白玉旃檀佛立像

2020年
29.5cm (l) x 29.5cm(w) x 74cm(h)
白玉

旃檀佛是最早的佛陀造像樣式，據佛經記載，世尊成道後，為報母恩，遂升忉利天宮為母說法，人間的優慎王思念他，即命工匠依據其真身用牛頭旃檀木雕刻佛像，世尊從天界返回人間後，親自為旃檀像開光。

本尊旃檀佛像，跣足而立，螺發微隆，面龐清秀，雙眉細長，眼瞼下垂，神態沈靜，右手結無畏印，左手施與願印，此為旃檀佛的典型手印。佛陀身著圓領通肩式袈裟，袈裟貼體，衣紋以濕衣狀呈現，兩側對稱，衣褶從手臂、胯部下掛，邊緣呈水波狀，這亦是旃檀佛像的主要特征。此造型緣於彼時工匠在觀察佛陀的形象時，發現佛全身散發出金色光芒，無法正視，只好看著河裏倒影進行雕刻，水波粼粼，造成了工匠的錯覺，於是旃檀佛身上的袈裟滿布波浪紋衣褶。本尊造像整體形態簡潔，平靜祥和，散發著慈悲的力量。

The candana (sandalwood) sculpture of Sakyamuni is the earliest model for making Buddha sculptures. According to Buddhist sutras, when bhagavat (an honorific title of Sakyamuni) obtained the Buddhahood, he flew to the Palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven to preach Buddhism to requite his mother. In memory of the Buddha, King Udayana requested craftsmen to engrave a Buddha statue out of gosirsa-candana, an Indian sandalwood, based on his dharmakaya (literally the true body). After returning to the mortal world from the Heaven, bhagavat consecrated the statue in person.
Having slightly uplifted rahotsu (conch-like curls), a delicate face, vimineous eyebrows, and downward-looking eyes, the Buddha stays calm and stands on bare feet, with his right hand in abhaya mudra and right one in varada mudra, which is the Buddha’s typical mudra combination. The Buddha wears a well-fitted turtleneck shoulder-covering kayasa. Its drapery is symmetrically presented in the style of a wet robe, and its gathers drape over his arms and haunch, with the skirts resembling ripples, which is also a primary feature of the Buddha. While observing the figure of the Buddha, the sculptor failed to look at the Buddha directly due to his shining golden radiance, hence looking at the reflection on the shimmering river instead. Intriguingly, the sculptor’s misconception of ripples on the glistening water eventually turned into the kasaya with wave-like gathers on the Buddha. The sculpture, concise in general, gives a sense of peacefulness and tells the power of mercy.