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Dipamkara

Dīpaṃkara. Peshawar Museum, Pakistan.

This relief depicts the story of Dīpaṃkara Buddha. When Dīpaṃkara appeared in the world, a young ascetic named Sumedha—the future Shakyamuni Buddha—offered him five lotus flowers and spread his hair over the muddy ground so that the Buddha could walk upon it. Moved by his devotion, Dīpaṃkara prophesied that Sumedha would one day attain enlightenment as the Buddha Shakyamuni. In this scene, Sumedha is shown kneeling with his hair laid upon the ground, while Dīpaṃkara Buddha stands in front of him, raising his right hand in the gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra).