Art

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