Buddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and Padmapani

Buddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and Padmapani

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This triad depicts the historical Buddha Shakyamuni preaching the first sermon in the forest retreat at Sarnath, flanked by Maitreya and Padmapani, the two premier bodhisattvas of the Licchavi period in Nepal. The Wheel of Law symbol (dharmachakra) flanked by a pair of kneeling deer makes this association explicit.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Buddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and PadmapaniBuddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and PadmapaniBuddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and PadmapaniBuddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and PadmapaniBuddha Preaching the First Sermon Attended by Maitreya and Padmapani

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.