refuge in them by pronouncing the threefold refuge formula, thus acknowledging themselves to
be Buddhists.
Tusita Heaven: The fourth devaloka in the Realm of Desire. Its inner department is the Pure
Land of Maitreya who like Shakyamuni and all Buddhas is reborn there before descending to
earth as the next Buddha in our world.
Urna: (Sanskrit) The jewel or small protuberance between the eyes of a Buddha Rupa or statue
representing the „third eye of spiritual vision‟.
Uruvela: A town in Magadha where Shakyamuni attained his enlightenment and Buddhahood in
the woods along the Nairanjana River. Ushnisha (Sanskrit) The protuberance at the top of the
head of a Buddha, representing the flame of supreme enlightenment.
Vajrapani: (Skt.) "Bearer of thunderbolt”. An attendant on the Buddha, who has status of a
Bodhisattva.
Yaksa: The demons in the lower realm, like the Ghost Realm. They are evil, malignant and
violent. They live on earth or in air.
Yasodhara: The wife of Siddhartha Gautama. She later became a nun (Bhikhuni).
Ancient Gandhara, located in the rugged foothills of the Himalayas in what is today northwest
Pakistan and a sliver of Afghanistan, was for centuries a thriving center of trade along the Silk
Road linking China, South Asia, and the Mediterranean. Gandhara's strategic position and wealth
attracted many invaders, including the Greeks, Parthians, and Kushans, who brought with them
diverse religious traditions and artistic conventions. Much of Gandharan art is thus a compelling
fusion of foreign styles that ultimately gave visual form to the region's Buddhist religious ideals.
Buddhism, which had emerged from north India, was embraced by the Gandharan people, whose
wealth gave them the means to invest large sums of money in the construction of Buddhist
monasteries and sacred areas. More sculpture and architecture made in the service of Buddhism
has been found in Greater Gandhara than in any other part of ancient South Asia.
The first art associated with Buddhism dates to the early first century A.D., when carved reliefs
embellishing religious architecture began to appear.‟ These reliefs typically illustrate important
episodes from the biography of the Buddha, such as his birth, first sermon, and death.
The Museums of Pakistan are fortunate to have in their collections a broad and artistically rich
sampling of Gandharan art from the region's history, including the unique fasting Buddha. This
coffee table book is an enthusiastic effort to give a pictorial depiction of Buddha's life story in a
chronological order and an understanding of Gandhara's complex cultural history as well as its
evolving artistic traditions.
I hope this well-crafted piece of information would guide, encourage and attract more Buddhist
pilgrims to Pakistan to revive the 'Gandharan Trail‟.
lrfan Siddiqui
Advisor to the Prime Minister
National History & Literary Heritage Division
PREFACE
The most lasting imprint that a civilization left on Pakistan is the Gandharan civilization.
Gandhara means the „land of fragrance‟ and very true to its meaning the fragrance lasts to this
day. For well over two thousand years, the ancient lands of Gandhara served as the veritable holy
land for Buddhist monks and devotees alike for pilgrimage from all over the world. Though very
few Buddhists now live in Pakistan but the remains of their religious establishments still remain
preserved and protected as an important part of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Taxila and Takht-e-Bahi- the two most important Gandharan monasteries — because of their
outstanding universal value (OUV) are inscribed by Pakistan on the UNESCO „World Heritage
List‟ as protected sites under 1972 UNESCO Convention and also being common cultural
heritage of human mankind.
In order to introduce Buddhist cultural heritage of Pakistan to the Buddhists in particular and to
the world in general, this coffee table book is an attempt to give an insight to the world about our
rich Gandharan heritage of Pakistan. Pakistan firmly believes in sharing this cultural heritage
with the world without compromising on its ownership.