International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature
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Item The Symbolic Meaning of the Elephant in Korean Culture(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Hee, L.K.Elephants have been the subject of various cultural depictions in popular culture, mythology and symbolism. Ever since the stone-age, they have been depicted in the arts in various forms, including pictures, sculptures, music, film and even architecture. In Buddhism, the elephant became a symbol of physical and mental strength as well as responsibility and steadfastness. Throughout the Tipiṭaka, the Buddha is often compared to elephants such as ‘elephant look’. In Asian culture elephants are admired for their high levels of intelligence and good memory. In Korea, elephants symbolize noble things such as wisdom, royal power, and longevity and are considered to bring good luck and prosperity. However, Korea is not habitat for elephants and elephants are still rarely seen except in the zoo. Therefore the main purpose of this paper is to examine how non-inhabitant elephants had symbolic meanings in Korea. The collected data was observed on historical bases. It is said that Buddhism was first introduced into Korea from China in A.D. 372. However, as “Garakguk-gi” of Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) says that an Indian princess named Heo Hwang-ok came from Ayodhya in India to meet King Suro (AD 33-189), the founder of Geumgwan Gaya. It reveals that Buddhism had already planted its roots deeply in Korean soil prior to the 2nd century. As clear-cut evidence, the elephant’s icon is painted with other Buddhist images on the hanging board in the royal tomb of King Suro. The proverb “It’s like the blind men who touched only one part of an elephant and claimed that what it was like” is additional proof. Religion of any form is a constant in every culture. In fact, Buddhism has played a very important role as the psychological force for the first unification of the Korean peninsula. In the past most Koreans were Buddhists because it was the state religion for over a thousand years. Even in the Joseon Dynasty when the state religion was Confucianism, most people believed in Buddhism. Like symbolic meanings of the elephant, Buddhist architecture and temples are also still admired and appreciated by Koreans beyond the religious dimension. Buddhism permeated the entirety of Korean culture including proverbs and everyday language.Item Symbolism of Elephants in Buddhism and Hinduism(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Aslam, N.; Bukhari, M.F.Elephants have been utilized in different cultural and religious depictions since the Stone Age. They are depicted on petroglyphs and inside caves and also represented through different methods of art and craft as well as sculptures, architecture, ivory crafts and ivory paintings. In different mythologies the elephant is a sacred animal. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the elephant has been a strong special power that has spiritual significance. In Hindu mythology, one acts as the custom vehicle of Lord Indra who is considered as the God of heaven and additionally Ganesha was offered his head by the elephant when he was once beheaded by his own angry father. Hence the elephant has the honour and respect and is therefore celebrated and worshipped by the Hindus of India. In Buddhism many symbols represent the Buddha, and in Buddhist iconography a white elephant is an albino elephant. The white color is a sign of purity and holiness in Buddhism. The elephant is commonly known for its power and wisdom, and white elephants also have the all these characteristics. Queen Maya the mother of Buddha also claimed that in a dream a white elephant flew in the air and inserted his trunk in her right side resulting in the birth of Buddha. The symbols of Buddhism means “Om Mani Padme Hum”. The lotus flower, dharma wheel, stupa and white elephant are common symbols which represent the presence of Buddha.Item Symbolism of Elephants in Buddhist Art and Religion(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kejriwal, M.“It is better to live alone, there is no companionship with a fool; let a man walk alone, let him commit no sin (let him do) with few wishes, like an elephant in the forest.” - Buddha 330, Dhammapada Through theorising Buddhist teachings and the parable of elephants, one gets to know the value of elephants from a Buddhist perspective. In Asian culture, living symbols are a significant aspect of religion; the image of an elephant symbolizes wisdom and strength. The Asian elephants are admired for their memory power and intelligence. Symbols are not just a cultural creation but are the manifestation of mental creation, an inner vision, experienced at a much deeper level by Buddhists. In a Buddhist context symbolism represents certain aspects of Buddha dharma through Buddhist art. The Buddhists relate the symbolism to the karmic activity that manifests in the physical world. Elephants in Buddhism are regarded as one of the ratna of the seven royal ratna of Chakravartin King. These ratnas were used as symbols and motifs in the earliest Buddhist art of Amaravati and Nagarjunikonda stupas. Elephants in Buddhist art and religion if understood from the perspective of symbolism, carry intellectual intent apart from their socio-cultural, psychological and aesthetical aspects. This paper will be an attempt to explore the representation of elephants in Buddhist art and religion from the perspective of symbolism.Item ‘Elephant’ in Pali Literature(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Mutsuddy, S.The ‘elephant’ symbol is used to portray the conception of the Bodhisatta and His renunciation in Pali literature. The metaphors like `elephant look' in the scriptures are compared with the Buddha's qualities. This directly relates to the thought in Buddhism that suffering is caused by the untamed mind. Elephants once tamed however, obey their masters far better than any other animal. Sometimes it describes how one overcomes this untamed evil by “binding the elephant with mindfulness” within a closed gate. The job of caging an elephant, as described in the poem -I shall fasten you, mind, like an elephant at a small gate... When fastened, you will not go, like an elephant not finding the gate open (Theragāthā) is not a small thing to be argued. By using an elephant as the key animal, he effectively pays homage to the challenging task of meditation. In Pali literature like Digha Nikāya ; Majjhima Nikāya; Dhammapada, Thera and Therīgāthā of Saṃyutta Nikāya , elephant is used as an innumerable metaphor from the story of birth to the life of the Buddha . The Buddha had a special fondness for elephants adjudicating by how often he referred to them. He seems to have been impressed by their intelligence, their awareness, thoughtful behaviour and particularly the males' fondness for living alone in the jungle. He said: `On this matter the enlightened sage and the elephant with tusks as long as plough poles agree, they both love the solitude of the forest' (Ud.42). In some ways the Buddha even considered elephants better than humans. The paper would try to illuminate various types of similes of elephants used in Buddhism as well as Pali literature. The most popular parable of ‘the blind man and elephant’, the birth story of the Buddha given in Bharhut inscription or Chaddanta Jataka story would also be narrated in the example of allegory of elephants.Item The Close Relationship between the Tusker and Buddhism(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Bandara, D.J.M.R.V.Asian elephants are long-lived mammals who live for sixty years. They are highly intelligent and also extremely sociable and stay in groups. These mammals have a close relationship with humans for over centuries serving as work animals and playing an important role in religious and cultural events. The research question is why only the tusker and not the elephant is used in Buddhist cultural events. The main objective of this research is to find the reason of using the tusker in Buddhist cultural events. Mainly a literature survey was conducted in this research to collect data. Among them only qualitative data was analysed in this academic work. Through the analysis, it was found that the tusker is used in the stories related to Buddha’s life, Tales of Pansiya panas jathaka and in Perahera festivals. The most important finding is that it is always the tusker which is mentioned and not the elephant in the above references. According to the biological factors all the Asian elephants do not have tusks. In some of the male elephants, a pair of incisors may become elongated into tusks. Because of this speciality, tuskers might have been used as a symbol for the Lord Buddha as He also was special among general human beings.