(Randeng)
Shanxi province
Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), dated 487-95
Sandstone

The inscription on the back of this stele identifies the Buddha
depicted on the front as Dipankara, who was thought to have lived
before the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. He is shown here attended
by a group of small figures wearing the clothing of the Xianbei,
the non-Han Chinese peoples who ruled as the Northern Wei dynasty.
The smaller standing figure to the Buddha's right may represent a
youth named Sumedha, who was destined to become the historical
Buddha in another lifetime. The imagery of this large sculpture is
therefore intended to illustrate the promise of enlightenment or the
possibility of enlightenment in a future life. In Buddhism, the
achievement of this advanced spiritual state is the goal of all practitioners.

The Sackler Fund, 1965