• Joseon Dynasty, 16th century
• Color on silk
• Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts

This painting conveys multiple narrative scenes from Shakyamuni Buddha's previous lives and life story. For his life story, the painting contains only the latter half after the Renunciation. That suggests the original painting was much larger than the currently extant portion. From the top register downward, the painting depicts the scenes of Shakyamuni cutting off his hair, his spouse wailing over his departure, his first sermon, and his subjugation of Mara at the moment of his Awakening. The lowest register shows an episode from one of his previous lives, when Shakyamuni was born as King Moonlight. The fact that the scenes from Shakyamuni’s life story and previous lives appear together is a unique feature of this painting.

Exhibition period July 22. - August 31.