Rattibha

#VesakDay Thread
Some pics of Buddha/Buddhist sites clicked by yours truly...
1. Gandhara Sculpture (2nd - 3rd century AD, National Museum, Delhi)

No... That's not head of some Greek god, it is Indo Greek head sculpture of
2. Crowned Buddha ( Gandhara Art, 2nd century AD, National Museum, Delhi)
#vesakday

Probably the most famous Buddhist painting of all time...
3. Padampani Bodhisattva (1st Cave Ajanta, 2nd - 1st century BCE)
#BuddhaPurnima #Buddha

4. Painted Buddha Mural on Pillar ( Cave 9, Ajanta, 1st century BCE to 3rd century AD)

5. Sage Asita visits Suddhodhana:
In this casing slab, Baby Siddhartha has been depicted symbolically by a pair of footprints on the cloth held by Asita.
(Satavahana 1st -2nd century, Amravathi, Andhra Pradesh. National Museum, Delhi)
#Buddhism

6. Dhammacakkappavattana / Dhamma Chakra Pravartan :
Stupa casing slab showing the wheel of Dhamma, an empty throne and Buddha's footprint. This depicts the first sermon given by Buddha at Sarnath.
(Limestone, 1st - 2nd century AD, Amravathi, AP. National Museum, Delhi)

7. Naga Muchalinda:
Muchalinda, king of Nagas protected Buddha from forces of nature while he meditated under the Bodhi tree. Empty Throne represent Buddha n the multi head serpent depicts the Naga King.
(Shunga, Brahmi inscription, 2nd century BCE, Pauni, Maharashtra)
#vesak

8. Few more art works where Buddha is depicted not in his physical form but symbolically. But why this was done?
Why they didn't worshipped his statues directly??? (Continued...)

9. Roots of this can be traced to Buddha's teachings, where he advises his followers, not to worship him. So after his death followers decided to worship him through ANICONISM. Symbols used to depict Buddha were the footprints, Bodhi Tree, Dhamma Chakra, Empty Throne, Stupa etc