Ascetic Gotama before the realisation of the Middle Path to enlightenment

For those who attended His Holiness’ teachings yesterday on the occasion of Saka Dawa, you may have noticed a rupa of Lord Shakyamuni in this form that was displayed behind His Holiness during that teaching.

This rupa, or representation of Lord Buddha’s form, was excavated and discovered somewhere in Ghandara, near the modern day Pakistani-Afghan border. It depicts Lord Buddha in an emaciated state after 6 years of extreme asceticism in Bodhgaya, prior to Him receiving a milk and rice offering from the lady Sujata, which opened the path to Lord Buddha’s realisation of the importance of the Middle Path, rather than the path of any extreme, to enlightenment.

I hope this provides an interesting background to this rupa, and may all of you continue to accumulate virtues in this special month of Saka Dawa.

🙏 Geshe Lama Konchok