This stone figure of a serenely smiling Buddha is seated in ‘samadhi’ (concentration) on the coils of the seven-headed king of the ‘naga’ (mythical serpent) Muchalinda. This image relates to a story in which, following Buddha’s enlightenment, the serpent Muchalinda sheltered him from the floods. The image of an unadorned Buddha emphasises the expression of detached contemplation. This iconography enjoyed greater popularity in Cambodia than elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Stone images of Buddha, which are sometimes also thought to represent the ruler, were placed at the center of temples for worship.
