tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post2210666171045036693..comments2024-02-15T04:42:41.606+00:00Comments on James' Empty Blog: [jules' pics] Wednesday was Culture DayJames Annanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-39128269645716318782010-11-09T01:19:41.801+00:002010-11-09T01:19:41.801+00:00No the speculation was meant as seriously as anyth...No the speculation was meant as seriously as anything else. It is hard for us to work out what things are, as the words are scriddled in arty kanji. <br /><br />From googling, I think the thin guy is supposed to be a starving Buddha, so might represent the original guy (Siddhārtha Gautama) who founded buddhism. He tried a touch of starvation before realising there might be better ways to enlightenment - hence the middle way - and the pleasantly plump monks.???juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02591920483149775255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-43418766896711746522010-11-09T00:04:54.135+00:002010-11-09T00:04:54.135+00:00Well, actually, the second one seems to be daruma ...Well, actually, the second one seems to be <i>daruma</i> (dharma). I've never seen him depicted with a halo, so the other must be someone else. I don't have the memory for Buddhist statues that I ought (<i>Miroku Bosatsu</i> or either of the <i>Daibutsu</i> excepted).<br />Sorry to take the speculation seriously--I know it wasn't meant so.notjonathonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04659451301130858970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-92075222947248100312010-11-06T02:07:00.835+00:002010-11-06T02:07:00.835+00:00I could well believe the statues were of the same ...I could well believe the statues were of the same man. Over in Shonai, in Yamagata Ken there's a few 'living' mummies on display, guys who started out plump and then starved themselves to death. Pretty disturbing and impressive at the same time!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com