Buddha Image in the Mahabodhi Temple
In its original form Buddhism was a philosophy of life,
and not a religion as usually understood — the Buddha was not a
god or even a disciple of a god. Over the course of time, Buddhism
evolved, splitting into two main sects and numerous distinctive minor
ones. Images of the Buddha were not depicted in Buddhist art until
around the 5th century — they along with images of
Bodhisattvas, are a mainstay of Mahayana Buddhism. This draped,
gilded stone image of the Buddha, in the main sanctum of the
Mahabodhi Temple, is from the late 10th century.
Photo taken: January 30, 2008
Click
 Previous Image |
 Return to Thumbnails |
 Next Image |