GANDHARA, 2ND/3RD CENTURY

This rare representation of Buddha with fire and water emanating from his body refers to the first of a series of miracles he performed at Sravasti, confounding his critics. The Kasyapas, leaders of India's six prevailing philosophical schools, invited him to a contest of miraculous powers believing they could demonstrate his inferiority. Buddha's miracles, which also included allowing people to read each other's thoughts and spreading a cleansing light throughout the world, resulted in the conversion of the Kasyapas' ninety-thousand followers. The sculpture encapsulates this event, celebrating the virtue of the Buddha's teachings in contrast to the philosophies of the Vedic Kasyapas. A related example was sold at Christie's New York, 21 March 2012, lot 720. For a later example with flames and water issuing from Buddha in the Museum fur Asiatische Künst, Berlin, see C. Luczanits, Gandhara: Das Buddhistische Erbe Pakistans, 2008, p. 358, cat. no. 279.