Art

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