Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c19.47

c19.47

The serene seated figure, surrounded by vainly attacking devils, is a most assuring and peaceful promise of final victory over the passions. The Buddha is not represented in his painful struggles, but with the calmness of perfect victory and peace. So, too, in earlier Christianity, representations of Christ in glory, or transfigured, were much oftener made, than of Christ upon the cross.