NARRATOR: The recumbent figure at the center of this painting is the Historical Buddha--Shaka as he’s known in Japan. Shaka was born a prince in a small kingdom in northeast India in the late sixth century BC. Troubled by life’s suffering and death, he abandoned his princely role and sought spiritual enlightenment by becoming an ascetic. But when that failed, he was determined to reach enlightenment through meditation. Finally, he realized that desire is the cause of human suffering. He began to teach detachment from earthly desires by means of meditation and compassionate living. These practices form the foundation of Buddhism. Here, at the end of his long life of teaching, his serenity stands out in sharp contrast to the crowd of mourners surrounding him.Creatures from all realms have gathered to witness his final moments. They are a diverse group from enlightened bodhisattvas to snakes and birds to humans and multi-limbed deities of Hindu origin. The mourners express sorrow in varying degrees according to their level of understanding of the nature of his passing into nirvana. In this cacophony of grief, even plants respond to the Buddha’s passing. Notice the sala trees surrounding him—the ones on the right have begun to lose their color and are turning white. Above their highest branches, on the right side of the painting, Queen Maya, Buddha’s mother, descends weepingto attend her son one last time in this world. Shaka bears the marks of his enlightenment. Look at his elongated earlobes. In his early life as a prince, they were weighted down with heavy jewelry. Here, his unadorned earlobes tell of his detachment from worldly desires, and also indicate his superior nature. The circle of light that beams from his brow reflects his penetrating wisdom. His placid face confirms that he has been released from the suffering that Buddhism holds to be caused by human desires.