Buddha Shakyamuni

There are few large-scale images of the Buddha in eastern India and this example is among the finest to have been preserved. It shows the Buddha seated in meditation on a lotus throne (‘padmasana’) with a ‘vajra’ (thunderbolt). These features identify it specifically as a ‘diamond throne’ (‘vajrasana’).

The gesture of the lowered hand position (‘bhumisparsa-mudra’) is significant. It confirms that Shakyamuni is calling the earth to witness his resistance of the temptations of the demonic goddess Mara and the forces of worldly attachments. The combination of the ‘diamond throne’ and the mudra confirm that this image is intended to depict the historical Buddha at Bodhgaya, immediately prior to his Enlightenment.