A Philosophical Connection Throughout Time

The Victoria and Albert Museum had a variety of artifacts originating from a span of 5,000 years. The pieces included those focused on architecture, sculptures, paintings, glass, and many more creative pieces. Two of my favorite pieces were Raphael's School of Athens and a Shakyamuni Buddhist Shrine. Both are representative of different philosophies and different eras in which certain philosophies existed.

Raphael's School of Athens

Raphael's School of Athens represents some of the most influential mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists that lived during the renaissance. Most of the thinkers portrayed in the painting lived during different times, yet they are all portrayed as being together and learning from one another. The coexistence of differing ideas has been prominent throughout history. The painting focuses on Aristotle and Plato; two greatly important Western thinkers who contributed to philosophies in Christianity. The original painting is in the Vatican, where Raphael has several of his infamous frescoes on display. The fresco-style paintings are intriguing because they usually involve a few prominent people coming together and enriching each other with their presence. After further analyzing myself and character qualities, I believe I am an influential person in my family and friends' lives because of my ability to bring diverse groups of people together. My intellectual superpower is one of togetherness and meshing different people to converse like they have been life-long friends. The painting by Raphael struck my curiosity because it brought many thinkers into the same place and time. The community of thinkers exudes the importance of learning and the impact that each thinker had on one another.

Buddhist Shrine of Shakyamuni

The second artifact I found was the Buddhist Shrine of Shakyamuni. The plaque for the shrine explains the significance of the surrounding artifacts of the Shakyamuni Buddha. The hourglass beneath the Buddha is a miniature model of the Buddhist cosmos. The inclusion of the cosmos implies that the Buddha is above all levels of consciousness and being; entailing that the Buddha is a divine being above all mortals. The shrine is showing the moment Shakyamuni attained his title as Buddha. His right hand touched the ground to call on the Earth to witness his transcendence from the realm of Mara. The right hand to the ground is a symbol of his closeness to Earth. The Buddha is a celestial being that attains more knowledge than other beings. The Buddha's teachings shaped and influenced thought throughout Southern Asia, China, and Japan. Buddha's teachings were a big influence on the Upanishadic Period, which focused on the soul, yoga and reincarnation. These three aspects of his teachings sparked spiritual movements throughout the world.

The Buddhist teachings played a main role in shaping Eastern philosophy, while the School of Athens thinkers played a main role in shaping the Western philosophies, such as Christianity. Both artifacts  exhibit the influence of prominent thinkers and their teachings being spread through various regions of the World. The teachings of Western and Eastern thought vary, yet build upon each other throughout time, whilst impacting the future of philosophy in the World.