Shakyamuni mantra

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Iconography of the Buddha Śākyamuni (or Shakyamuni)

This page doesn’t seek to give a complete history of Buddha images, but simply introduces some elements of their origins and early development.

Aniconic phase

As far as is known, during the Buddha’s life and during the first few centuries thereafter, no images were made. This seems to have been a sign of respect, and an acknowledgement that the Buddha was too transcendent a figure to be represented visually.

Those who by my form did see me,
And those who followed me by voice
Wrong the efforts they engaged in,
Me those people will not see.

Although these words are from a much later text (the Diamond Sutra) than the period we’re discussing, they sum up neatly the problem with relating to the Buddha in terms of his visual image. The Buddha is the Buddha by virtue of his insight into the nature of reality, by virtue of his realization of the Dharma. This truth was expressed by the Buddha himself when he said, “Yo Dhammam passati so Buddham passati,” or, whoever sees the Dhamma sees the Buddha. To truly see the Buddha, to see his essence, we need to recapture the same experience of Awakening that made him what he was.

The empty throne.

So it was probably for reasons such as these that the Buddha’s form was not originally shown in images. For centuries, the Buddha would be represented by an absence. The Bodhi tree, beneath which the Buddha became enlightened and beneath which he must often have taught, is shown, complete with a seat made of heaped kusa grass. But where the Buddha would be, there is only space: an empty throne.

Sometimes the Buddha is represented in another way that is ingeniously a statement both of presence and of absence; his footprints — larger than life and often full of elaborate symbols — are shown. These giant footprints are symbolic of the massive effect that the Buddha had on Indian culture, while cleverly avoiding showing the Buddha himself.

The Buddha’s footprints.

Other aniconic representations of the Buddha include: The Wheel, representing the Dharma; Lions (just as the lion is chief amongst animals, so the Buddha is chief amongst sentient beings); the lotus, representing purity and wisdom; the parasol, a symbol of royal status; and, after the Buddha’s death, the stupa, or reliquary.

Earliest known Buddha Image

The earliest known Buddha image that can be confidently dated is the Bimaran casket.

The Bimaran Casket.

Unearthed in the 1800’s, the casket contained coins of the Indo-Scythian king Azes II, suggesting a date around 30BCE to around 10BCE. The casket shows the standing Buddha (center) with the right hand in the Abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. He is flanked by the gods Brahma (right) and Sakka (left).

The iconography is already quite sophisticated, and if the date is accurate then presumably there were earlier Buddhist images that have not survived or have not been found.

Gandharan period

Many of the earliest Buddha images are from the Gandharan area of northern Pakistan, from the first century CE. In this region and time, classical Greek culture, brought by the invading forces of Alexander the Great, met Indian culture.

One of the finest and most enduring fruits of this meeting of cultures was Gandharan Buddhist art, which included Hellenic depictions of the Buddha. Unlike Indian Buddhists, the Greeks had no reservations about creating religious icons, and the Gandharans produced exquisite sculptures of the Buddha, based on Greek representations of Apollo, complete with Greco-Roman toga.

Gandharan standing Buddha.

One early Buddha image can be seen on this Kushana dynasty (first century CE) coin, which depicts a standing Buddha on the reverse side and the inscription “BODDO.” This coin is from the reign of King Kanishka I, who encouraged the development of Gandharan art.

Kushana dynasty coin.

Regionalization of Buddhist Art

From the Gandharan period onwards, as Buddhism reached other cultures (Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, China, Tibet, Japan, etc), Buddha images were produced in the local style, and also reflected the local ethnicity. For example, Chinese images of the Buddha show the Buddha as Chinese, and Japanese images show him as Japanese. Western artists have continued this trend and images of the Buddha as a European are in place in many Buddhist centers in Europe, Australia, and North America. There are probably images of the Buddha as an African, although I’ve never seen one.

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