Last Existence: Story of Upāli

Fragment of a relief depicting a scene from the Last Existence. On the rough back side are visible some tool marks. The scene depicts the Story of Upāli. According to some sources, when in Rājagṛha, the Buddha used to have his hair cut by a child named Upāli since nobody dared out of respect. While Upāli was doing this operation the Buddha reproached him repeatedly on his breathing and position guiding him to reach a high meditative state. On the fragment survive five figures. In the lowermost position there is the head of Buddha with the hair with vertical strands converging at centre and separate uṣṇīṣa. Above him Upāli holds a razor with his right hand to cut the Buddha’s hair. He wears a necklace and earrings, on the head probably a hat or helmet with a round bun on top. To the proper left of the Buddha there are remnants of a figure of monk, two more monks are represented on the upper part of the fragment seated in meditation and wrapped in their overrobe.