Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘Buddha preaches to his mother in Heaven’ of the study on Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology, including museum exhibitions of the major archeological antiquities. These pages show how the Buddhist establishment of Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) survived from 4th century BCE to 14th century CE. It includes references and translations of episodes of Buddha’s life drawn from the Avadanas and Jatakas which are illustrated in Amaravati art.
Buddha preaches to his mother in Heaven
[Full title: Depiction of scenes from the life of Buddha: Buddha preaches to his mother in Heaven]
Story:-
After performing the miracle of Śrāvastī and preaching law Buddha took three strides and reached the World of thirty three. There the Master expounded the Abhidhamma Piṭaka to his mother Māyādevī. Buddha continued to preach without interruption for three months. As three months passed by the assembly desired to know when the Master would descend. Moggallāna now went to the foot of Mount Sineru and began to climb up league after league when finally he prostrated himself before the Master telling him the eagerness with which the people awaited his descent[1].
Depiction:-
The central medallion from the Mahācaitya of Amarāvatī preserved in the Madras Government Museum shows Buddha preaching in the World of Thirty Three. Though large part of the medallion is broken but Māyādevī is visible on the right. In the lower panel Moggallāna and Anuruddha are shown. The latter is seen pointing to where the Master is preaching. In the panel to the right is Moggallāna flying over the mountains.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Sivaramamurti C, Op.cit, pp 195-197.
[2]:
Ibid, pp 195-197, pl XXXII, fig 3.