96. The Bodhisattva attains the highest Wisdom

In the late watch of the night when the day began to break, the Bodhisattva with such lofty comprehension, according to an insight that absorbed in unity of thought and time all that could be known, thought, achieved, seen and contemplated, attained the highest and most perfect Wisdom, and acquired the threefold knowledge.

Thereupon the gods spake: "Strew flowers, o friends, Bhagavan bath attained the Wisdom". Then the gods sons strewed divine flowers over the 'lathagata till a knee-deep layer of the blossoms was formed. (350: 8, 12; 351: 3).

The Bodhisattva, now become Bud&a, is still seated on a throne with lotus cushion in bhumisparca-mudra; the back of it is here lower but still has the makara-otnement, and above like a round niche the tree bends over him. On the ground on both sides is a flowering plant on a pedestal hung with garlands and covered by an umbrella, placed between two shells with flowers, also on pedestals. Right and left sit the gods, some with bowls of flowers in the hand and above in the clouds hover more of them, also with flowers and vases to honor the Buddha with a rain of blossoms.

No special importance need be given to the plants and shells, not mentioned by our text I); they will be intended merely as ornement to the relief on which the attainment of the Buddha-ship is depicted, the zenith of the Buddha's life. It is in fact very difficult to bring any special distinction into this fact, so unfitted for plastic representation, and to distinguish it from the other scenes of meditation and predication. The Barabudur sculptor had his task made easier by the long chain of previous scenes that enlighten the spectator and prepare him for the climax of the supreme moment; to give an idea of it on one separate and complete relief would be almost impossible. We know in other places of the great difficulty there was in giving any distinctive character to the Abhisambodhana so that as equivalent, Mara's attack, the temptationscene or the offering of the four bowls was given (here below No. 104). The representation in older Indian art with the empty throne under the Bodhi-tree, cannot of course be compared with that of Barabudur 2).