Art

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

Stela Showing Scenes from the Life of the Buddha

Buddhist art from Gandhara is renowned for its numerous narrative representations of events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. 

The topmost, slightly damaged scene shows the Buddha miraculously pacifying a raging elephant sent to kill him by his jealous cousin Devadatta. Below that is a conversion scene. An unidentified bodhisattva is shown in the bottom section.