Buddhist Art Appeared in Uposatha Based on Aesthetics

Abstract

The study aims to 1) examine concepts of Buddhist art and aesthetics, 2) explore Buddhist artistic elements presented in Phra Ubosot, 3) analyze Buddhist art through aesthetic theories, and 4) propose a new body of knowledge regarding Buddhist art in Phra Ubosot from an aesthetic perspective. This qualitative research employed documentary analysis of primary and secondary sources, including the Tipitaka, historical art texts, and related academic documents, combined with in-depth interviews with 15 key informants from three groups: Buddhist ecclesiastical administrators, art historians, and cultural experts. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis to identify the interconnectedness between Buddhist art, aesthetic concepts, and the historical evolution of Thai Phra Ubosot.

The findings reveal that Buddhist art is not merely a representation of physical beauty but functions as a medium for communicating religious meanings and social values through architecture, sculpture, and mural painting. Architectural designs reflect Buddhist cosmology, sculptures embody idealized Buddha characteristics, and murals convey Buddhist teachings and ethical principles. The study further demonstrates that Buddhist art operates within three major aesthetic perspectives: materialism, emphasizing artistic principles, proportions, and craftsmanship; idealism, emphasizing individual spiritual experience and faith; and relativism, explaining the transformation of aesthetic values according to historical and socio-cultural contexts. Furthermore, Buddhist art in Phra Ubosot during the reigns of King Rama I–V continuously evolved in response to national strategies and changing global contexts. This research proposes the “AESR Model” as a new conceptual framework explaining four fundamental roles of Buddhist art: A: Aesthetics as a Medium, referring to beauty as a pathway leading individuals toward Buddhist teachings; E: Elevation of Spirit, representing the transformation of visual appreciation into inner spiritual refinement; S: Symbolic Meaning of State, reflecting religious beliefs and the authority of Buddhist patronage; and R: Reflection of National Strategy, demonstrating the adaptation of Buddhist art in response to national development and global change. The study concludes that Thai Buddhist art represents a dynamic aesthetic system in which religious principles, artistic conventions, and socio-political contexts are integrated, with Phra Ubosot serving simultaneously as a sacred space for individual spiritual cultivation and a symbolic space for constructing national identity.