Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Refuge Field (Buddhist) - Kagyu Lineage

སྐྱབས་འགྲོའི་ཞིང་ངམ་ཚོགས་ཞིང་། 皈依境(佛教)
(item no. 65861)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1900 - 1959
Lineages Karma (Kagyu) and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Object/Concept

Interpretation / Description

Karma Kagyu Field of Accumulation painting with the 15th Karmapa, Kakyab Dorje (1870/71-1921/22) as the last lineage holder at the time of the compositions creation.

View the colour coded image to see the placement of the important groupings of figures. (See a page of detail images for this painting).

This image is of the earliest known Karma Kagyu Refuge Field painting - Field of Accumulation. It can be dated to the life of the 15th Karmapa Kakyab Dorje (1870/71-1921/22). His typical iconographic attributes are a vajra and bell held in the hands along with two flowers supporting a sword and book. In this painting the 15th Karmapa is depicted in the lower part of the composition. Above his left shoulder is a long-life vase on a flower blossom with the sword and book on a flower at the right shoulder. The vase or rather a long-life vase is often used to indicate that a teacher is still alive when a painting or sculpture is commissioned. It is an auspicious long-life gesture by the donor and artist. At the right and left sides of the seated Karmapa are Situpa and Jamyang Dorje. The Situ must be the 11th Situpa, Pema Wangchug Gyalpo (1886-1952). The other figure of Jamyang Dorje is not quite as identifiable but is likely to be Jamyang Rinpoche the 11th Shamarpa and son of the 15th Karmapa, Kakyab Dorje.

The painting is extremely detailed and each figure is accompanied by a written name inscription beneath. The specific Karma Kagyu teachers depicted are of the Mahamudra lineage beginning with Vajradhara, the primordial Buddha, and the Indian mahasiddha Saraha. The over-all appearance of the composition along with the names of the teachers follows closely the text Ngedon Dronme of Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-1899) based on the Ngedon Gyatso of the 9th Karmapa, Wangchug Dorje.

Jeff Watt, 3-2010


Numbered & Greyscaled:

Eight Mahasiddhas (top center)
A. Lawapa
B. Luipa
C. Kukkuripa
D. Tilopa
E. Indrabhuti
F. Naropa
G. Dombi Heruka
4. Nagarjuna

Mahamudra Lineage of the Karma Kagyu Tradition
1. Vajradhara
2. Mati Ratna
3. Saraha
4. Nagarjuna
5. Shavaripa
6. Maitripa
7. Marpa Chokyi Lodro
8. Milarepa
9. Gampopa
10. Dusum Kyenpa, 1st Karmapa
11. Drogon Rechen
12. Pomdragpa
13. Karma Pakshi, 2nd Karmapa
14. Kedrub Orgyanpa
15. Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa
16. Yungton Dorje Pal
17. Je Rolpai Dorje, 4th Karmapa
18. Kacho Wangpo, 2nd Shamarpa
19. Deshin Shegpa, 5th Karmapa
20. Ratnabhadra
21. Tongwa Donden, 6th Karmapa
22. Jampal Zangpo
23. Paljor Dondrub, 1st Gyaltsab
24. Chodrag Gyatso, 7th Karmapa
25. Sanggye Nyenpa Tashi Paljor
26. Mikyo Dorje, 8th Karmapa
27. Konchog Yanlag, 5th Shamarpa
28. Wangchug Dorje, 9th Karmapa
29. Chokyi Wangchug, 6th Shamarpa
30. Choying Dorje, 10th Karmapa
31. Yeshe Nyingpo, 7th Shamarpa
32. Yeshe Dorje, 11th Karmapa
33. Chokyi Dondrub, 8th Shamarpa
34. Jangchub Dorje, 12th Karmapa
35. Chokyi Jungne, 8th Tai Situpa
36. Dudul Dorje, 13th Karmapa
37. Chodrub Gyatso, 10th Shamarpa
38. Pema Nyinje Wangpo, 9th Situpa
39. Tegchog Dorje, 14th Karmapa
40. Jamgon Kongtrul
41. Kakyab Dorje, 15th Karmapa
42. Jamgon Tai Situ, (11th Tai Situ) Pema Wangchug Gyalpo (1886-1952)
43. Je Lama Jampal Dorje

Buddha Section (left side)
Sangha Section (right side)
1. Shakyamuni Buddha
2. Amitabha
3. Dipamkara
4. Maitreya
5. Akshobhya
6. Bhaishajyaguru (Medicine Buddha)
7. Sarvavid Maha Vairochana
Mahayana Sangha Section:
8. Chaturbhuja Avalokiteshvara
9. Amitayus
10. Nivarana-vishkambhin
11. Kshitigarbha
12. Akashagarbha
13. Simhanda Avalokiteshvara
14. Shariputra
15. Maudgalyayana

Manjushri & the Six Ornaments (left side)
Maitreya & the Six Ornaments (right side)
1. Manjushri & the Five Peaked Mountain
2. Aryadeva
3. Chandrakirti
4. Dignaga
5. Dharmakirti
6. Shantideva
7. Maitreya & Tushita Heaven
8. Asanga
9. Vasubhandu
10. Gunaprabha
11. Shakyaprabha
12. Chandragomin
Teachers of Various Traditions:
13. Padmasambhava
14. Shantarakshita
15. Trisong Detsen
16. Padampa Sanggye
17. Atisha
18. Kache Panchen
19. Mangala Shri (possibly Tashi Pal)
20. Machig Labdron

Meditational Deities, Wealth Deities & Protectors
1. Hevajra
2. Heruka Chakrasamvara
3. Jinasagara Avalokiteshvara
4. Dorje Drolo, Padmasambhava
5. Black Hayagriva
6. Vajrasattva,Solitary Hero
7. White Tara
8. Guru Dragpo, Padmasambhava
9. Sitatapatra
10. Vajravarahi, Yogini
11. Vajrakila
12. Simhamukha
13. Manjushri, Simhanada
14. Green Tara
15. Vajrapani, Krodha
16. Vijaya
17. Vajravidarana
18. Sita Sarasvati
Wealth Deities:
19. Yellow Jambhala
20. White Jambhala
21. Black Jambhala
22. Vaishravana Riding a Lion
23. Mahashri
Dharma Protectors:
24. Shri Devi & Bernagchen Mahakala
25. Chaturbhuja Mahakala
26. Shadbhuja Mahakala
27. Damchen Garwa Nagpo
28. Singon
29. Tseringma
30. Shingkyong Yab
31. Shingkyong Yum
32. Dragtsen
33. Ngagdag
34. Kharnag

Front of Painting
English Translation of Inscription: [Each figure has a name inscription written below]

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Collection of RMA: Historically Important Works
Subject: Refuge Field Main Page
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 4
Subject: Refuge Field, Kagyu Page
Subject: Refuge Field, Karma Kagyu Page
Subject: Diagrammatic Art Main Page
Collection of RMA: Painting Masterworks Page
Subject: Refuge Field Masterworks
Subject: Refuge Field Art History & Composition
Buddhist Deity: Vajradhara (Accumulation)