Art

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