佛法大衆 - Scriptural Frontispieces: The Great Dharma Assembly
This formula opens many a sūtra (經), or Buddhist scripture, and its description of the miraculous assembly gathered to hear the Buddha preach captured the imagination of many artists. The great assembly became a favorite subject of Buddhist art, as exemplified by the three pieces shown here.如是我聞。一時佛……與大比丘僧千二百五十人俱。並諸菩薩摩訶薩，……［及］無量諸天大眾俱。
（出於《阿彌陀經》）
Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was… with the twelve hundred and fifty great bhikṣus [monks and nuns]… together with the bodhisattva-mahasattvas [enlightening beings]… and countless celestials, in a great assembly.(from the Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra)
All three pieces have the same general form: the Śākyamuni Buddha (釋迦牟尼佛), who corresponds to the historical Siddhārtha Gautama (悉達多・喬達摩), preaches the dharma from his throne in the central panel. All around him is the great assembly, which invariably includes disciples, bodhisattvas, and the Heavenly Kings. Kneeling before the lotus throne in reverence are one or more figures in monk’s robes. Despite their similarities, all three works also feature differences in style and content, reflecting both the distinct historical eras and different social contexts in which they were produced.
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