The Beginnings of Buddhist Art and Other Essays in Indian and Central-Asian Archaeology c7.35

c7.35

It is, however, episodes borrowed from the second part of the last existence of the Master that form the bulk of the legendary scenes of Sânchî. The native artists did not, in fact, resign themselves to reproducing solely and always the same great miracles, symbolized by the tree, the wheel or the stûpa : they have fulfilled their undertaking to illustrate in detail the career of Buddha without figuring him. As if this prime difficulty were not enough, they imposed upon themselves a further one, which has not up to now been sufficiently emphasized; we mean the law to which they submitted of not bringing on to the scene any among the disciples but laymen or any among the monks but heretics prior to their conversion. Thus they deliberately proposed to make us spectators of the Master's work, which consists essentially in the foundation of a monastic order, not only without our seeing the founder, but even without our catching a glimpse of a single Buddhist monk. When we observe the ingenuity which they have displayed in the accomplishment of this unpromising programme, we cannot too much regret the narrow limits within which they have restricted themselves. The eastern gate, to speak only of this one, does not limit itself to showing us typical specimens of this art, at once so natural and so distorted. The panels of the southern jamb supply us in addition with a characteristic example of the manner in which, as we have indicated, they explain by their propinquity each another. On the interior face (pl. IX, 1) Beal had already recognized, and verified more or less satisfactorily in detail, three distinct phases of the conversion of the thousand Brahmanic anchorites, disciples of the three brothers Kâçyapa. Prof. Grünwedel has included in the same series of wonders the picture of the inundation, which occupies the centre of the front face. Henceforth we believe it impossible not to conclude this series, in accordance with a fixed tradition, by recognizing in the king just below, who is leaving his capital to pay a visit to the Blessed One, Bimbisâra, the famous sovereign of the neighbouring town of Râjagriha (Rajgir) and the faithful friend of the Master. There remains now at the top of this same face a representation of the *Sambodhi* : if we reflect that the site of this miracle, namely Bodh-Gayâ, is likewise very near to Uruvilvâ (Urel), where all the episodes of the conversion of the Kâçyapas take place, we shall be at last successful in penetrating the really very simple plan of the artist : whether on his own initiative, or in consequence of the express command of the banker Nâgapiya, his intention was evidently to group on the same jamb legendary events localized in the same district of the country of Magadha (¹).