Sakyamuni Buddha Teaching the Dharma

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This is one of seven thangkas that symbolically depict the Verse of the Shared Morality of the Seven Buddhas. It is a rubbing of a stele located in the Beihai Pagoda of Seven Buddhas in Beijing, China. Black ink was used for the rubbing, and the lines were traced in gold. In the upper register, there are inscriptions of the “Sakyamuni Buddha Gatha” written in four languages: Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan. The gatha is a four line stanza that reads, “All Dharmas are in fact empty of existence, yet this emptiness does not negate their presence, so as we speak of this emptiness of Dharma, isn’t emptiness like Dharmas, non-existent?” Another set of inscriptions, also in the four languages, states that this artwork was created in 1777 under the imperial order of Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795).
The central figure, Sakyamuni Buddha, has a round face and a tall usnisa topped with a pearl. His monastic robe is decorated with intricate patterns. Sitting in full lotus position on a lotus throne, he forms the vitarka (teaching) mudra and holds an alms bowl. Fine curved lines representing rays of light radiate from the Buddha, filling the aureole. Flowers, branches, and leaves in the upper register act as a canopy.
The Buddha is flanked by two standing disciples, each holding a monk’s staff and an alms bowl. The figures at the bottom are, from left to right, King Suddhodana, Rahula, Ananda, and Queen Maya. Each figure is identified by a caption written in Tibetan. The picture has a Chinese style patterned border featuring pairs of dragons and pearls; an emblem of imperial artworks.