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Secondary sourceSculptureca. 3rd century

The Death of the Buddha (Parinirvana)

ca. 3rd century

A carved stone relief from ancient Gandhara showing the Buddha's death and passing into final nirvana, surrounded by mourners.

Depicts the Buddha's death and final nirvana, a key moment in his life story.

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Grey schist relief sculpture showing the Buddha reclining on a bed at center, with draped robe and mourners around him. Seated figures in the lower foreground, a bowl and small stand at left, and crowned and bearded figures above.
Relief panel, Gandhara (Pakistan), Kushan period, ca. 3rd century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This is a stone relief panel carved from grey schist in the ancient region of Gandhara (now in Pakistan), dating to around the 3rd century, during the Kushan period. It shows the Buddha reclining on a bed, with mourning figures gathered around him. It is now held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

This relief is one of many early artworks that tried to show the Buddha's final moment, called the parinirvana, when he died and entered final nirvana. Gandharan artists created some of the earliest images of the Buddha in human form, blending local traditions with Greek-influenced sculpture styles. It shows how important this moment was to early Buddhist communities, who used art to retell and remember the Buddha's life and death.

Look closer

  • What emotions do the faces of the mourning figures show?
  • Why might artists have chosen to carve this scene in stone rather than paint it?
  • What does this relief suggest about how people understood death in early Buddhism?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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