Buddha Preaching the First Sermon at Sarnath

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A popular subject in medieval Buddhist art is the Buddha preaching his first sermon in a deer forest at Sarnath, north of Bodhgaya, where he had experienced enlightenment some weeks prior. He is seated in a full yogic position with his monastic robe drawn over both shoulders and his raised hand gesturing the turning of the wheel of Buddhist law, or dharma (dharmacakra mudra). A Sanskrit inscription in proto-Bengali script on the lotus-throne base can be read as, “To the cause of the divine religion [by] the stonecutter [sculptor] Vijaka.” This is a rare instance of a Pala-dynasty sculptor being named.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art