Shakyamuni Buddha with Two Bodhisattvas, Thirty-Five Buddhas of Confession, and Seventeen Arhats (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
The
Buddhist teachings initially entered Tibet in the eighth century, transiting
the Great Himalayan range from north-eastern India. Buddhist practice, however,
was soon proscribed. When the tradition returned in the 11th century, it
entered from the far west, from Kashmir into the western Tibetan kingdom of Guge,
where this masterwork was painted. Traditional stories recount how the Guge
king invited the Bengali adept Atisha, who together with the Kashmiri monk
Rinchen Zangpo founded the Kadam monastic order, initiating Himalayan Buddhism’s
revival. Many from Tibetan Buddhism’s vast cast of spiritual characters appear
in this painting, arrayed around the historical Buddha.
Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Paul Mellon
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey toward Enlightenment, VMFA, Richmond, April 20-August 14, 2019
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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