[LETTER #2]
DATE: EST. 755
AUTHOR: NIKUDAR SAMAR; INDIAN MONK
ORIGIN: BAMIYAN
LANGUAGE: INDO-EUROPEAN
TYPE: LETTER TO MONASTERY IN KABUL
The princes of Bamiyan are being converted to a foreign faith; they are abandoning the straight path and imitating the ways of these self-righteous invaders. The buddhist people in this valley have withstood conversion for over one hundred years, and now I am saddened to see that our legacy is fading (UNESCO 2002, http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=6647&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html) This ‘Islam’ they are following has left my fellow monks in dismay, as we are all fearful of what could happen to us, and our monasteries (Upasak 1990, 165). They have plundered and destroyed fine art that was made to embody the Buddha. I cannot let this continue. I will go to the caves of the tall Buddhas and try to conceal as much as I can. The Koh-i-Baba mountain is covered with glorious depictions of Buddha and it would be of great loss to our heritage if this was no more. The niches in which the two tall Buddhas stand are entirely decorated with paintings that include gold and red Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, different deities and other celestial beings, like flying Asparas, Devatas and Gandharavas (Upasak 1990, 161). I used to admire the unique crafts regularly as they depict many different interpretations of these figures all in wardrobes distinct to a particular monk, or group thereof. This collection is irreplaceable, and I would be devastated if it were lost. Perhaps this burdensome group of impious people will leave and the right way will be restored, but from what has happened all around the valley, I do not know if this will happen. I have heard horrible stories of what these ‘Arabs’ have done to monks in other nearby regions, leaving them with the choice of conversion or horrific death (Upasak 1990, 119). I do not wish to abandon my faith, and because I am not sure if this vicious practice of harsh choices will come to our valley, I will journey to you in Kabul. Hopefully they will not reach you first.
Relevant Pictures:
WALL PAINTING IN THE NICHE OF BIG BUDDHA:
TWO GEEZE WITH GARLAND IN BEAKS (IRANIAN STYLE)
Bodhisattva-wall Painting in the Niche of the Big Buddha
The Paradise of Baisajya-guru
Sources for this Letter:
UNESCO, The New Couriers, Buddhas of Bamiyan: A Crime Against Culture. 2002. UNESCO. 24 March 2010. <http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=6647&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html>
Upasak, C.S., History of Buddhism in Afghanistan, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies: New Delhi, 1990.
