Chapter 18: The Prophecy of Dipamkara Buddha｜The Origin of the Buddha’s Path

In Buddhist narratives, Sakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment is not seen as a sudden event but the culmination of countless lifetimes of practice. The prophecy of Dipamkara Buddha marks the formal beginning of this path. According to the Jataka tales, in a previous life as the ascetic Sumedha, the future Buddha offered a blue lotus to Dipamkara Buddha and made a vow to attain Buddhahood. Dipamkara then bestowed a prophecy, foretelling that Sumedha would one day become Sakyamuni.

In Gandharan Reliefs

This moment is depicted with solemnity and clarity:

• Ascetic Sumedha: often shown half-clad, kneeling or prostrating, holding a lotus as a gesture of devotion.
• Dipamkara Buddha: seated in meditation posture, with his right hand in the gesture of prophecy, radiating serenity.
• The lotus: symbolizing purity and the sincerity of the vow.
• Witnesses: sometimes additional monks or attendants are carved, emphasizing the collective importance of the event.

The prophecy scene embodies the Buddhist principle of cause and effect. Gandharan sculptors used clear visual cues—offering, vow, and blessing—to convey the idea that Buddhahood is the fruit of long-term accumulation of merit and aspiration.

For devotees, this scene reinforced the belief that the Buddha’s enlightenment was both inevitable and exemplary: if one vows and practices diligently, Buddhahood is attainable. Gandharan depictions thus served not only as art but as a didactic visual narrative for the community.