2-735-110 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Miracle of the Dragon, 1600s. In the upper right, the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is seated in meditation for such a long time that birds have begun assembling twigs for a nest atop his head. In the scroll’s lower part are Buddhist disciples grouped around a dragon. Dragons have been part of Buddhist culture since antiquity; in Chinese Buddhism the dragon is often interpreted as a symbol of enlightenment.