associated with the image, it is an easy tool for film makers to use, providing the setting that ‘Religious people are good guys.’ In the picture in the left, from the film “Ong-Bak”(2003), one of the final fight scenes has a statue of the Buddha in the background along with fire, clearly setting up this good vs. evil atmosphere for the scene.
I think Buddhism, as well as other religions do not change at its core, but must adapt in its methods of communication as society changes. The use of the image of Buddha and how the image is able to have influence in popular culture is only possible because the meaning behind the image is still understood and well known. The religion itself does not change along with society, only the way it is visible and accessible to the mass public changes.
