History · Ch 4 — Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings — Cultural Developments
Beyond Worldly Pleasures
Beyond Worldly Pleasures
The section 3 Beyond Worldly Pleasures opens by examining the stark contrast between the luxurious life of the Buddha as a prince and his later teachings. It explains that the Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath, known as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Turning of the Wheel of Law), directly addressed this theme. The core of his message was the Middle Path, which avoids the extremes of self-indulgence and severe asceticism. This teaching is framed as a practical response to the suffering inherent in worldly existence, urg …
This figure shows one of the earliest known stone images of a Jaina tirthankara (a "ford-maker" or enlightened teacher), carved in Mathura around the third century CE. The sculpture is a freestanding, upright stone figure, likely a Jina (spiritual conqueror), shown in a rigid, frontal posture typical of early Jaina iconography. The tirthankara stands with arms hanging straight down, palms turned outward — a pose called kayotsarga (abandonment of the body), which is a meditation posture unique to Jainism.
The figure is nude, reflecting the Digambara (sky-clad) tradition of Jaina monasticism. The body is carved with a smooth, polished surface, and the face is serene, with half-closed eyes suggesting deep meditation. The head is surrounded by a plain, circular halo (prabhamandala), indicating divinity. The hair is shown as stylized curls, and there is no crown or elaborate ornament — simplicity is key. The tirthankara’s identity is not specified by any label or symbol in this early image; later Jaina sculptures would add a lanchhana (emblem) to distinguish each tirthankara.
The stone itself is a buff-coloured sandstone, typical of Mathura’s workshops. The figure is carved in the round, meant to be viewed from the front. There are no narrative panels, arrows, or other figures around it — the image is a single, iconic representation. The base is plain, without any inscription or donor figure. …
Source 4 — The world beyond the palace. From the Prakrit text Uttaradhyayana Sutta, describing how a queen named Kamalavati tried to persuade her husband to renounce the world:
If the whole world and all its treasures were yours, you would not be satisfied, nor would all this be able to save you. When you die, O king, and leave all things behind, dhamma alone, and nothing else, will save you. As a bird dislikes the cage, so do I dislike (the world). I shall live as a nun without offspring, without desire, without the love of gain, and without hatred … Leave your large kingdom … abandon what pleases the senses, be without attachment and property, then practise severe penance, being firm of energy … …