Eight Greate Events of the Buddha's Life on Cloth Painting

Eight Greate Events of the Buddha's Life on Cloth Painting

Eight great events of the buddha's life

The thang ka shows the depiction of the eight great events of the Buddha's life. The central image displays the Buddha sitting in meditation, holding his hands in the bhumisparshamudra. It is surrounded by seven smaller images with the other seven scenes. All images are framed by a stūpa. The top of the painting displays the scene of the death and Parinirvāṇa of the Buddha. The right side from bottom to top shows the birth of the Buddha, his first sermon, and his descent from Tāvatiṃsa heaven.  The other side shows the gift of honey, the miracle of multiplication, and the taming of the elephant Nalagiri. 
Under the central image there are a sequence of narrations depicted. From right to left they show, the Buddha's Father, King Śuddhodana receiving the prophet Asita, the Siddhārthanleaving the City, and his horse waiting for him, Siddhārtha cutting his hair and becoming an ascetic, Siddhārtha meditating inside a cave with a small figure offering him milk (girl Sujata), and Siddhārtha sitting in meditation again.

Pakhoutoua, Elena A. Reproducing the Sacred Place: The Eight Great Events of the Buddha’s Life and their Commemorative Stupas in the Medieval Art of Tibet (10th to 13th century), diss. University of Virginia, 2009, 299.

Elena A. Pakhoutoua

11th.- 12th. century

thang ka (cloth painting)

Tibet