Abstract

The arhat represents the soteriological ideal of Theravāda Buddhism and the concept of the arhat is already firmly established in the early strata of the Buddhist Pāli canon. Nevertheless, arhats have not yet been identified in early Indian Buddhist art. My present research aims to document evidence for the earliest depictions of arhats and to trace their subsequent development. The very first disciples of the Buddha serve as a starting point. The Buddha’s first five disciples can already be classified as arhats on Gandhāran reliefs of the Buddha’s first sermon. Wall paintings of Mahākāśyapa in Bāmiyān provide even more clues for the understanding of the development of images of the disciples of the Buddha. The evidence collected thus far provides a basis for tracing the interrelation of the development of the concept of the arhat and his depictions.