Item: Mandala of Medicine Buddha
| Origin Location | Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1800 - 1899 |
| Lineages | Kagyu, Drukpa (Kagyu) and Buddhist |
| Size | 59.69x43.18cm (23.50x17in) |
| Material | Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton |
| Collection | Rubin Museum of Art |
| Catalogue # | acc.# P1995.15.3 |
Classification: Deity
Medicine Buddha Mandala (Sanskrit: Bhaishajyaguru mandala. Tibetan: sang gye men la kyil kor. English: the Buddha, Guru of Medicine). At the center representing the goddess Prajnaparamita is the sutra (text) by the same name.
Tibetan: Sang gye men la
When painting tangkas of Medicine Buddha he switches places with Prajnaparamita and occupies one of the eight minor positions surrounding the center. Some paintings actually portray the Goddess herelf rather than using the sutra text.
The form and practice of Medicine Buddha is derived from the Bhaishajyaguru Sutra taught by Lord Shakyamuni. In the Vajrayana Tradition this sutra is classified as a Kriya Tantra. Common to all schools of Tibetan Buddhism Medicine Buddha is particularly important to the medical traditions.
Jeff Watt 9-2000
Publication: Worlds of Transformation
Thematic Sets
Subject: Tibetan Medicine Main Page
Mandala: Mandala Main Page
Buddhist Deity: Medicine Buddha Main Page
Mandala: Geometric Shaped Mandalas
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Mandala
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Bhutan
Buddhist Deity: Medicine Buddha Mandala
Region: Bhutan, Deities
Buddhist Deity: Medicine Buddha (Prajnaparamita)
Exhibition: The Art of Tibetan Medicine
Buddhist Deity: Medicine Buddha Pureland (Square Format)