Wei Dynasty Buddhist Stele

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 12 December 2018
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This stele is carved with representations of events in the Lotus Sutra, one of the most important texts in early Chinese Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra is reconstructed as a magnificent drama, during which the historical Buddha Shakyamuni is revealed as truly eternal and cosmic. The front of the stele shows Buddha preaching on vulture peak, accompanied by bodhisattvas. On the reverse, Shakyamuni is shown seated with Prabhutaratna, a Buddha of the distant past, who magnificently appears to verify the excellence of teaching. China had a long tradition of carving commemorative steles inscribed with the names and deeds of their donors. Often, such texts were inscribed with pious texts from the Confucian or Buddhist canon. Alternatively, as here, the stele might be carved with figures and also inscribed. From modern-day China. Six Dynasties period, Eastern Wei Dynasty, 535 CE. (The British Museum, London).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2018, December 12). Wei Dynasty Buddhist Stele. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9512/wei-dynasty-buddhist-stele/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Wei Dynasty Buddhist Stele." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified December 12, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9512/wei-dynasty-buddhist-stele/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Wei Dynasty Buddhist Stele." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 12 Dec 2018. Web. 22 Feb 2025.

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