Waking up to the Present: Vipassana Meditation and the Body

Using ethnographic methods I examine the process of learning vipassana meditation, a form of meditation in which the practitioner focuses on their bodily sensations, and the ways in which learning this form of meditation affects the practitioner\u27s daily life. I employ reflexivity alongside an ethnography of the particular to capture my experiences as the student of a Thai Theravada Buddhist monk who teaches at a temple in Portland, Oregon. Through this process I have found that learning vipassana meditation pervades numerous aspects of daily life, extending beyond direct instruction and meditation practice, bringing about perceptual changes in reality as learned concepts become embodied through both meditation and lived experience

Representing Korean Buddhist art and architecture - a 3D animated documentary installation

This practice-led research 'One Mind' - seeks to represent Korean Buddhist architectural aesthetics and Buddhist spiritual ideas using the animated documentary genre as a form of creative representation. It is intended that the piece be shown either as an installation in a gallery, or within a museum or cultural exhibition context. The key goal is to offer this digital artwork to European audiences, in a spirit of engendering the same feeling state as when present in the real monastery, encouraging an understanding of the sacred, and experiencing a form of transcendence. My art work in some ways functions as a digital restoration of sacred architecture outside its real environment and context, and seeks to document cultural heritage and knowledge. One Mind is different from a classic form of documentary, though, because it does not echo the idea of documentary based on live-action footage as a mode of non-fiction record and expression. I have particularly stressed the suggestiveness of the architectural aesthetics and the philosophic principles embedded in the environment. I have sought to bring my own subjective artistic interpretation to Korean Buddhism accordingly, resisting typical character animation and classical narrative, seeking instead, to encourage the viewer to be part of the environment. I focus on the meaning in Buddhist buildings and the landscape they are part of, and dramatise the environment, using the poetic tone of the voice over performance, the sound track of Buddhist chanting, and the visual effects and perspectives of computer generated imagery. This digital visualisation of the Buddhist s spiritual world is informed by a Buddhist s traditional way of life, but, most importantly, by my own past experience, feelings and memory of the Buddhist monastery compound, as a practising artist. My thesis is categorised into eight chapters. Chapter One offers an overview of the aims and objectives of my project. Chapter Two identifies my research questions and my intended methodology. Chapter Three focuses on important background knowledge about Korea s natural and cultural aspects and conditions. Chapter Four offers an analysis of the issue of the Korean cultural identity, suggesting that a more authentic image of Korea and Korean-ness is available in the philosophy and spiritual agenda of Buddhism. Chapter Five addresses the practical ways in which digital restoration of architecture has taken place, identifying three previous cases which both resemble and differ from my own project. Chapter Six looks at the specific characteristics of Korean Seon Buddhism and architecture, and engages with three theoretical approaches about the spatial composition of the monastery, and the ways it may help in constructing the monastery in a digital environment. Chapter Seven offers an evaluation and validation of my artwork, having adopted the approach of creating an animated spiritual documentary to reveal Buddhist philosophy and experience as a model of Korean cultural identity. Chapter Eight offers some conclusions about my intention, process and outcomes

Cultural representation and digital reproduction : a critical analysis of post conflict reproductions of heritage

With the advancement of technological methodologies we are reconsidering our past and how to preserve it. The intersection of technology and heritage demonstrates how the past continues to live in the present and the ability to reconstruct and preserve heritage, something pertinent within the contemporary context of worldwide conflicts. The ability to digitally reproduce heritage is novel and something which requires further inquiry in light of several considerations. These are mostly questions of authenticity and whether a copy can (or should) replace the original structure. This is because of several implications involving ownership and access (i.e. whether it is democratising art and heritage), effects of removing it from its geographical and cultural contexts and the complexities of cultural representation in the digital. To investigate this emerging topic, I am analysing both the theoretical and practical implications of digitally reproducing cultural heritage post conflict. The ramifications of recreating heritage post conflict, after the destruction (iconoclasm in specific) of the original artefact within the unstable context of war, are numerous. For instance, the erasure of history is thrown into question with the recreation of war-destroyed heritage, as well as the very decision of which artefact are chosen for reproduction. Consequently, my main research questions will be exploring what it means when the ‘original’ is destroyed and a ‘copy’ is created in its place, what happens when digital reproductions become viral and/or physically travel the globe; who ‘owns’ the reproduced digital heritage and what does it contribute to discussions on representation? Therefore, I am addressing both the importance of cultural heritage in contemporary society and its representational role. To do so I am drawing on theoretical concepts from the disciplines of Cultural Studies, Heritage Studies, Museology and Anthropology to analyse the complexities of political, cultural and historical representations. Using the empirical case studies of three post-conflict sites of The Triumphal Arch of Palmyra (Syria), the Bamiyan Buddhas (Afghanistan) and the Lion of Mosul (Iraq), I address their digital reproductions in consideration of cultural representation and the role of heritage respectively. Ultimately, I am using these three case studies to attempt to address the problems and benefits involved in recreating heritage after the original has been destroyed in conflict.Com o avanço das metodologias tecnológicas, estamos a reconsiderar o nosso passado e como conservá-lo. A interseção entre a tecnologia e o património demonstra como o passado continua a viver no presente e a capacidade de reconstruir e conservar o património, algo pertinente no contexto contemporâneo dos conflitos mundiais. A capacidade de reproduzir digitalmente o património é novo e é algo que requer mais pesquisa. Principalmente, surgem as questões de autenticidade e de se uma cópia pode (ou deve) substituir a estrutura original ou não. Isso ocorre devido às várias implicações que envolvem a propriedade e o acesso (ou seja, se as reproduções 3D estão a democratizar a arte e o património ou não), efeitos de removê-la dos seus contextos geográficos e culturais e as complexidades da representação cultural na forma digital. Para investigar este tema emergente, estou a analisar as implicações teóricas e práticas de reproduzir digitalmente o património cultural pós-conflito. O apagamento da história é posto em causa com a recriação do património destruído pela guerra, bem como o processo de tomada de decisão sobre a escolha dos artefatos para a reprodução. Consequentemente, as minhas principais perguntas de pesquisa explorarão o que significa quando o “original” for destruído e uma “cópia” for criada em seu lugar, o que acontece quando as reproduções digitais se tornam virais e/ou viajam fisicamente pelo mundo; a quem pertence a herança digital reproduzida e qual é a sua contribuição às discussões sobre a representação. Portanto, estou a abordar tanto a importância do patrimônio cultural na sociedade contemporânea quanto o seu papel representacional. Para isso, estou a basear-me em conceitos teóricos das disciplinas dos Estudos Culturais, os Estudos de Património, a Museologia e a Antropologia a fim de analisar as complexidades das representações políticas, culturais e históricas. Utilizando os estudos de casos empíricos de três locais de pós-conflito, o Arco Monumental de Palmira (Síria), os Budas de Bamiã (Afeganistão) e o Leão de Mossul (Iraque), abordo as suas reproduções digitais na consideração da representação cultural e o papel do património respectivamente. Por fim, estou a usar estes três estudos de caso para tentar versar os problemas e vantagens envolvidos na recreação do património depois que o original foi destruído durante o conflito

The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues

This Open Access book explores heritage conservation ethics of post conflict and provides an important historical record of the possible reconstruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues, which was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Danger in 2003 as “Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley”. With the condition that most surface of the original fragments of the Buddha statues were lost due to acts of deliberate destruction, this publication explores a reference point for conservation practitioners and policy makers around the world as they consider how to respond to on-going acts of destruction of cultural heritage. Whilst there has been an emerging debate to the ethics and nature of heritage reconstruction, this volume provides a plethora of ideas and approaches concerning the future treatment of the Bamiyan Buddha statues. It also addresses a number of fundamental questions on potential heritage reconstruction: how it will be done; who will decide; and what it should be done for. Moreover when it comes to the inscribed World Heritage properties, how can reconstructed heritage using non-original materials be considered to retain authenticity? With a view to serving as a precedent for potential decisions taken elsewhere in the world for cultural properties impacted by acts of violence and destruction, this volume introduces academic researches, experiences and observations of heritage conservation theory and practice of heritage reconstruction. It also addresses the issue not merely from the point of a material conservation philosophy but within the context of holistic strategies for the protection of human rights and promotion of peace building

Faces of Cambodia: Buddhism(s), Portraiture and Images of Kings

In the late twelfth-century the face dominated the visual landscape of the Angkor Empire, appearing at the Mahāyānist Bayon temple in the form of monumental ‘face towers’, a distinctive architectural-cum-sculptural feature of the reign of Jayavarman VII, the first Buddhist king of Cambodia. Together with statues apparently sculpted as a physical likeness of the king, this artistic output probed the conceptual contours of the face and the scope of portraiture. Since the twelfth century the face, primarily in a four-faced configuration, has continued as a uniquely Cambodian trope, cited and revived in changing politico-cultural contexts. The monumental visages of Angkor have been the subject of a wealth of scholarship over the last century and a half, yet there has been a lack of consideration of the Cambodian faces as faces from a phenomenological perspective. Neither has there been a thorough interrogation of the precise mechanisms by which the faces ‘reappeared’ in twentieth-century Cambodia. Therefore, this thesis addresses questions of the face and portraiture within a multi-layered Buddhist-Brahmānic complex, in order to counter hegemonies which persist in art historical scholarship on the Bayon. This examination of the face is primarily formulated on three levels of interrogation: the face as portrait, the face as the locus of personhood or subjectivity, and historiographies associated with the face. Due to the subsequent, and indeed on-going, appropriation of the Bayon faces, the final chapters give critical emphasis to the face of the king in the contemporary visual landscape of Cambodia

An approach for real world data modelling with the 3D terrestrial laser scanner for built environment

Capturing and modelling 3D information of the built environment is a big challenge. A number of techniques and technologies are now in use. These include EDM, GPS, and photogrammetric application, remote sensing and traditional building surveying applications. However, use of these technologies cannot be practical and efficient in regard to time, cost and accuracy. Furthermore, a multi disciplinary knowledge base, created from the studies and research about the regeneration aspects is fundamental: historical, architectural, archeologically, environmental, social, economic, etc. In order to have an adequate diagnosis of regeneration, it is necessary to describe buildings and surroundings by means of documentation and plans. However, at this point in time the foregoing is considerably far removed from the real situation, since more often than not it is extremely difficult to obtain full documentation and cartography, of an acceptable quality, since the material, constructive pathologies and systems are often insufficient or deficient (flat that simply reflects levels, isolated photographs,..). Sometimes the information in reality exists, but this fact is not known, or it is not easily accessible, leading to the unnecessary duplication of efforts and resources. In this paper, we discussed 3D laser scanning technology, which can acquire high density point data in an accurate, fast way. Besides, the scanner can digitize all the 3D information concerned with a real world object such as buildings, trees and terrain down to millimetre detail Therefore, it can provide benefits for refurbishment process in regeneration in the Built Environment and it can be the potential solution to overcome the challenges above. The paper introduce an approach for scanning buildings, processing the point cloud raw data, and a modelling approach for CAD extraction and building objects classification by a pattern matching approach in IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format. The approach presented in this paper from an undertaken research can lead to parametric design and Building Information Modelling (BIM) for existing structures. Two case studies are introduced to demonstrate the use of laser scanner technology in the Built Environment. These case studies are the Jactin House Building in East Manchester and the Peel building in the campus of University Salford. Through these case studies, while use of laser scanners are explained, the integration of it with various technologies and systems are also explored for professionals in Built Environmen

The Cultivation of Therapeutic Landscapes: A Medical Anthropological Approach to Understanding the Health and Wellbeing Qualities of the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas

Medical anthropology researchers have just begun exploring therapeutic landscapes as the benefits of location are just now being understood in the field as potentially promoting a sense of healing and wellbeing. Some cultural heritage sites are translocated sites that are important to disseminate traditional cultural knowledge. While some of these cultural heritage landscapes become formal cultural resources, others also add a level of therapeutic quality to their existence. The Garden of 1,000 Buddhas was such a location. Discerning how these sites develop and are mitigated through affective responses, messaging symbols and personal beliefs was an important part of the process. How these were linked to the social and symbolic environments of the therapeutic landscape was not well known. For this reason, it became important to explore the central questions: How do affective responses, personal beliefs, and messaging symbols at the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas impact visitors’ social and symbolic environments? Are affective responses, personal beliefs, and messaging symbols integral in therapeutic landscape development? To fully explore this question, three subquestions should be explored which will then provide adequate responses to the central question. These three subquestions will be as follows: 1) How do affective responses emerging from interacting with a cultural heritage site influence the visitors’ health and wellbeing outcomes from visiting the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas?, 2) How are visitors’ personal health and wellbeing beliefs formative in the construction of a therapeutic landscape where no official health and wellbeing attributes are articulated by the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas site management?; 3) How does visitor placement of health and wellbeing messaging symbols throughout the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas impact the social environment of the therapeutic landscape at the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas? Answering these questions will demonstrate how they are related and the impact they have on the social and symbolic environments. The answers to these questions will also facilitate an understanding of how therapeutic landscapes develop and their relationship with cultural heritage sites

Body and Mind Shaped by Built Form: Experiences of Borobudur

This thesis takes the form of a pilgrimage to the Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Indonesia to explore the relationship between spiritual practices and physical space, in particular analyses the relationships between space, practice and affect. In this thesis space is identified as an overarching category to include the physical, social and mental environments. Practice indicates repeated engagement by the participant, and lastly, affect signifies the personal capacity to be changed by architecture beyond the momentary interaction. The potency of affective architecture relies on a careful balance between curated architectural methods and the mindful involvement of the practitioner. My experience of a pilgrimage through the temple of Borobudur acts as an architectural laboratory in order to investigate first hand the physical architectonic elements and methods of perception which support and amplify a spiritual encounter. The goal of the thesis is to understand the potential for architecture to encourage or promote spiritual awareness to better understand the physical space of spirituality

The Transformative Power of the Copy

This volume offers a fresh perspective on the copy and the practice of copying, two topics that, while the focus of much academic discussion in recent decades, have been underrepresented in the discourse on transculturality. Here, experts from a wide range of academic disciplines present their views on the copy from a transcultural perspective, seeking not to define the copy uniformly, but to reveal its dynamic and transformative power. The copy and the practice of copying are thus presented as constituents of transculturality via thought-provoking contributions on topics spanning time periods from antiquity to the present, and regions from Asia to Europe. In so doing, these contributions aim to create the basis for a novel, interdisciplinary discourse on the copy and its transcultural impact throughout history

Preserving A Fragile Cultural Heritage Destination: Decoding and Encoding the MoGao Caves

The cultural heritage tourism industry has been on a constant expansion in China across the past decades. A growing volume of regional municipalities and investors is actively participating in developing and transforming the cultural heritage sites into tourism destinations. While the mass tourism and its continuous escalation are bringing tremendous success to regional economy, it is also significantly challenging the material integrity of fragile cultural heritage destinations. Such an issue is exposed most acutely at the Mogao Caves, an archaeological cave-temple ensemble in northwestern China. This thesis lays out the cultural heritage preservation framework and the growing tourism economy in China, dissects the preservation issues and challenges presence at the Mogao Caves, evaluates current Mogao Caves visitation design and narratives, seeks guidance and possible resolutions via international case studies faced with similar challenges, and eventually proposes a vision and plan of redevelopment that aims at encounter-balancing the diverse challenges by integrating findings discovered in the research process