Multimedia

This lecture examines in detail a rare stone carved-stele illustrating a momentous event in the life of the Buddha. This stele was found at Angkor Wat and dates to the 13th–14th century. This unique relief was originally discovered in the late 19th century in the gallery of a “Thousand Buddhas” (Preah Poan) inside Angkor Wat; it is now located at the National Museum of Bangkok. The stele depicts the miraculous Birth of Śākyamuni Buddha, born as Siddhārtha Gautama, coming from the side of his standing mother, Queen Māyā, in the Lumbini grove. This lecture discusses the provenance and travels of this stele from Angkor to Bangkok and interprets its style and iconography. By comparing this stele with other artistic representations of the Birth of the (future) Buddha and various textual sources, this case study aims to better date and understand the advent and uniqueness of Theravāda Buddhism at Angkor—centering on the Life of the Buddha—in the context of the Buddhist transformation of Angkor Wat during the pre-modern period.