Born into a royal family, Prince Siddartha’s birth was miraculous. He was born from his mother’s side and was able to walk and talk from the moment of his birth. It is said that immediately after his birth, the prince took seven steps in each cardinal direction and said, ‘I am the only Venerable One in all of Heaven and Earth.’ Siddartha can be seen emerging from his mother’s side in this sculpture.

Image: Unknown artist, India (Madhya Pradesh or Bihar), The Birth of the Buddha, Pala period (about 1000 CE), stone. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/73597