Muhammad Nari: Life of the Buddha

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Nari

The sculpture was discovered at Muhammad Nari. The main figure in the center of this intricate Gandharan relief is surrounded by an array of characters and a complexity of details. No consensus has yet been reached on its interpretation or the sutra passage that explains its content. Suggestions have included depictions of the miracles of Sravasti, Amitabha teaching the Dharma in the Pure Land, and an illustration of the Lotus Sutra or the Tathagatagarbha Sutra.
The Buddha in the center wears a monastic robe that covers the left shoulder. The figure sits in a full lotus position upon a three-layered lotus throne with hands in Dharmacakra (Dharma wheel) mudra. Two apsaras hold a petaled crown above Buddha’s head, and above that are four respectful heavenly beings surrounded by trees and flowers. The base of the composition is carved with fish swimming among lotus flowers. The naga kings, Nanda and Upananda, rise from the waters supporting what the Tathagatagarbha Sutra describes as a thousand-leafed lotus constructed from gold and precious stones. There the Buddha is entering samadhi and emitting a great light, which creates the illusion of lotus-borne Buddhas rising into the air and covering the sky like a canopy.
The space surrounding the central figure is occupied by Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings and figures making offerings, the whole divided into five registers. A pair of Bodhisattvas on either side of the Buddha present flower garlands. On the bottom register, a male and female figure flank the lotus throne with palms joined and gaze upwards. Some interpret the male figure as the benefactor of the relief. Other figures can be identified as the meditating Buddha dwelling inside a cave and manifesting images of Buddhas from bright light, as well as Bodhisattvas residing in arch-shaped structures, teaching or contemplating the Dharma. The remaining figures are of Bodhisattvas and heavenly beings sitting or standing on lotuses in various postures and positioned in a roughly symmetrical fashion. Those nearest the central Buddha sit in respectful, listening attitudes.