Featured as part of Encountering Religions in Asian Art
Historical Period(s)
late 2nd-early 3rd century, Kushan dynasty
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
H x W x D: 67 x 289.8 x 9.8 cm (26 3/8 x 114 1/8 x 3 7/8 in)
Geography
Pakistan or Afghanistan
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1949.9a-d
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Title: Scenes from the Life of the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.
Type: reliefa sculpture with a slight projection from a flat surface.
Associated Religious Tradition: Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.
Origins
Geography: India, Gandhara[Gan-DHAA-ruh]an ancient region encompassing present-day Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. (modern Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Date: 2nd–early 3rd century CE
Period: Kushan dynasty (2nd century BCE–3rd century CE)
Physical Properties
Material: Schist
Dimensions: H × W × D: 67 × 289.8 × 9.8 cm (26 3/8 × 114 1/8 × 3 7/8 in)
Crediting Information
Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Credit Line: Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Accession Number: F1949.9a–d
The Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. was born a prince in a kingdom on the border of Nepal and India in the fifth century BCE. Troubled by the inevitability of disease, aging, and death, he abandoned royal life to become a holy man. Six years of extreme self-discipline did not reveal a way to end the pain of existence. Finally, he sat under a tree, determined to acquire insight. His meditation led to the profound realization that attachments to impermanent things cause suffering. Through this enlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism., he earned the designation Buddha, or “Awakened One.”
The Buddha then taught others the path to overcome sorrow. At the age of eighty, he left his body to enter the blissful state of nirvana[ner-va-nuh]literally, “extinction”; having attained enlightenment, the state in which all past karma is destroyed and no future karma is produced, resulting in release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.. In the following centuries, the Buddha’s teachings, or dharma[DHAR-muh]a term of unique importance in Indian culture that has several meanings. In Buddhism, it refers to the Buddha’s teachings or doctrines. In Hindu traditions, dharma refers to the moral code that governs proper behavior., spread across Asia and became the foundation of Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE. in all its forms. His life and image became central to Buddhist practice throughout the world.
By the third century BCE, Buddhism reached Gandhara[Gan-DHAA-ruh]an ancient region encompassing present-day Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. (a cosmopolitan region with cultural and economic ties to India), western Asia, and the Hellenistic world. To represent stories of the Buddha’s life, Gandharan artists combined the visual vocabulary of Greco-Roman art with Indian Buddhist concepts and iconography. Due to its location on the Silk Road, Gandhara’s sculptural tradition influenced Buddhist imagery from India, Central Asia, and China.
These panels are among the earliest representations of the four central events in the life of the Historical Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.: his birth, enlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism., first sermon, and departure from his mortal body at the age of eighty. They were commissioned to adorn a stupa[STOOP-uh]a Buddhist reliquary; stupas range in size from monumental to handheld., a structure that contained the relics of great Buddhist teachers.
The sequence begins on the left as the baby Buddha miraculously emerges from the side of his mother, Queen Maya. Dressed and coiffed like a Roman matron, she stands clasping a tree branch in the posture of an Indian nature spirit.
The second reliefa sculpture with a slight projection from a flat surface. represents the great moment of awakening. After meditating for forty days, the Buddha approaches infinite awareness. Mara, the god of death and desire, and his rowdy army of misshapen demons surround—but do not distract—the Buddha. The Buddha lowers his right hand in the earth-touching gesture to prove his spiritual accomplishment.
In the third panel, the Buddha raises one hand in a gesture of reassurance as he teaches his first sermon to ascetics and deities. The wheel, or chakra[CHAK-ruh]a Sanskrit word that means “wheel” or “cycle.” It is a symbol of Buddhist dharma. When Vishnu holds a chakra; it is a weapon, somewhat like a ninja star, for restoring harmony on earth., on his throne represents his teachings. His wavy hair and naturalistically draped robes are adapted from Greco-Roman art.
At the age of eighty, the Buddha lay down between two trees and abandoned his physical body. Only one tree is visible on the fourth panel; the second was depicted on the now-missing right-hand section. By showing the Buddha lying on his side, artists distinguished his blissful entry into final nirvana[ner-va-nuh]literally, “extinction”; having attained enlightenment, the state in which all past karma is destroyed and no future karma is produced, resulting in release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. from that of an ordinary death.
The global Buddhist community commemorates three major events from the Buddha’s life: birth, enlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism., and final nirvana[ner-va-nuh]literally, “extinction”; having attained enlightenment, the state in which all past karma is destroyed and no future karma is produced, resulting in release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.. The dates of their celebrations vary by country, culture, and school. In countries that follow the Theravada school, the three events are celebrated together as Vesak[VAY-sak]an important Buddhist festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. It is celebrated at the full moon in the month of Vaishaka (April–May). (also spelled Vaisakha and Vesakha) day on the first full moon of the sixth lunar month. In countries where Mahayana[MA-huh-yaa-nuh]literally, “Great Vehicle”; a major Buddhist movement that emerged sometime before the second century CE and produced a large body of sacred texts. Encompassing several schools of practice, Mahayana encourages practitioners to follow the bodhisattva path and strive to become Buddhas. is the prominent school, each event is celebrated separately and on different calendar dates.
Regardless of the school or country, most devotees strive to practice good deeds because they believe good deeds multiply during the holy days. Many also visit local monasteries and temples to give offerings, reflect on sacred objects, recite scriptures, and circumambulateto walk or move around a sacred object or site.. They may also donate goods or money to people in need and limit how much meat they eat.
Look closely at the first two panels (on the left). Who is the most important figure in the story? How did the artist indicate this person’s importance?
Look at the third and fourth panels (from the left). How can you tell that these panels are broken?
When the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. was born, he had special marks on his body that indicated he would one day become a great spiritual teacher. These included a dot on his forehead and a cranial bump (ushnisha[oosh-NEE-shuh]a protrusion from the top of the skull of a Buddha, sometimes depicted as a knot of hair; one of the thirty-two marks of a great man.). Can you find those marks on the panels?
Because Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE., Hinduism, and Jainism all emerged within India, they share certain beliefs. One shared belief is that life on earth is inevitably painful because of disease, aging, and death. Each tradition taught a different way to escape the birth-death-rebirth cycle. How did the artist show that the Buddha (in the fourth panel, on the far right) did not die but rather entered nirvana[ner-va-nuh]literally, “extinction”; having attained enlightenment, the state in which all past karma is destroyed and no future karma is produced, resulting in release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.?
How does the artwork portray narrative, and how do perceptions of the artwork change over time?
How do art and narrative help create a guide for pilgrimage?
How does the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. serve as a moral example for Buddhists?
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. “Encountering the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.: Art and Practice Across Asia.” https://asia.si.edu/whats-on/exhibitions/encountering-the-buddha-art-and-practice-across-asia/
