The true (curved) arch developed along a wide gradient from Roman Europe through Iran, India, and SE Asia; the lintel, a much earlier form, is found exclusively in Neolithic Europe, the Americas, and East Asia (China-Korea-Japan); it coexists along with the true arch in transitional areas such as India and SE Asia.

In Classical architecture, the lowest course of an entablature. The classical architrave is a horizontal course of stonework directly supported by the columns. See also: beam and lintel. Architraves, beams, and lintels are spanning elements that are carried directly on columns. Architraves are visual parts of the building's facade. Beams are structural parts of the building itself. Lintels span the top of a deliberate opening, such as a window or door, in the building's fabric.

	(Japan) See Hayagriva.
	A beloved form, sprinkling the waters of blessing from her bottle.
	A fierce, horse-headed form, called Bato Kannon in Japan.
	(Japan) An eleven-headed and thousand-armed form, to look upon and relieve all the sins and suffering of mankind. Called Qianshou in China.
	A standing or sitting form, presented in a context that identifies Guanyin as the patroness of fishermen and Queen of the Southern Ocean (Nan Hai).
	(China) See Juichimen.
	The "Water-Moon" form, in which Guanyin sits in royal ease as she contemplates the moon's reflection in water; this is a metaphor for the illusory nature of phenomena (the moon's image is not the "real" moon).
	Holding a child; the patroness of mothers.

	A fish who pulled the ark of Manu during the Great Flood.
	A tortoise who supported the mountain used to churn the Ocean of Milk.
	A boar who saved the Earth from the Great Flood.
	A man-lion who defeated a demon named Hiranyakasipu.
	A dwarf who won back the universe from King Bali by transforming into Trivikrama and then crossing the universe in three giant steps.
	"Rama with an axe," a brahmin (priest) who fought and defeated a hostile clan of kshatryas (warriors).
	The hero of the Ramayana
	A god-man who is fervently worshiped. Growing up as a mischievous boy among the gopis (milkmaids), he defeated numerous enemies, became Arjuna's charioteer in the Bhagavad-Gita, and was eventually killed by a hunter who mistook him for a deer.
	A "false incarnation" who led the Hindu faithful astray.
	A final incarnation who will appear at the end of the present epoch to lead mankind into a new Golden Age.

• Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
• Ksitigarbha, the Bodhisattva of Deliverance.
• Mahasthamaprapta, the Bodhisattva of Power.
• Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future.
• Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.
• Padmapani, "Lotus Bearer" - a form of Avalokiteshvara.
• Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva of Meditation.
• Vajrapani, "Vajra Bearer" - a form of Mahasthamaprapta.

	A wine container.
	A kettle for cooking; fang ding, a square ding.
	A round food vessel.
	A zoomorphic wine container that is shaped like a gravy boat with a dragon's head and bottle horns; often called a "guang" in English. The "o" in "gong" (Pinyin, first tone) sounds like the "oo" in "good."
	A tall wine beaker.
	A food cooker, with a bowl that sits on top of a rectangular base.
	A wine vessel with a swelling, pear-shaped lower part and neck.
	A wine container in the shape of a vase.
	A vessel for warming wine that has none, one, or two suspension posts, either no spout or a short spout, no tail, a circular cross-section, three legs, and a strap handle above one of the legs. These vessels are sometimes called "jiao" in English.
	A vessel for pouring wine that has two suspension posts, a long spout, a triangular tail, an elliptical body, three legs, and a strap handle on one side.
	A wine container in the shape of a squared-off vase with a roof on top.
	A water basin. The name is easy to remember, because by coincidence, the English word is the same.
	A wine vessel
	An open bowl. This word happens to be spelled the same as the "Zhou" dynasty, but it is a different word.
	A wine container that has the shape either of an animal or of an inverted vase.

Buddha was a contemporary of Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, and there are many intriguing parallels between the two religions. One interesting difference is that the historical Buddha was a meat-eater: his last meal, as recorded in all the chronicles, was a dish of pork. Vegetarianism was originally a Jain doctrine, and was also required in some Hindu sects; it only later came to be associated with Buddhism as well.

In terms of iconography, later Buddhism recognizes numerous past and future Buddhas in addition to the historical Gautama. A Buddha is distinguished by 108 (= two squared, times three cubed) special markings on his body, including: the urna, a whorl of hair in the center of the forehead; the ushnisha, a knot of hair on top of the head; and three folds of flesh around the neck. In Thailand (Sukhothai style and later), the top of Buddha's head is often surmounted by a flame that represents spiritual wisdom. The Buddha's four body postures, as represented in the art of Southeast asia, are: standing, walking, sitting, and lying down. His most important hand gestures (mudras) are bhumisparsha (calling the Earth to witness), varada (giving), abhaya (fear not), dharmachakra (setting in motion the wheel of the law), and dhyana (meditation).

The three great branches of Buddhism today are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Theravada, the tradition of SE Asia, emphasizes the Bodhisattva vow; it advocates contemplation and the monastic life as the means to salvation. This view was challenged, at first in India and later in East Asia, by the more relaxed Mahayana ("Greater Doctrine") school, that proclaimed the existence of numerous Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as universal saviors and incorporated many Hindu deities into the Buddhist pantheon. The Vajrayana ("Thunderbolt Doctrine") school is an Esoteric branch of Mahayana that took root in Tibet, where it continues to the present.

Buddhism died out in India around 1200 AD, succumbing to Muslim invasions as well as a resurgent Hinduism. However, by that time the religion had spread via trade routes to east and southeast Asia, where it struck deep roots and has flourished ever since.

(2) An early Buddhist rock-cut worship chapel.

The brain was discarded as being of no value. The heart was considered to be the organ of thought in ancient Egypt and other cultures. It was preserved within the mummified body, where it was protected by a special amulet called the "heart scarab."

• Hayagriva, a fierce form of Avalokiteshvara
• Mahakala, a fierce guardian of Shiva
• Palden Lahmo, the consort of Mahakala
• Yama, the God of the Dead
• Yamantaka, a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri.

• Kubera - north, a Lokapala
• Ishana - northeast
• Indra - east, a Lokapala
• Agni - southeast
• Yama - south, a Lokapala
• Nirriti - southwest
• Varuna - west, a Lokapala
• Vayu - northwest

Confusingly, the Mahaparinirvana Sutra backdates the Division to immediately after Buddha's death in the 5th century BC. But the sutra was composed in the 2d century AD, 400 years after Ashoka's Division of the Relics and 600 years after the death of the Buddha.

Contemporary remainders of the division include a Ghandharan relief panel (roughly contemporary with the Mahaparinirvana Sutra) in the British Museum, and - amazingly - an Ashokan stupa at Piprahwa. When excavated, the Piprahwa stupa was found to contain Ashokan sarira, an Ashokan vessel inscribed for Buddha's remains, and - within the vessel - some actual bone and ash that may upon this evidence be true relics of the Buddha himself.

• (Indonesia, Hindu) a black-and-white chequered pattern, or sometimes a modern batik.
• (Southeast Asia, Buddhist) a yellow wrap
• (India, Hindu) a white, red, or yellow wrap
• (Japan, Shinto) a white or sometimes red wrap

• Vaishravana (Kubera, North) - their leader or general
• Dhritarastra (Indra, East)
• Virudhaka (Yama, South)
• Virupaksa (Varuna, West)

	palm out, fingers pointing up: "fear not"
	Palm up, fingers curled: "calling for a discourse"
	Palms together as if praying: submission, adoration; also called namaskara
	A gesture of blessing, common in Sri Lanka but rare elsewhere, in which the Buddha's palm is held upright but edge-on towards the viewer
	Fingertips touching the earth: Buddha calling the earth to witness his steadfastness
	Fingers intertwined: "setting in motion the Wheel of the Law," the Buddha's First Sermon
	Palms cupped in lap: meditation
	Palm sideways, thumb and forefinger holding a blossom or other attribute
	First and second fingers up together, imitating a knife or sword; a martial gesture
	Palm out, fingers down: giving a blessing
	Palm out, thumb and forefinger touching in "OK" sign: teaching

(1) The scope of music in ancient China included Confucian ritual, Literati culture, and public and private ceremonies and gatherings. Tourist venues in China today (circa 2000) provide demonstrations of traditional music and dance that are of exceptionally high quality, being staffed by conservatory-trained musicians from Shanghai and Beijing. Much, however, was lost during the Cultural Revolution, and many "traditional" shows today are increasingly displaying an over the top, almost Las Vagas type of theatricality.
(2) Japanese music and dance is a living tradition that extends continuously from Kabuki and Noh in medieval times to the present; indeed, it is the most uninterrupted in all of Asia. Some ritualized temple and court music and dance, of Chinese origin, has been handed down even earlier, from the first millennium AD. There can be a mannered quality to some of the performances.
(3) India's northern (Mughal) musical traditions, as exemplified by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan's cultural outreach on sitar and sarod, were a familiar experience to Western listeners in the 1960s; Karnatic (southern) music of India is also readily available. India's classical dance tradition suffered a great loss during the British occupation, and is still being rebuilt.
(4) A large amount of of SE Asian music and dance (Cambodian, Thai, Lao, etc.) was lost during the European conquests and wars of the 20th century. Current efforts to revive the tradition, however praiseworthy, still have to overcome a severe discontinuity between past and present.
(5) Traditional Indonesian wayang performance and gamelan music has enjoyed far more continuity than music and dance on the mainland. However, especially with gamelan, there is a tradition of rapid change (however paradoxical that may seem) so what one sees and hears today is likely to be a contemporary composition within a traditional form.

• The Chinese dragon.
• Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu and the enemy of snakes, holds a snake in his jaws.
• In SE Asia, the kalamakara arch with a serpent's body and a makara's head.
• Also in SE Asia, the lunar clans of dynastic origin myth.
• The faithful Mucalinda, who shelters Gautama Buddha during a storm.
• Naga bridges, platforms, and staircases whose Serpent balustrades symbolize a rainbow bridge between the earthly and celestial worlds.
• Shesha, on which Vishnu reclines during his cosmic sleep.
• In his Varaha incarnation, Vishnu rescues Bhu Devi from a snake demon who had abducted her beneath the ocean.
• Vasuki, the cosmic serpent who is "roped" into churning the Sea of Milk.

In comparative terms we can speak of Apollo vs. Dionysius (Greece), Ma'at vs. Isfet (Egypt), Dharma vs. Adharma (India), Classicism vs. Romanticism (Europe), Reason vs. Religion (Europe again), etc. These are very ancient dichotomies. Neo-Confucian philosophy, and Asian political philosophy in general, emphasizes the "law-and-order" branch, but that is a universal impulse that can be found to varying degrees in every human society.

Another rule is that the figures should bend towards the entrance "(O)", rather than away from it ")O(". So for example if you see a statue, of either guardian, that bends to the right "(" then it originally would have been placed to the left of the entrance, or if it bends to the left ")" than it originally would have been placed to the right of the entrance.

Misshaku and Naraen are also called A-gyo and Un-gyo, respectively, because of the syllables which they utter: in Japanese, "A" (open mouth) + "Un" (closed mouth) = "Om," the Sanskrit mantra of existence.

(1) Iconography: the female side of this form displays a female breast, gently rounded belly, feminine hip, and straight leg encased in sheer "trousers." On the male side, the leg is cocked and poised, its swelling calf and thigh muscles shown off by "shorts." There is not usually much difference between the male and female sides of the face, which unifies the two sides of his/her body.

(2) Symbolism: the androgyne form of Shiva expresses the Godhead as a unity of the male and female principles, an idea that is also seen at Elephanta. Although a true (metaphysical) unity is implied, such a concept can only be expressed in art by a physical union or joining.

(3) See also: Harihara, for a less complete unity. Ardhanarishvara and Harihara are both examples of the syncretic impulse that tries to combine the worship of several different gods into one.

(1) Symbolism: Shiva is lord of the cosmic dance of creation and destruction. He is active, yet aloof, like the gods on the Parthenon frieze. (By contrast, Vishnu is passive in his own creation story as he dreams the world into existence.)

(2) Iconography: Surrounding Shiva, a circle of flames represents the universe, whose fire is held in Shiva's left rear palm. His left front arm crosses his chest, the hand pointing in "elephant trunk" position (gaja hasta) to his upraised left foot which signifies liberation. His right foot tramples the much put-upon dwarf Apasmara, who represents spiritual ignorance. The hand of Shiva's right front hand is raised in the "fear-not" gesture of benediction (abhaya mudra), while his right rear hand holds a drum with which he beats the measure of the dance. The snake, an emblem of Shiva, curls around his arm. His hair holds the crescent moon - another emblem - and a small image of Ganga, the river-goddess whose precipitous fall from heaven to earth is broken by Shiva's matted locks.

The most important architectural parts of a stupa, from the bottom up, are: 1. a square, elevated platform which supports the rest of the structure, and around which the worshipers circumambulate clockwise; 2. The anda (body) of the stupa, shaped like an inverted bowl or bell; 3. if the stupa is bell-shaped, a tapering neck which extends upward from the body of the bell; 4. a yasti (pole), which symbolizes the world axis; 5. the harmika, a square railing which encloses the pole as a sacred space; and 6. a set of chattras (umbrellas), centered on the pole and diminishing in diameter towards the top, which signify honor and protection like the umbrellas held over the head of kings, abbots, and other important people.

#1. Adinath, a legendary culture hero who tought men the Jain religion and the arts of civilization. His symbol is the bull.
#1a. Gommateshvara, the son of Adinath, is an important Jain saint but not a tirthankara.
#8. Chandraprabha is an ascetic whose symbol is the moon.
#16. Shantinath's name means "Lord Peace." His symbol is an antelope or deer.
#22. Neminath is associated with Krishna. His symbol is a conch shell.
#23. Parshvanath is protected by a multi-headed cobra. Some people think that Parshvanath may have lived in the 8th century BC and that he may have founded a precursor sect whose doctrines were adopted by Mahavira.
#24. Mahavira, the historical founder of the Jain religion. Mahavira (599-527 BC) was an older contemporary of Buddha, and his career parallels that of the Buddha in many respects. His symbol is the lion.

Southeast Asia today is mostly Buddhist. Historically, though, wats can be Hindu, Buddhist, or both (!) In Buddhist wats, chedis entomb relics of the founder, his family, Buddha, or other revered persons. The principal Buddha image is located in the ubosot, the main hall of the temple for group activities like assemblies, lectures, etc. Additional Buddha images, for devotional worship, are housed in the temple's viharn ("image halls"). Libraries contain either copies of the scriptures and monastic texts, or other paraphernalia, and there are separate buildings for dining, sleeping, administration, etc. Royal wats, which are private temples for the use of the royal family, do not have a resident community of monks, but otherwise follow the above pattern.