Ideological criticism is a good method to use when one is discussing an artifact such as a picture, or something perhaps more tangible. The artifact that I will be analyzing in this blog post is a statue of Buddha that I have in my home. I am interested in the ideology of the statue of Buddha in terms of Buddha being a role model and what it suggests about how to live one’s life.
The Buddha statue that I will be analyzing is sitting down, which symbolizes rest and relaxation. He is adorned with a necklace, which means wealth and prosperity, although it is a plain necklace without any jewels, which is parallel to the aura around Buddha, and his want for nothing but the basics. His rounded belly means he is full and satisfied, while his smile shows that he is happy and content with his life, while his teeth are strong looking and none are missing, which during the time of Buddha would certainly symbolize health. The “third eye” jewel in his head symbolizes an insight to the afterlife, perhaps, or knowledge of the “right” way to live. In his hand, he holds what looks to be a rock of some sort. This could possibly mean that he is content with the simple things in life, and does need anything but the basics. The big ears on the Buddha symbolize compassion and wisdom. According to Zen Master Dae Kwang, “In Western culture small ears close to the head are thought to be the most beautiful, but in the Orient large ears are looked upon as auspicious because they indicate wisdom and compassion. So, the Buddha is depicted as having big ears because he is the compassionate one” (kwanumzen.org).
With all of these symbolic images on this statue, one can believe that the suggested elements are simplicity and to be content. Several of my symbols attribute to the factor of not being extravagant, and the others feature a need to be content with one’s life.
With these themes, I can now formulate my ideology. This artifact asks the audience to think about how they live their lives, and whether or not they are being good, compassionate people. It asks the audience whether or not their lives mean anything. This artifact commends that one should follow his example, and live simply. As stated before, the values and conceptions of this artifact is to suggest that one should live a good life, with not much riches, and to be happy with that.
This artifact falls under many categories. The Buddha falls under the category of Membership, because there is a specific group who adhere to him, and that is the Buddhists; Activities, because these Buddhists are expected to live simply and to be content; Goals because the Buddhists are meant to realize that life is about compassion and helping others, then they themselves will be happy. Another category the Buddha falls under is Sacred Texts, because Buddhists have a number of sacred texts to help guide them to this way of life. For example, the Tripitaka would be an example of this.
Now I have successfully analyzed my artifact, and am now ready to formulate a research question, and continue on with the method of Ideological Criticism.
The Buddha statue that I will be analyzing is sitting down, which symbolizes rest and relaxation. He is adorned with a necklace, which means wealth and prosperity, although it is a plain necklace without any jewels, which is parallel to the aura around Buddha, and his want for nothing but the basics. His rounded belly means he is full and satisfied, while his smile shows that he is happy and content with his life, while his teeth are strong looking and none are missing, which during the time of Buddha would certainly symbolize health. The “third eye” jewel in his head symbolizes an insight to the afterlife, perhaps, or knowledge of the “right” way to live. In his hand, he holds what looks to be a rock of some sort. This could possibly mean that he is content with the simple things in life, and does need anything but the basics. The big ears on the Buddha symbolize compassion and wisdom. According to Zen Master Dae Kwang, “In Western culture small ears close to the head are thought to be the most beautiful, but in the Orient large ears are looked upon as auspicious because they indicate wisdom and compassion. So, the Buddha is depicted as having big ears because he is the compassionate one” (kwanumzen.org).
With all of these symbolic images on this statue, one can believe that the suggested elements are simplicity and to be content. Several of my symbols attribute to the factor of not being extravagant, and the others feature a need to be content with one’s life.
With these themes, I can now formulate my ideology. This artifact asks the audience to think about how they live their lives, and whether or not they are being good, compassionate people. It asks the audience whether or not their lives mean anything. This artifact commends that one should follow his example, and live simply. As stated before, the values and conceptions of this artifact is to suggest that one should live a good life, with not much riches, and to be happy with that.
This artifact falls under many categories. The Buddha falls under the category of Membership, because there is a specific group who adhere to him, and that is the Buddhists; Activities, because these Buddhists are expected to live simply and to be content; Goals because the Buddhists are meant to realize that life is about compassion and helping others, then they themselves will be happy. Another category the Buddha falls under is Sacred Texts, because Buddhists have a number of sacred texts to help guide them to this way of life. For example, the Tripitaka would be an example of this.
Now I have successfully analyzed my artifact, and am now ready to formulate a research question, and continue on with the method of Ideological Criticism.
Works Cited:
Kwang, Dae. "Zen Master Dae Kwang - Why Does Buddha have Big Ears?" The Kwan Um School of Zen. Providence Zen Center. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .
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