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Adrian Snodgrass
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE STUPA
STUDIES ON SOUTHEAST ASIA
S&p\
Southeast Asia Program 120 Uris Hall Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 1985
Editor in Chief Benedict Anderson Editorial Board George Kahin Stanley O'Connor Oliver Wolters
2nd printing with Index, List of Illustrations & Corrigenda 1988 3rd printing 1991
© 1985 Cornell Southeast Asia Program ISBN 0-87727-700-1
iii.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface
i
INTRODUCTION
1
1. The Nature of Architectural Symbolism
2. The Analysis of the Symbolism of the Stupa
2 5
PART I - THE PLAN 1.
THE SPATIAL CONFIGURATION OF THE STUPA
12
2.
THE RITUAL DEMARCATION OF THE STUPA PLAN
14
3.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE CENTRE 1 . The Geometric Centre 2. The Sun as Centre
21 21 24
4.
THE SYMBOLISM OF MEASURING 1. Measuring Out from the Centre 2 . Measuring Out by the Sun
28 28 30
5.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE DIRECTIONS OF SPACE 1. The Deployment of the Directions 2. The Deployment of Space in the Brahmanic Myths 3. The Deployment of Space in the Buddha Legend
37 37
6.
THE DEPLOYMENT OF SPACE AND THE SACRIFICE 1 . The Vedic Fire Altar 2. The Division and Reunification of the Body of Prajāpati - the Sacrifice 3. Buddhist Parallels - the Proliferation of the Body of the Buddha
38 39 45 45 47 52
7.
THE DEPLOYMENT OF SPACE AND THE SOLAR BREATH 58 1. The Pneumatic Deployment of the Macrocosm . . . 58 2. The Pneumatic Deployment of the Microcosm ... 60
8.
THE DEPLOYMENT OF SPACE IN ICONOGRAPHY, ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUDDHIST KINGDOM
67
9. 10.
THE STUPA PLAN AND THE LOTUS
11 .
THE CIRCLE AND THE SQUARE
101
12.
THE STUPA PLAN AS MÁNDALA 1. The Meaning of the Mándala
104 104 106 107 111 111
THE STUPA PLAN AS WHEEL
2. The Mándala and the Cosmos 3. 4.
The The a. b.
Mándala as Plan: the Vāstu-puru$a-man