Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha

The central figure of the Buddha is depicted reclining on his right side, his body painted in gold against a vibrant red robe, resting on a pedestal draped in green cloth. He is surrounded by a dense crowd of figures expressing grief; monks in simple brown or orange robes cover their faces or press their hands together, while ornate bodhisattvas and deities adorned with jewels and colorful silks look on with somber expressions. To the upper right, a stylized mass of orange and red flames signifies the funeral pyre. The composition is packed with overlapping figures, utilizing rich pigments of blue, green, and gold characteristic of Tibetan thangka painting.

This scene represents the Mahaparinirvana, the Buddha’s final passing from the cycle of rebirth, a central event in Buddhist hagiography recorded in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. It serves as a visual focus for meditation on impermanence and the nature of liberation.