Art

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