Martin Goodson
Buddhist Theophany
Images of Truth
When the godhead or deity appears this is known as a theophany. Although the Buddha was a man, was it the Buddha or the man that incarnated all those years ago?
© Image copyright to John Eskenazi
Gandhara 4/5th century
Identity of the central Buddha as yet unknown
…
“Subhuti, what do you think? May the Tathagata be perceived by the thirty-two marks [of a great man]?
Subhuti answered: Yes, certainly the Tathagata may be perceived thereby.
Then Buddha said: Subhuti, if the Tathagata may be perceived by such marks any great imperial ruler is the same as the Tathagata.
Subhuti then said to Buddha: World-honoured One, as I understand the meaning of Buddha’s words the Tathagata may not be perceived by the thirty-two marks.
Whereupon the World-honoured One uttered this verse:
Who sees Me by form,
Who seeks Me in sound,
His footsteps go astray;
He cannot find the Tathagata.
(Diamond Sutra Ch. XXII, based on translation by AF Price and Wong Mou-Lam)
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