Suan Pakkad Palace Lacquer Pavilion: Life of the Buddha - The Final Journey

THAILAND, Bangkok; Ayutthaya Kingdom

Before his parinirvana, the Buddha led the monastic community from Magadha, traveling north across the Ganges, through Vaishali and Bhandagama, and then to Kushinagar. On the way, the Buddha became more and more tired, and needed to stop many times to rest. This picture portrays the Buddha and his disciples resting beside a river. In the center of the upper register, the Buddha reclines on a bed beneath a cliff. Ananda kneels at the Buddha’s feet, looking at him with concern. A monk on the far right bends to lay out a bedding sheet. Below, disciples of the Buddha bathe in the river. Their alms bowls and monastic robes are placed neatly on the river bank, and their parasols hang from finely painted trees.