<p>One of those pictures is shown on this page: <a href="https://buddhistartnews.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/lhabab-duchen-the-day-buddha-descended-from-tushita-heavens/" rel="nofollow">Lhabab Duchen – the Day Buddha Descended from Tushita Heavens</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This article from Bhutan Journals describes the iconography of the Buddha Shakyamuni Descending from Tushita Heavens to the Earth.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A version of this story is told/included in <a href="http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=181" rel="nofollow">the Dhammapada-aṭṭhakathā (verse 181)</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>On return from the Tavatimsa deva world, the Buddha uttered Verse (181) of this book at Sankassanagara, in reply to Thera Sariputta's words of welcome.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There's a more detailed version of this story somewhere else (I don't know where), for example Wikipedia's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhabab_Duchen" rel="nofollow">Lhabab Duchen</a> article includes details about a "triple ladder" (shown in all the pictures):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>He was exhorted by his follower and representative Maudgalyayana to return, and after a long debate and under a Full Moon agreed to return. He returned to earth a week later by a special triple ladder prepared by Viswakarma, the god of machines. This event is considered to be one of the eight great deeds of the Buddha.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-04T00:07:38.150Z
2015-12-04T00:07:38.150Z
ChrisW
<p>This question is about these images:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/eMDPe.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/eMDPe.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/UstXu.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UstXu.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a> <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vtvoZ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vtvoZ.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>This incident (depicted) happened after Lord Buddha visited a certain Deva realm.</p>

<ul>
<li>Can someone provide any sutta or sutra reference?</li>
<li>If you can, please explain the event and the drawings?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-04T20:18:12.423Z
Can someone tell me  why the down votes happen? Please leave a comment before you down vote.
Theravada
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-05T17:04:17.300Z
I don't know why people are down voting this question, I am only asking for sources and explanations.
Theravada
<the-buddha><reference-request><iconography>
Lord Buddha descending from heavens?
# Lord Buddha descending from heavens?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-03)

This question is about these images:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/eMDPe.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/eMDPe.jpg) [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/UstXu.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/UstXu.jpg) [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vtvoZ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/vtvoZ.jpg)

This incident (depicted) happened after Lord Buddha visited a certain Deva realm.

* Can someone provide any sutta or sutra reference?
* If you can, please explain the event and the drawings?

**Tags:** the-buddha, reference-request, iconography

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can someone tell me  why the down votes happen? Please leave a comment before you down vote.  
> **username_0**: I don't know why people are down voting this question, I am only asking for sources and explanations.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-12-04. Score: 3

One of those pictures is shown on this page: [Lhabab Duchen – the Day Buddha Descended from Tushita Heavens](https://buddhistartnews.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/lhabab-duchen-the-day-buddha-descended-from-tushita-heavens/):

> This article from Bhutan Journals describes the iconography of the Buddha Shakyamuni Descending from Tushita Heavens to the Earth.

A version of this story is told/included in [the Dhammapada-aṭṭhakathā (verse 181)](http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=181):

> On return from the Tavatimsa deva world, the Buddha uttered Verse (181) of this book at Sankassanagara, in reply to Thera Sariputta's words of welcome.

There's a more detailed version of this story somewhere else (I don't know where), for example Wikipedia's [Lhabab Duchen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhabab_Duchen) article includes details about a "triple ladder" (shown in all the pictures):

> He was exhorted by his follower and representative Maudgalyayana to return, and after a long debate and under a Full Moon agreed to return. He returned to earth a week later by a special triple ladder prepared by Viswakarma, the god of machines. This event is considered to be one of the eight great deeds of the Buddha.


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