A Blockbuster Met Exhibit Shows That The Secret To Ancient Buddhist Art Was The Buddha’s Absence
Establishing a new religion in ancient India was no simple matter. Beyond the pantheon of Hindu gods and their powerful Brahmin worshippers, nature spirits occupied practically every tree, rock, and river. Taking the guise of ogres, these yakshis and yakshas were feared rather than loved. Together with the terrifying serpent deities known as nagas, they needed to be appeased with wine, blood, or flesh in order not to wreak havoc in people’s lives.