Art

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

Buddha Shakyamuni as a Newborn Infant

Legend has it that the Buddha took his first steps immediately upon being born. With his right hand, he pointed to heaven; with his left hand he pointed to the ground and stated that in this lifetime he would attain Buddhahood and free all beings from their suffering.

That is the very moment captured in this small metal figure. The Buddha is portrayed as a naked, chubby infant, and does not yet bear the typical markings of a buddha.