Art

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