Votive Stupa with Four Buddhas

Votive Stupa with Four Buddhas

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Small stupas such as this example were placed near massive stupas containing the ashes of the Buddha. By this time, the connection between the historic Buddha Shakyamuni, who revealed the Buddhist teachings on earth, and the Buddha Vairochana, who resides in heaven, was known from texts and accepted in religious practice. The dome of the stupa simultaneously represents Shakyamuni’s relics and Vairochana’s celestial presence. The four directional Buddhas look out of foliate niches. These small stupas held the ashes of the monastic dead, allowing deceased monks to be eternally in the presence of the Buddha Shakyamuni and perhaps even aided in their being reborn in one of the pure lands.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.