Art

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