In the 3rd century B.C. figurative arts began to develop. However in Buddhism people did not portray the anthropomorphic image of Buddha. The devotees offer their prayer before the symbols related to the life of Buddha such as elephant, Bodhi-tree, the Dharmachakra, stupa, footprints of Buddha or empty throne etc. But shortly after the first century B.C., an image of the Buddha was created. The depiction of important events of the life of Buddha quickly followed. In Tibetan thangka, a series of twelve major events of the life of Buddha developed. The iconographic sequence is standard, but the location of the tableaux in the paintings may vary. Sometimes scenes are added or omitted.
In the present thangka sweet faced Shakyamuni Buddha is seated in vajraparyankasanaon a lion throne in the centre of painting. His aureole is encircled with the figures of ferocious dragon, makara, lotus flowers and stylized design. The right hand of the Buddha is in bhumisparsha-mudra, and the left hand, held in meditation position, holds a pinda-patra. The Buddha is attended by his two chief disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. The scenes of important events of his life are surrounding the centre image. The scenes are described clockwise from the foreground:
1. Mahamaya's Dream: Before Siddhartha born in the realm of humans, he was a Bodhisattva in the Tushita heaven and his name was Shevtaketu. He made a vow to manifest himself in the sentient world and relieve people from their sufferings. When the time came for him to manifest himself on earth, he selected king Suddhodana and his wife queen Mahamaya as future parents. Then he descended to earth in the form of a white elephant. Mahamaya was sleeping alone in her chamber when she saw this auspicious white elephant that flew through the air and touched her right side with its trunk, she felt inexpressible joy and bliss and subsequently she became pregnant.
2. Birth of Siddhartha at Lumbini Grove: When Mahamaya's time was approaching she took a trip to her parental home, Devadaha to have her first child with her mother. On her way, when she reached Lumbini grove, queen gave birth to a divine son between to Sala trees as she held the branch of the sala tree. Brahma, Indra and other Devas were present at the birth. The new born baby walked seven steps towards each point of the compass, exclaiming "this is my last incarnation." A monument at the birth-place of the Buddha, erected by emperor Ashoka after 375 years of the event, still stands witness to his historical character. The new born child was brought to Kapilavastu and named Siddhartha, meaning whose purpose has been fulfilled. Queen Mahamaya passed away seven days after the birth of her child. Gautama was then mothered by his mother's sister Mahaprajapati Gautami, who was also his step-mother. The child preferred solitude and thoughtfulness to the frolics and pranks natural to his age.
3. Siddhartha Nursing the Wounded Swan (Manifestation of Pity and Compassion) : The heart of Siddhartha was imbibed with pity and compassion for all the creatures of universe since his childhood. One example is illustrated here. Siddhartha is shown here nursing a wounded swan which was injured by his step-brother Devadatta.
4. Siddhartha in Secluded House with Queens and Attendants: when he came of the age and assumed royal duties, prince Siddhartha had a retinue of sixty thousand queens, principally Yasodhara and Gopa. With the discriminative wisdom of a Bodhisattva, he engaged in the sensual pleasure of worldly life only to experience them as illusory, and he consorted with his queens, and fathered of a son. But Siddhartha never felt satisfied with this life, and thirsted for knowledge and fulfillment.
5. The Four Encounters: king Suddhodana was warned by the court astrologers that his son may well give it all up and choose the path of a recluse to become a Buddha. One day Siddhartha had a strong desire to see the other place of his republic and asked charioteer, Chandaka to drive him outside the place. On three trips he encountered suffering for the first time in the form of a decrepit old man; then a sick man affected with an ugly disease, followed by a dead body being carried to the cremation ground by weeping friends. On his fourth trip he saw a monk dresses in saffron clothes, carrying a bowl, walking majestically along the road, and looking very calm and peaceful. The charioteer told him that this saffron clad person has renounced the worldly life with all luxuries and pleasures and is looking for truth and peace, that this person has no desire or anger and that he lived by begging for his food. These sights made Siddhartha ponder over the miseries of existence and also on a way of escaping from them.
6. Siddhartha Secretly Leaves the Palace to Search Truth: On returning to the palace after his encounters with four sights, he was more cheerless than before. Siddhartha finally realized that home at home; he would never find the permanent solution for the ills of the world. One night there was a big party, when everybody, including his tender new born son, Rahula and his beautiful charming wife were fast asleep. He secretly left his palace, mounted on his horse, Kanthaka went to the forest. His charioteer, chandaka also follow him.
7. Siddhartha Cut off His Long Princely Hair to Became a Monk: At forest, on the bank of a river Siddhartha cut off his long hair and removed his princely costumes and jewelry and wrapped himself in a simple monk's robe. Thereafter he sent back his horse and charioteer.
8. Ascetism: Siddhartha subsequently sat under a tree in the forest and meditated as a hermit for six years. He seeks one teacher after another, but in vain. He first went to a teacher name Adara Kalama and then to another named Udraka Ramaputra. He was actually imbibed all that they had to teach him, but as his thirst for truth remained unquenched he moved on and ultimately reached a picturesque land, near modern Bodhgaya. He had five mendicant companions in the forest. With them he mortifies his body with the severest privations.
9. Sujata Offering Meal (Kheer) to Emaciated Siddhartha: After six years of rigid austerities and different kinds of self-torture, although he was emaciated, he was not a step closer to the hoped for understanding. Then Siddhartha realizes that physical torture was not the way to achieve enlightenment and decided to partake of food again. When that day he was offered a bowl of milk rice (kheer) by Sujata, a village chieftain's daughter, who was devoted to him, he accepted it. At the same time he felt that in the course of that day he would become a Buddha. After consuming the food offered by Sujata, his five companions lost their faith in Siddhartha. Hence they left him, and went to Rishipatana (Sarnath) in the Deer Park near Banaras. They actually thought Siddhartha had given up austerities and taken to a life of ease.
10. Temptation of Siddhartha by Mara: After resuming his diet, Siddhartha found a quit place at Bodhgaya where he hoped to meditate in silence. Thus he stopped at Bodhgaya and sat down in vajraparyankasana to think under a large Pipal tree. During his seven weeks of pondering and meditating, Mara tried to prevent Siddhartha from coming to the ultimate understanding, but in vain. Mara first sent his armies of monsters, but their weapons and fired arrows transformed into flowers. Mara then sent his daughters who tried to seduce him with their charms. Siddhartha was unmoved and just asked them to go away.
11. Siddhartha Summoning the Earth Goddess : When Mara's all attempts were failed to prevent Siddhartha becoming a Buddha, then he said that no body would believe that he had succumbed to their tricks and techniques. At this, the solitary Siddhartha called the earth goddess to be his witness, by earth-touching gesture. The earth opened and the earth goddess confirmed that he had remained stead fast. Mara backed down and slunk away.
12. The Turns of the Dharma-Chakra: After forty-nine days of thinking and meditation, Siddhartha, received insight into both his former and present lives. He came to conclusion that extremes in life lead to nothing, that is suffering, and that suffering must eliminated. When he reached this insight, he attained bodhi or enlightenment and he himself became a Buddha. After attaining the enlightenment the Buddha was in doubt whether he should preach the Dharma to the people of the world given to material attachment. While he was thus hesitating, Brahma and other gods came and begged him to preach the Dharma which would show mankind the way to salvation. The Blessed One began to wonder to whom he should first reveal the Dharma, since his own teachers Adara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra who could have understood the Dharma were already dead. He then set for Banaras to preach to his five mendicant companions who had left him in despair and had settled there. When they saw him approaching they were determined not to show him any respect. But as he drew near they were overpowered by the radiance on his countenance and involuntarily rose to offer him a seat. He then preached his First Sermon to them, thereby setting in motion the wheel of the Dharma (Dharmachakra-pravartana).
13. Reaching Kushinagar at the End of His Worldly Life: The Buddha spent forty five years in wandering and teaching in northern India. He had many followers, irrespective of birth or caste, and established monasteries and centers for the Sangha. When Master was at Pava, Chuna or Chunda, a blacksmith of town, invited him to a meal of rice, cakes and sukaramaddava. There is no agreement among scholars about the meaning of the last word. It may be either a boar's tender flesh or some kind of edible herb. Whatever it might have been, it was difficult to digest and the Buddha was taken ill with dysentery. His illness, however, did not prevent him from going on to Kushinagar along with his disciples.
14. Mahaparinirvana: Shakyamuni entered his Mahaparinirvana at the age of eighty in 483 B.C. in Kushinagar. When the Buddha reached Kushinagar he asked Ananda, his personal attendant, to spread a cloth on ground (here he is lying on a couch) between two sala trees. He lay down like a lion and gave his last admonitions to his disciple and lay folk, who had assembled to have a last glimpse of him. The following were his last words: "now, monks, I have nothing more to tell you but that is composed is liable to decay! Strive after salvation energetically."
Select Bibliography
Ben Meulenbeld, Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangka, Holland, 2001
H. Kern, Manual of Indian Buddhism, Delhi, 1968
Lokesh Chandra, Transcendental Art of Tibet, Delhi, 1996
Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet, Thames and Hudson, 1996
Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999
Mathew Akester, The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha, Kathmandu, 2003
P.V. Bapat, 25, 00 Years of Buddhism, Delhi, 1956
This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma, whose Doctorate thesis is on "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D.)".
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