Art

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