Shaka Nyorai

Shaka Nyorai (釈迦如来) is Siddhārtha Gautama, the prince of the Shākya clan who renounced his palace, attained awakening beneath the bodhi tree and taught for the rest of his life. In Japan he is the founder honoured by every school, and his image ranges from tiny bronze infants to the serene seated buddhas of Zen temples.

Japanese 釈迦如来, Shaka Nyorai; also Shakamuni
Sanskrit Śākyamuni
Rank Nyorai
Recognise by Plain robe; right hand raised in reassurance, left lowered in giving, or hands in meditation
Attendants Monju on a lion and Fugen on an elephant
Festivals Birth, 8 April; awakening, 8 December; nirvana, 15 February

Identifying Shaka

Shaka has no attribute of his own, so he is known by his hands. The most common pairing in Japan is the raised right palm of semui-in, granting freedom from fear, with the lowered left hand of yogan-in, granting wishes. He also appears in meditation, and in the teaching gesture of the turning wheel. A buddha with these hands and no medicine jar is usually Shaka, while a seated buddha with fingers joined in circles is more likely Amida. See Mudrā: Hand Gestures.

Scenes from a life

  • The birth, tanjōbutsu. A standing infant pointing one hand to heaven and the other to earth. Small bronze figures are bathed with sweet tea at the flower festival, Hanamatsuri, on 8 April.
  • Emerging from the mountains, shussan Shaka. The gaunt ascetic returning from years of austerity, a favourite subject of Zen ink painting.
  • The nirvana, nehan. The reclining Buddha surrounded by grieving disciples and animals. Large nirvana paintings, nehan-zu, are hung in temples each February.

Shaka in Japanese art

The Shaka Triad of Hōryūji, cast in 623 by the sculptor Tori, is among the oldest dated Buddhist works in Japan, with its almond eyes and stylised drapery of the Asuka period. At Seiryōji in Kyoto, a standing Shaka brought from Song China in the tenth century was found to contain silk models of internal organs, and copies of this Seiryōji type were made for centuries. In Zen temples Shaka is the principal image, often attended by the disciples Kāshyapa and Ānanda.

Collecting notes

  • Birth figures are among the few Buddhist bronzes small enough for a shelf, and early examples are keenly sought.
  • Seated Shaka figures from the Edo period are usually lacquered and gilt wood. Look for original hands and a matching lotus pedestal.
  • Nirvana scrolls are large, and their condition depends on the mounting. See Caring for Hanging Scrolls.

In the collection

Browse Shaka Nyorai figures and the wider Buddhist Statues and Sacred Art collection. Our collector concierge can search Japan for a particular image.

See also

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