The ushnisha (Sanskrit: उष्णीष, IAST: uṣṇīṣa) is a three-dimensional oval at the top of the head of the Buddha. In Pali scriptures, it is the crown of Lord Buddha, the symbol of his Enlightenment and Enthronement.
The Ushnisha is the thirty-second of the 32 major marks of the Buddha. The thirty-second of these is that the Buddha has a fleshy or cranial protuberance at the top of his head. Later sets elaborate that this is covered with hairs that curl in the direction of the sun.
Later on a second definition of Ushnisha was added, which was a flame that ascends from the middle of this protuberance.
Representationedit
The first representations of the Buddha in the 1st century CE in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara also represent him with a topknot, rather than just a cranial knob. It is thought that the interpretation of the ushnisha as a supernatural cranial protuberance happened at a later date, as the representation of the topknot became more symbolic and its original meaning was lost.[1]
Originsedit
Portrayal of Śākyamuni Buddha with an ushnisha has varied throughout history and depended on which school is doing the portrayal. The Sri Lankan Tamrashatiya school, which would later give rise to Theravada, portrayed him as bald and having an ushnisha extending into the sky and beyond the possibility of measurement.[2] The Gandharan school of Buddhism, however, never portrayed Śākyamuni with the protuberance on the skull, but with the long wavy hair drawn up on the top of the head in a cluster of curls or in a knot concealing the ushnisha.[3]
The Boddhisattva-Cakravartin in Early Buddhismedit
The plastic art of early Mahayana Buddhism in Mathura presents bodhisattvas in a form called uṣṇīṣin "wearing a turban/hair binding", wielding the mudras for "nonviolent cakravartin rule".[4]
Possible Indus Valley originsedit
A bull figurine excavated from Lakhan-jo-Daro from Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization has a similar Ushnisha styled knob above its head, its a unique feature and not applied to any other bull figurine indicating intelligence insignia.[5]
Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism, the crown-protrusion mentioned in is this same upper-brain-blossoming/development, simply with a different label.
^Yeshe Dorje, Longchen; Rinpoche, Kangyur; Lingpa, Jigme (2020). Treasury of Precious Qualities: Book Two Vajrayana and the Great Perfection. Shambhala Publishing. p. 287. ISBN9781611800999.
^Getty, Alice (1914). The Gods of Northern Buddhism: Their History, Iconography, and Progressive Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries. Clarendon Press. p. 179. ISBN9780804811293.
^ abFalk, Harry, "Small-Scale Buddhism" in Voegeli, François; Eltschinger, Vincent; Candotti, Maria Piera; Diaconescu, Bogdan; Kulkarni, Malhar, eds. (2012). Devadattīyam : Johannes Bronkhorst felicitation volume. Bern: Peter Lang. ISBN9783034306829., p. 495
^Mallah, Qasid Hussain; Shafiq, Tooba (2016). "Exceptional objects from Lakhan-jo Daro". Frontier Archaeology. 10–14: 81–88 – via researchgate.
December 12, 2023
ushnisha, this, article, provides, insufficient, context, those, unfamiliar, with, subject, please, help, improve, article, providing, more, context, reader, february, 2023, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, ushnisha, sanskrit, उष, iast, uṣṇīṣa, th. This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject Please help improve the article by providing more context for the reader February 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message The ushnisha Sanskrit उष ण ष IAST uṣṇiṣa is a three dimensional oval at the top of the head of the Buddha In Pali scriptures it is the crown of Lord Buddha the symbol of his Enlightenment and Enthronement Translations ofUshnishaEnglishushnishaSanskrituṣṇiṣa उष ण षChinese肉髻Japanese肉髻 にくけい Korean육계 肉髻 Glossary of BuddhismHead of the Buddha crowned by the ushnisha 3rd century Hadda AfghanistanFlame Ushnisha 14 15 century Sukhothai Art Thailand Contents 1 Description 2 Representation 3 Origins 3 1 The Boddhisattva Cakravartin in Early Buddhism 3 2 Possible Indus Valley origins 4 See also 5 ReferencesDescription editThe Ushnisha is the thirty second of the 32 major marks of the Buddha The thirty second of these is that the Buddha has a fleshy or cranial protuberance at the top of his head Later sets elaborate that this is covered with hairs that curl in the direction of the sun Later on a second definition of Ushnisha was added which was a flame that ascends from the middle of this protuberance Representation editThe first representations of the Buddha in the 1st century CE in the Greco Buddhist art of Gandhara also represent him with a topknot rather than just a cranial knob It is thought that the interpretation of the ushnisha as a supernatural cranial protuberance happened at a later date as the representation of the topknot became more symbolic and its original meaning was lost 1 Origins editPortrayal of Sakyamuni Buddha with an ushnisha has varied throughout history and depended on which school is doing the portrayal The Sri Lankan Tamrashatiya school which would later give rise to Theravada portrayed him as bald and having an ushnisha extending into the sky and beyond the possibility of measurement 2 The Gandharan school of Buddhism however never portrayed Sakyamuni with the protuberance on the skull but with the long wavy hair drawn up on the top of the head in a cluster of curls or in a knot concealing the ushnisha 3 The Boddhisattva Cakravartin in Early Buddhism edit In Early Buddhism the uṣṇiṣa was represented differently The Mahavastu 1 259f and the Divyavadana as well as the Theravadin Milindapanha describe the marks of the cakravartin an idealised world ruler uṣṇiṣa or patka turban chhatra parasol horn jewel or vajra whisk and sandals These were the marks of the kshatriya 4 The plastic art of early Mahayana Buddhism in Mathura presents bodhisattvas in a form called uṣṇiṣin wearing a turban hair binding wielding the mudras for nonviolent cakravartin rule 4 Possible Indus Valley origins edit A bull figurine excavated from Lakhan jo Daro from Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization has a similar Ushnisha styled knob above its head its a unique feature and not applied to any other bull figurine indicating intelligence insignia 5 See also editSitatapatra Uṣṇiṣavijaya Uṣṇiṣa Vijaya Dharaṇi Sutra ऊष ण ष व जय ढ रण via Wikisource Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism the crown protrusion mentioned in is this same upper brain blossoming development simply with a different label References edit Mario Bussagli L art du Gandhara Yeshe Dorje Longchen Rinpoche Kangyur Lingpa Jigme 2020 Treasury of Precious Qualities Book Two Vajrayana and the Great Perfection Shambhala Publishing p 287 ISBN 9781611800999 Getty Alice 1914 The Gods of Northern Buddhism Their History Iconography and Progressive Evolution Through the Northern Buddhist Countries Clarendon Press p 179 ISBN 9780804811293 a b Falk Harry Small Scale Buddhism in Voegeli Francois Eltschinger Vincent Candotti Maria Piera Diaconescu Bogdan Kulkarni Malhar eds 2012 Devadattiyam Johannes Bronkhorst felicitation volume Bern Peter Lang ISBN 9783034306829 p 495 Mallah Qasid Hussain Shafiq Tooba 2016 Exceptional objects from Lakhan jo Daro Frontier Archaeology 10 14 81 88 via researchgate Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ushnisha amp oldid 1179598217, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
