Art

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