Buddha with Diamond Throne and Stupas

CHINA, Tibet

The diamond throne refers to the place where the Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya. It is named to describe the Buddhas clear-minded determination to overcome suffering and delusion.
This detailed painting is composed of numerous square and rectangular segments full of detailed images. Sakyamuni Buddha is in the center, wearing a crown and a patterned monastic robe. Seated in lotus position on a lotus throne, the Buddha forms the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. He is surrounded by an arch covered with niches containing numerous small figures. Three tall stupas, also covered with small figures, rise from the top of the arch. On both sides of the stupas, separated from them by colorful flames, there are two armies led by Mara.
Twenty smaller stupas are painted around the outside of the square. In niches within the stupas, there are images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and scenes from the Life of the Buddha such as Seven Steps at Birth and Calming the Drunken Elephant. Surrounding the stupas, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Tara, and many other deities are painted within small squares. At the top of the painting, the Buddha is shown passing away into parinirvana. He lies on his side while disciples kneel before him and heavenly beings arrive on clouds to pay their respects. Eight stupas are painted down the far left and right sides of the picture. In the lower register, there are rectangular sections containing scenes from the Jataka tales, divided in the center by a large stupa containing the blue Four-Armed Mahakala. Along the bottom, there are illustrations of scenes from the Life of the Buddha, including a river on the bottom left representing the Buddha’s six years of ascetic practice by the Nairanjana River.