Art

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