Art

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

Buddha Shakyamuni

The Buddha is seated in the diamond posture on a broad-leafed, double lotus throne. In the Buddhist tradition, the lotus serves among other things as a symbol of spiritual growth and awakening. That is why images of awakened beings tend to be seated upon a lotus throne. The Buddha’s left hand rests in his lap; with his right hand he displays the earth-witness gesture. His head of tight curls still reveals traces of lapis lazuli, which was commonly used in Tibet for ritual ornamentation. This figure was quite probably cast in eastern Tibet: its face is strongly reminiscent of contemporaneous Chinese pieces. Tibetan work that shows Chinese influences is described as “Sino-Tibetan”.