Chapter 32: The Distribution of Relics｜Origins of Stupa Worship

After the Buddha’s cremation, his relics became the focal point of devotion. According to Buddhist texts, eight kings sent envoys to request relics, each desiring to enshrine them in their own land. The relics were divided equally, marking the beginning of Buddhism’s sacred geography.

Gandharan Depictions

• Reliquary vessels: jars or urns symbolize the relics.
• Kings and envoys: crowned figures receiving relics, highlighting royal patronage.
• Monastic witnesses: monks present to affirm the ritual’s legitimacy.
• Stupa motifs: miniature stupas carved to indicate the relics’ enshrinement.

The reliefs depict the distribution as an orderly ceremony, emphasizing the transformation of relics into sacred monuments. The act of division signifies the expansion of the Dharma beyond one place.

Relic distribution represents more than funerary practice—it is the institutionalization of stūpa worship:

• Stupas became focal points of devotion.
• The Dharma spread geographically with relics.
• The Buddha’s presence transcended individuality, becoming universal.

In Gandharan art, the “Distribution of Relics” thus symbolizes Buddhism’s passage from a historical event to a global religion.