INDIA, AMARAVATI, 2ND CENTURY

After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first sermon at the deer park at Sarnath, speaking about the origin of human suffering and offering an unselfish mode of thought and lifestyle to overcome it. This moment is referred to as the Dharmachakra sermon, as it was at this moment that the Buddha set the "Wheel of Law" in motion. Anthropomorphic representations of this scene depict the Buddha with his hands in dharmachakramudra, while in aniconic depictions, only the most important symbols were included - the wheel, the deer, and the lions - as in the present example.