Elements of Buddhist Iconography c8.88

c8.88

In the middle panel, the Manifestation and Teaching on Mt Gṛdhrakūṭa, as described in the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka*, Jap. *Hokke-kyo*, Chs. XI and XX. On the left, the Tathāgata, Śākya-muni, in teaching pose (cf. Fig. 29), attended by Ānanda and Rāhula and four Bodhisattvas. In the centre, the stūpa (Jap. *taho-tō*) of Prabhūtaratna ("Then arose a stūpa from the place of the earth (*pṛthivīpradeśāt*) . . . its *chatra*-spire rose up so high as to reach the Four Great Kings; therein exists the very-Self (*ātma-bhāva*) of the Tathāgata (the former Buddha Prabhūtaratna) . . . and according to his solemn vow, the stūpa is opened and shown . . . and there was seen sitting the Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna on his throne . . . and yielded to the Lord Śākya-muni the half of the throne . . . so that both Tathāgatas were seen sitting on the throne within the great Jewel-stūpa . . . (Ch. XI) . . . the Tathāgata, Śākya-muni, and the altogether extinguished (*parinirvṛtta*) Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, both seated on the lion-throne within the stūpa, smiled at each other, and from their opened mouths gave tongue, so that their tongues extended to the Brahmaloka, and from those two tongues there issued countless myriads of rays, and from each ray countless myriads of Bodhisattvas, of golden body, with the thirty-two particular marks of a Mahāpuruṣa, and seated on lion-thrones in lotus-calices . . . who, stationed in every quarter, preached the Law (*dharma*) . . . so that every existence in every Buddha-field heard that voice from the sky . . . (Ch. XX)").