In this extract from a Zen text from the Dun Huang caves, Master Nyuri explains the supernormal powers of The Buddha.

The Heian Period (794-1185) saw a number of schools of Buddhism developing in Japan - Tendai, Shingon and Pure Land. Zen arrived in Japan in the 12th Century at the end of this fruitful period.

The Bodhisattvas vow to stay in this world of Samsara until every last sentient being is saved. While such ideals may seem distant from our own lives, at it’s core, the Bodhisattva vow has much to offer us in our own practice.

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?

Prajnaparamita, the mother of the Buddhas, is a living embodiment of the Great Wisdom Sutras, which point the way to the nameless insight of the Buddha.

One of the earliest iconographic depictions of the Buddha was Afghanistan, depicted in the Hellenic style of the Ancient Greeks.

This meditative Lama's portrait illustrates a wonderful story of a monk who is frightened by a giant spider that disturbs his meditation. His teacher devises a clever method to open his eyes to the true source of his fear.

On the border of Thailand and Cambodia, bodhisattvas rather than Buddhas seem to have been the focus of worship during the 7th-9th century CE. 

This serene figure of the Buddha is a definitive image of Gandharan sculpture.

Magical powers, Devas and bodhisattvas expound the Dharma in this week's images of truth

The surviving fragment of a statue of the Buddha reveals a serene face, apparently in a state of deep introspection.

The Buddha spent much of his teaching life in discourse with those who sought Truth. Some asked questions, others sought to refute his teachings. Whatever they came for the Buddha showed them all the same courtesy of listening carefully to what they were asking and then replying from the depth of his wisdom