@article{M68BCB1DD,
title = "The “Year 5 Buddha” from Gandhāra: Time, Space, and Practice",
journal = "Acta Via Serica",
year = "2024",
issn = "2508-5824",
doi = "10.22679/avs.2024.9.2.001",
author = "Juhyung RHI",
keywords = "Gandhāra, Indian Buddhism, Buddha triad, Amitābha Buddha, bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāyāna, Sahrī Bāhlol, Kharoṣṭhī inscription, connoisseurship, collecting",
abstract = "A Buddha triad stele from Gandhāra, formerly in the collection of Claude de Marteau and currently on long-term loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is an extraordinary piece, not only because it is exquisitely carved but also because it bears a dated inscription, a rare feature in Gandhāran sculpture. It also displays interesting iconography that has led many scholars to identify it as an Amitābha Buddha triad. This paper addresses key issues concerning this triad such as its exact date, provenance, authenticity, and religious significance. Despite the reservations expressed by some scholars about its authenticity, in many respects it seems to have no problem in this regard. The inscribed “year 5” can be equated with the 105th year of the Kaniṣka era. It most likely originated in the area of Sahrī Bāhlol in the north-central part of the Peshawar valley. In terms of its identity, the stele does not seem to represent an Amitābha triad but rather a generic type that consists of a Buddha with two bodhisattvas signifying two important doctrinal aspects of the bodhisattva practice of Mahāyāna."
}