Art

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