Art

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