Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Shakyamuni Buddha - Avadana (teaching stories)

ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ། 释迦牟尼佛
(item no. 248)
Origin Location Eastern Tibet
Date Range 1800 - 1899
Lineages Karma (Kagyu)
Size 79.38x59.06cm (31.25x23.25in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment, Fine Gold Line on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Catalogue # acc.# F1997.16.1
Painting School Palpung / Situ
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Buddha

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Avadana Painting #18 containing stories 88-92. From a set of 22 tangkas and 108 stories.

(88) The Son of Hastishayyati, upper middle, a story about wisdom and a failed monk. (89) The Liberation of Dharmaruchi, a story about cause and effect and his former births. (90) Dhanika's Offerings, in a story about cause and effect and the source of his wealth. (91) The Eloquence of King Shibi, a story about wisdom and a conversation with a daemon. (92) The Daughter of Maitra, a story about patience and a boy given a girls name.

The Avadana paintings were conceived and sponsored by Situ Panchen Chokyi Jungne (1700-1774). From the first set of paintings numerous copies were later made.

[Story names from Leaves of the Heaven Tree, the Great Compassion of the Buddha by Padma Chopel, 19th century. (Based on the Bodhisattvavadanakalpata of Kshemendra, 11th century). Translated by Deborah Black. Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1997.]

Jeff Watt 4-2000

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Painting Set: Avadana Composition (Situ Panchen Design) Main Page
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 2
Painting Style: Kham Region (Kham-ri)
Painting Set: Avadana, Palpung Style (Rubin Set 1)