Art

  • Thangka of the Twenty-One Taras
  • The Prophecy of the Buddha Dipankara
  • Dharmapala Yama
  • Dharani Sutra of the Heart of the Perfection of Insight
  • Mara’s Daughters Tempt the Buddha
  • The Arhats Bakula, Rahula, Cudapanthaka, and Pindola From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Budai
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Plaque Showing the Buddha Teaching
  • Yakshi, Nymph with Lotus Flowers, fragment of a baluster
  • Buddhist Votive Tablet
  • Stupa
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as the Patron of fishermen
  • Taima Mandala, the Buddha Amida’s Paradise
  • Stupa
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Buddha Shakyamuni with Scenes from his Life
  • Portrait of the Abbot Ennin
  • Buddha Vairocana
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The Descent of Buddha Amida
  • The Buddha Begins Teaching
  • Head of a Buddha
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Tames the Wild Elephant Nalagiri
  • Bodhidharma Crosses the Yangtze River on a Reed
  • Machig Labdrön
  • Leaving for Homelessness
  • Bodhidharma
  • Jambhala, the God of Wealth
  • Buddha Shakyamuni as a Newborn Infant
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Gazelle
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating Under the Bodhi Tree
  • The Bodhisattva of Compassion as the Bringer of Sons
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Standing Buddha Amida
  • The Arhats Kanakavasta, Vajriputra, Kanaka Bharadvaja, and Bhadra From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Head of a Lokeshvara
  • Buddha Shakyamuni at the Moment of his Awakening
  • Prince Siddhartha’s Wedding
  • Standing Tara
  • Female Monkey with Her Young
  • Large Votive Stupa
  • Padmasambhava
  • Hotei, One of the Gods of Good Fortune, with Child
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Sheltered by the Serpent-King
  • Standing Monk with Hands Folded
  • Stela Showing Scenes from the Life of the Buddha
  • Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion in the Posture of Royal Ease
  • Zen Priest in a Golden Wrap
  • Baisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha
  • Pancha Raksha Manuscript
  • Votive Stela with Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The Descent of Buddha Amida
  • Printing Block for a Prayer from the Text “Embodiment of the Three Jewels” by Jatson Nyingpo (1585–1656)
  • Monastic Rules for Monks
  • Six Persimmons
  • Buddhist Monk
  • Hotei
  • Praying Priest
  • Empress Jito, from the series “Parody of the Ogura Version of ‘One Hundred Poets, One Hundred Poems’ ”
  • Dharmatala and two lokapalas From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Head of the Buddha
  • The Four Excursions
  • Gendün Gyatso, the 2nd Dalai Lama (1476–1542)
  • Standing Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Bust of a Luohan
  • Great Stupa at Sanchi
  • Buddhist Monastic Rules from the Pali Canon
  • Monumental Head of a Bodhisattva
  • Buddha Dipankara, the Buddha of the Past
  • The Layman Huashang and Two Lokapalas From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Padmasambhava with his 25 Tibetan Pupils From a series of 7 thangkas
  • The Ascetic Milarepa
  • Buddha Shakyamuni From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Padmasambhava with his 25 Tibetan Pupils From a series of 7 thangkas
  • Seated Bodhisattva
  • Vase with Lotus Vines and the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism
  • Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • The Death of the Buddha
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • The 4th Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso (1589–1617)
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Invokes the Earth Goddess as his Witness
  • The Arhats Panthaka, Gopaka, Nagasena, and Abheda From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Half-length Portrait of the Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma
  • Sakya Pandita (1182–1252)
  • The Bodhisattva of Compassion Sitting in Meditation
  • Shyamatara, Green Tara
  • Amida Nyorai, Buddha of the Western Paradise
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Green Tara (Shyama Tara)
  • Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
  • The Buddha’s Parinirvana
  • Portrait of the Zen Priest Gemmon Doyu
  • The Three Buddhas Dipankara, Shakyamuni, and Maitreya
  • Mahasiddha Virupa
  • Rectangular Coin
  • Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Ceremonial Dagger Featuring the God of Death
  • State Oracle Garment
  • Shaka Nyorai, the Historical Buddha
  • Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
  • Travel Shrine
  • Votive Stela Depicting Buddha Shakyamuni
  • Ushnishavijaya
  • Buddha Shakyamuni and the Earth-Touching Gesture
  • Guhyamanjuvajra
  • Head of a Monk
  • Head of the Buddha
  • Buddha Shakyamuni 
  • Vajradhara, the Primordial Buddha
  • Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Buddhist Votive Stela of the Yan Family
  • The Arhats Vanavasin, Angaja, Kalika, and Ajita From a series of 7 thangkas with Buddha Shakyamuni and the 18 arhats
  • Head of a Bodhisattva
  • Shakyamuni Enters Nirvana
  • Sitatara, White Tara
  • Buddhist Pocket-sized Prayer Altar
  • Dakini Vasya-Vajravarahi
  • Relief of the Five Transcendent Buddhas
  • The Transcendent Buddha Akshobhya
  • Buddha Maitreya
  • The Four Pleasures of Nan Shenglu (detail)
  • Standing Buddha
  • Buddha Shakyamuni Attains Awakening Under the Bodhi Tree
  • Shyamatara, Green Tara
  • Seated Bodhisattva
  • Buddhist Votive Tablet
  • Excerpt from the Lotus Sutra
  • The Buddha Invokes the Earth Goddess as his Witness
  • Standing Bodhisattva
  • The Prophecy of the Wise Asita
  • Vijaya Stupa
  • Jizo Bosatsu, Bodhisattva in the Guise of a Monk
Buddha Shakyamuni with Scenes from his Life

Buddha Shakyamuni with Scenes from his Life

Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on a richly adorned throne at the centre of the picture. The gesture he is making refers to the moment of his awakening. Around him his life story is told in numerous scenes. It opens at the top left with his birth and continues anticlockwise; in the lower section we witness his adolescent years, followed at the bottom right by his flight from the palace, and then his awakening to Buddhahood. After several scenes describing his work as a teacher, the story ends at the top right with his death.