Nalanda: Seated Buddha, Gupta period

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Morgan, Kenneth W.
Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham

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This image of the golden age of early Buddhist sculpture shows the Buddha in the Bhumisparsa mudra, with the hand pointing to the earth as he sat in meditation. When the demon Mara asked the Buddha by what right he might expect to attain Enlightenment as he sat under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha pointed to the earth and called upon it to witness to the sacrifices which he had made in former lives. Note the characteristic draping of the robe.

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Archives Series

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This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.

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