Art

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