Dhammayangyi Temple: Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna Buddhas

MYANMAR, Mandalay, Bagan

Prabhutaratna Buddha vowed that he would be present to ascertain the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra whenever it was taught according to the “Chapter on the Emergence of the Prabhutaratna Pagoda” from the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, when Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the sutra, Prabhutaratana Buddha and Prabhutaratna Pagoda emerged from the ground where he invited Sakyamuni to sit with him.
Both the statues were constructed from brick and coated with plaster. They sit side by side in full lotus position with their right hand in the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. Both figures have usnisas that terminate in a lotus bud and their eyes are closed. The monastic robes they wear leave the right shoulder bare. They sit upon a tiered Sumeru throne and the mandorlas behind them are decorated with stupas at the top. The seven-tier pagoda mentioned in the scripture is in the background.