Eight Episodes in the Buddha’s Life

“Eight Episodes in the Buddha’s Life” are the eight important events in the life of Sakyamuni (namely descending from heaven, entering his mother's body, birth, leaving home, defeating the demons, enlightenment, first preaching and death) but here twelve scenes from his life are depicted on four scrolls. They were originally hung in two pairs on either side of a large central painting of the Buddha’s death, which has been lost over the ages.