Wat Koh Kaeo Suttharam Ordination Hall: Life of the Buddha - Monkey and Elephant Making Offerings

THAILAND, Phetchaburi; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This scene from the Life of the Buddha is painted in the lower register of one of the diamond-shaped sections of the murals on the north wall. According to sutras, a great schism between the disciples broke out in Kosambi. After failing to help the disputing parties reconcile their differences, the Buddha took refuge in the Parileyyaka forest, where he received offerings from an elephant and a monkey.
The Buddha sits on a throne, extending his hands to receive the offerings. A unique nimbus decorated with sinuous flames surrounds his head; a red monastic robe is draped over the left shoulder. On the right, the elephant kneels and lifts up a tray of offerings with his trunk. The monkey is on the left, passing an alms bowl to the Buddha. Two trees, one on each side, shelter the creatures, adding symmetry to the composition. At the bottom of the image, there is a depiction of a stout, bare-chested figure with a large head smiling widely. A woman’s face is partially visible behind him.