[74]A young Dutchman, whom I met in 1898 in the Båråbudur’s pasanggrahan, thought he saw a mutual difference in the posture of the hands of these 72 dagob-Buddhas. This difference really exists, but only in the manner in which the different sculptors interpreted the positively meant posture of the two hands.
This very same difference in the execution of one and the same task is also to be seen on other Buddha images. Should it have another meaning the thesis that these sculptures are to represent the different five Dhyâni-Buddhas would then be frustrated, because there would be much more than five, indeed.
The man appealed to the official draughtsman accompanying him, an absolutely unscientific fellow.
[75]The other objects were a little metal vase with cover—formerly containing some ashes, perhaps—; some ancient javanese coins and another small metal image. In the pits of other tyanḍis in Java we also found stone urns with ashes, and coins or other objects of precious metal, and some coloured precious stones which were given to the dead in their graves, and symbolically representing the sapta ratna or seven treasures. See my “Boeddhistische tempel- en klooster-bouwvallen in de Parambanan-vlakte” and my “Tjanḍi Idjo” in the “Tijdschrift v. Ind. T., L. en V. K.” published in 1888.
[76]Out of the six Buddhas of the Båråbudur we don’t see any trace of a sixth Buddha such as we found in a different form at Nipâl: four-armed, in a mythical dress, crowned and provided with peculiar attributes.
[77]See my “Een Boeddhisten-koning op den Båråbudur” appeared in “het Tijdschrift van Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde” of 1896, and the manuscript of the interpreting second part, not published by the editors, but of which I afterwards sent a copy to professor Kern and other learned men.
[78]On the twenty-seventh sculpture (W. L. 53).
[79]I for me don’t know any analogue of these three groups though they may exist elsewhere in the mainland, so that this explanation of mine will be a questionable thesis only.
[80]See Oldfield’s “Sketches from Nipal” p. 90 and 157 and the pictures opposite p. 219 and 260 of the second volume.
[81]See my apologetics mentioned in VI note 14 and my “Oudheidkundige Aanteekeningen”, I.