Life of the Buddha - Return from Trayastrimsa Heaven

THAILAND

This brightly colored fabric painting depicts Sakyamuni Buddha’s return to the human world after teaching the Dharma to his mother in Trayastrimsa Heaven. In the upper register, the Buddha sits in a golden pavilion. He looks down at a group of heavenly beings who join their palms in reverence and listen to the Dharma. In the center, the Buddha stands on a lotus throne as he descends from Trayastrimsa Heaven on a triple stairway of gold, silver, and crystal. Above Sakyamuni’s flame-shaped nimbus is a multi-leveled canopy. Three rows of heavenly beings kneel on both sides of the stairway. At the bottom, the Buddha sits in full lotus position with joined palms.