Shakyamuni Triad: Buddha Attended by Manjushri and Samantabhadra (Buddha)

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

This triptych is a rare example of Yuan Buddhist painting. It depicts the historic Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by two attending bodhisattvas, Manjushri (the bodhisattva of wisdom, riding a lion) and Samantabhadra (the bodhisattva of universal virtue, riding an elephant). Below them are others seeking enlightenment: two disciples of the Buddha (Ananada and Kasyapa), two non-Chinese people, a boy with topknots, and a female worshiper. The clouds above and around the divine beings form one scene that illustrates Shakyamuni’s sermon from the Lotus Sutra . This text became an important basis for Buddhist faith throughout East Asia and was central to the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Shakyamuni is seated cross-legged on the throne with the hand gesture (mudra) of giving instruction.