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This was first posted January 10th 2010 and fits well with these current posts on Reading a Painting.

Himalayan Art is a new area of study and in this study there are new tools and new ways to observe, approach and analyze the objects and works of art.

There are three important
fields of study that have to be brought together equally: (1)
Art History, (2) Iconography and (3) Religious Studies.

Because of the religious nature of the art and because of the living tradition that the objects are very much a part of there are three important points to observe when studying a Himalayan and Tibetan art object: (1) the Form - the physical object, (2) Function - the intention or purpose of creation and (3) Subject Meaning - the abstract concepts and symbolic meanings.

Following from the application of those three important points are (1) Analysis, (2) Interpretation and (3) Identification.

These pages for Reading a Painting are part of the on-going HAR project to create a Himalayan Art Curriculum and Study Guide. The image #113 (Chaturbhuja Mahakala) was chosen randomly based on a casual discussion with a museum guide. Paintings and sculpture covering a wider range of subject and type will be added in the future.

There are four main types of lineage depiction in single composition paintings: [1] Standard Type A, [2] Standard Type B, [3] Two Lineages Type C and [4]. Asymmetrical Type D. These four types can be found in compositions with registers, common to early paintings and with compositions without registers common with the later paintings after the 15th century. From the 18th century to the present a new and additional compositional format was developed that included in a single painting the most significant teaching lineage of a given tradition along with all of the principal meditational deities, special deities and protectors, both general and unique. This compositional format is known as a Field of Accumulation, in brief a Refuge Field painting.

1. In Standard Type A the lineage of teachers begins at the top left and proceeds to the right and then descends to a second or third horizontal register or proceeds to the vertical registers on the left and right side of the composition. Standard Type A is more commonly found in early paintings.

Examples with Registers:

Hevajra Mandala (Dzongpa)

Hevajra Mandala (Kagyu)

Avalokiteshvara

Kagyu Lineage Teachers

Sakya Lineage Teachers

Virupa, Mahasiddha

Kagyu Lineage Teachers

2. In Standard Type B the beginning of the lineage starts with a central figure in the top row of the top register, often Vajradhara or Shakyamuni Buddha and then alternates with the first teacher to the viewer's left and then the right and again to the left - alternating horizontally and then vertically descending down the left and right registers. This Type B is more commonly found with paintings after the 15th century up to the present.

Examples with Registers:

Hevajra Mandala

Krodha Vajrapani

Examples without Registers:

Guru Dragpo

Avalokiteshvara

Kagyu Lineage Teacher

3. In Standard Type C the beginning figure, as in Type B, is in the top central position with one unique lineage of teachers (figures) placed to the left and then descending down the vertical register and a second unique lineage of teachers placed to the right and then descending down the right register. Sometimes, depending on the length of the lineage and number of teachers included, the central figure at the top may be moved slightly to the right of left side to accommodate an uneven number of figures calculated between the two unique lineages [see example].

Examples with Registers:

Vajradhara & Vajradharma

Mahasiddha Lineage Teachers

Examples without Registers:

Gelug Lineage Teachers

Gelug Lineage Teachers

4. In Asymmetrical Type D the top central figure is out of order and directly proceeds in chronological order the main central figure of the composition in the painting. The beginning of the lineage starts either immediately to the viewer's left of the top central figure or in the top left hand corner of the composition. This is generally only found when the central subject is a lineage teacher and not a Buddha, deity, or other such figure.

Examples with Registers:

Kagyu Lineage Teachers

Kagyu Lineage Teachers

Kagyu Lineage Teachers

This composition depicts a wrathful deity at the center of a painting with a multitude of smaller figures and architectural structures surrounding. Looking carefully at the 'find Waldo' style of composition the sections begin to come into focus and take on very clear meaning and purpose.

Paintngs such as this Avalokiteshvara with Eleven Faces and One Thousand Arms are read and understood first from the large central figure at the center of the painting. With multiple figure compositions incorporating a number of related or unrelated subjects then standard Buddhist hierarchy dictates that the Guru and Guru Lineage is at the top of the composition. The Guru is followed by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

In this painting a second Avalokiteshvara subject, comprised of five deities, has been added on the viewer's left side in the vertical outer register. Again related to Avalokiteshvara, a unique characteristic of this painting is found in the group of Eight Great Bodhisattvas where the standard figure of Avalokiteshvara is substituted for a non-standard but popular meditational form of the deity known as Simhanada. This was likely done by the artist to add variation rather than simply repeating the generic two armed form of the figure. Avalokiteshvara is already well represented at the center of the composition, the top left corner and then again as the first figure in the group of the Five Deity Amoghapasha. The Simhanada is added as variation - the next most popular form - although never typically seen in the group of Eight Great Bodhisattvas. The bodhisattva Maitreya is depicted twice once in the group of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas in the right hand register and then again on the upper left side placed amongst the Buddha figures. This figure of Maitreya represents the bodhisattva heir apparent - the future Buddha and is in close proximity to Dipamkara the Buddha of the past and Shakyamuni the Buddha of this time period.

Moving further down the composition two monk figures are located at the sides of the lotus throne of Avalokiteshvara. These two figures in the hierarchy represent the Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas of the Hinayana Tradition of Buddhism as understood in Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhism. They represent all arhats and all pratyekabuddhas.

On the lower right side are two deity figures unrelated to the general theme of Avalokiteshvara - the principal subject of the painting. They are Ushnishvijaya a Long-life meditational deity and Vajravidarana a purification meditational deity. These two figures and others of similar function are commonly found in the lower registers or portion of a painting. These types of function, long-life, purification and such, are often auxiliary meditational practices for removing various obstacles such as illness or various types of mental obscurations. Another class of deities with a specific function that are commonly found in the lower portions of a painting are wealth deities such as Jambhala, Vasudhara and Vaishravana. No wealth deities are depicted in this painting.

At the left side of the bottom register are three meditational deities that could easily be placed higher in the composition based on standard hierarchy. The first two are easily identified and the third is likely to be Vajrapani although not conclusively. Here Vajrapani is holding a vajra in the upraised right hand but also holds a long hook in the left hand. This is not standard for Vajrapani. The standing of the three figures in the standard hierarchy is that of meditational deity. Here their status is unchanged and they are placed next to the group of protector deities because they are the special meditational deities when performing the rituals and practices invoking the enlightened and unenlightened, wisdom and worldly, protectors - the last and lowest deities in the Buddhist Tantric hierarchy.

The Art Depicted in Art Main Page has been updated with additional images.

1. A rolled up painting in a meditation cave

2. A painting of the Sage of Long-life decorating a fan

3. A gold statue of Maitreya

4. A gold statue of Shakyamuni Buddha

Lamrim Lineage sets of paintings where each lineage figure is depicted in a single composition, surrounded by life story scenes, are quite rare. It is very common to find the Lamrim lineage all together in a single composition with Je Tsongkapa at the center. This set is by far one of the most beautiful known to exist. There are only twelve paintings known to exist that belong to this Lineage Set (Stages of the Path). The total number of paintings belonging to the original commission is currently unknown but would likely exceed more than fifty compositions in number. The majority of the paintings below belong to private collections with only two known to belong to a museum. (See the Lamrim Painting Set Outline Page).

Rubin Museum of Art:

Shantarakshita

Purbu Chog (student of Geleg Gyatso)

Dr. David Nalin Collection:

Namkha Gyalpo

Gendun Drub, 1st Dalai Lama

Yeshe Dorje

Unidentified

Private Collections:

Asanga (student of Maitreya)
Dromton (student of Atisha)

Unidentified (student of Acharya Vairochana)

Vidyakokila the Younger (student of Vidyakokila the Elder)

Chokyi Dorje, 15th century (student of Baso Chokyi Gyalstsen)

Geleg Gyatso, 16th/17th century (student of 1st Panchen)

The Kundeling painting set is missing the 5th Tatsag composition and was likely a nine painting set in total with the inclusion of Manjushri. The set was most probably created after the passing of the 8th Tatsag after 1810 and before the recognition of the 9th Tatsag (born in 1811). It is not currently known in which year the 9th was recognized, but this could have been up to five or ten years later.

The composition and execution of the paintings in a Chamdo style follows very closely with other known paintings, both in private and museum collections, associated with the Chamdo region of Eastern Tibet.

1. Baso Chokyi Gyaltsen, 1st Tatsag (1402-1473)

2. Jetsun Lhakyab, 2nd Tatsag (1474-1508)

3. Liyul Chokyi Gyalpo, 3rd Tatsag (1509-1526).

4. Lhawang Chokyi Gyaltsen, 4th Tatsag (1537-1604).

5. Ngagwang Chokyi Wangchug, 5th Tatsag (1606-1652)

6. Ngagwang Konchog Nyima, 6th Tatsag (1653-1707).

7. Lobzang Palden Gyaltsen, 7th Tatsag (1708-1758).

8. Gyaltsab Yeshe Tanpa'i Gonpo, 8th Tatsag (1760-1810)

The Vaishravana Main Page has been updated with information and images.

There are three divisions in the study of Vaishravana iconography. The first, discussed above, is [1] Vaishravana as part of the group of Four Guardian or Direction Kings. These four are based on narrative descriptions found in the early Sutras. The second [2] classification of Vaishravana iconography is where the Four Guardian Kings are included in a larger retinue of a Tantric Mandala such as Medicine Buddha, Pancha Raksha or the Tara Seventeen Deity Mandala. The third division [3] contains all of the forms of Vaishravana as found in the Tantra literature where the deity is either the principal figure for meditation, or visualized in front of the Buddhist practitioner. These forms of Vaishravana generally have the function of wealth-bestowing. Vaishravana in his form known as Vaishravana Riding a Lion is the most common in art and most popular Tantric form of the deity. The Sakya Tradition preserve and teach seventeen different forms of Vaishravana (example 1, example 2).

The Twelve Yaksha Generals belong to the mandala of the Medicine Buddha. The full set of deities in the mandala number fifty-one paintings, textiles, or sculpture in total. The images of the Twelve Yaksha Generals below represent what remains of a number of different sets.

These figures are commonly misidentified as being forms of Jambhala, Vaishravana or the erroneously identified Kubera (who is not found in Himalayan and Tibetan iconography except as a minor figure in a few mandalas).

Twelve Yaksha Generals:

36 (1). Eastern direction, Jijig, yellow, vajra.

37 (2). Vajra, red, sword.

38 (3). rgyan 'dzin, yellow, stick.

39 (4). Northern direction, g.za' 'dzin, light blue, stick.

40 (5). rlung 'dzin (Vatadhara), red, trident.

41 (6). gnas bcas, smoky-coloured, sword. Example 2

42 (7). Western direction, dbang 'dzin, red, stick. Example 2

43 (8). btung 'dzin, yellow, stick.

44 (9). smra 'dzin, pink, axe.

45 (10). Southern direction, bsam 'dzin, yellow, lasso.

46 (11). g.yob 'dzin, blue, stick.

47 (12). rdzogs byed, red, wheel.
All hold a mongoose in the left hand, with short fat limbs and a large stomach.

Additional paintings and sculpture have been added to the Medicine Buddha Retinue Figure Page. The Medicine Buddha and his mandala of fifty-one deities was a very popular theme in Tibet and especially in China. Many sets were created of each of the individual figures with the paintings, or embroidered textile, created in a smaller format size and then strung together and hung from the rafters of temples. These smaller format compositions often had elaborate Chinese brocades and cloth mounts.

Included in the fifty-one figure mandala are Twelve Yaksha Generals that are commonly confused with the wealth deities Jambhala and Vaishravana because of their regal appearance, portly size, and the mongoose held in the left hand.

Shri Devi Rangjung Gyalmo & Bernagchen Mahakala as a couple sit astride a donkey atop a sun disc and surrounded by orange, red and yellow flames of pristine awareness. The unique aspect to these combined wrathful protectors is the female - Shri Devi - is the principal iconographic figure facing forward, or outward in a painting or sculpture. Bernagchen Mahakala is the secondary figure embracing Shri Devi and looking towards her.

There are many forms of Shri Devi both taught in the Indian Sanskrit texts and originating in Tibet with the Nyingma 'Revealed Treasure'. This form of Shri Devi, Rangjung Gyalmo, follows the appearance as described in the 'Revealed Treasures' of the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The Marpa Kagyu Tradition in general maintains a special form of Shri Devi that originated with the Indian Mahasiddha Naropa - generally referred to as the Naropa Tradition Shri Devi. The Karma Kagyu School practices both the Naropa Tradition and in particular the Rangjung Gyalmo passed down from Karma Pakshi - the 2nd Karmapa.

Rakta Yamari is a Tantric Buddhist meditational deity believed to be an emanation of the deity and bodhisattva Manjushri. There are two general types of Yamari deities - red (rakta) and black (krishna). The Red Yamari has several different traditions - each primarily differentiated by the number of deities represented in the mandala and the associated human lineage teachers. The Krishna and Rakta Yamari figures belong to the New 'Sarma' Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and are practiced in all of the main schools of Tibet and the Himalayan cultural regions. (Also see the Rakta Yamari Masterworks Page).

Manjushri has a number of popular meditational forms belonging to the Anuttarayoga Classs of Tantric Buddhism which are primarily the Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja, Vajrabhairava, and the two Yamari - red and black. Manjushri also has dozens of peaceful meditation forms originating in the Kriya, Charya and Yoga Tantras. (For the lower Tantra forms see the Manjushri Lhakang Page and for the Anuttarayoga see the Forms & Emanations Comparison Page).

Guru Dragpo, originating in the 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, is a wrathful meditational form of Padmasambhava. Although technically a guruyoga practice the function of Guru Dragpo is that of an ishtadevata (meditational deity). In the Nyingma Tradition, following after the early meditational deities of the Guhyagarbha Tantra and Eight Heruka this practice of Guru Dragpo is possibly the most popular and the most represented in art. In the 16th century the teacher Pema Karpo popularized a variation on Guru Dragpo called Guru Dragpur - principally practiced in the Drugpa Kagyu School.

The meditational deities of the Nyingma can be divided into three principal categories of deities. The first are those deities described in the [1] Guhyagarbha Tantra. The second category are the [2] Eight Heruka including Mahottara. The third category are all of those forms that are included in the [3] 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition (terma). Many 'Revealed Treasures' are simply variations on the forms of the Guhyagarbha and Eight Heruka, however an entirely new group developed which are based on the being of Padmasambhava. This third group includes deities such as the Outer, Inner and Secret Forms of Padmasambhava which include Guru Dragpo, Simhamukha and many others.

Forms & Types of Guru Dragpo:

1. Single (one face, two arms)

2. Single (with consort)

3. Heruka (three faces, six arms, consort)

4. Karma Guru Heruka (without consort)

5. Tarig Terma Tradition (with consort)

6. Others...

The Manjushri Lhakang (temple) of Sakya Town in Tibet, is located in a small room above the building known as the Drolma Lhakang located a short distance from the main Lhakang Chenmo temple complex of Sakya. The Drolma Lhakang has three separate temple rooms. The first, on the ground floor, is called the Drolma or Tara temple although there is little inside that is specifically dedicated to Tara. To the right side of the main entrance, accessed through a separate door, is the Tangtong Gyalpo Lhakang. In June of 2007 this temple was under going extensive renovations. From an upper floor window murals of repetitive images of Tangtong Gyalpo could be seen on the walls.

The Manjushri Lhakang is located on the 2nd floor of the two storied Drolma Lhakang building. The room has a single pillar in the middle and a couple of small windows. There is no shrine or furniture in the empty room. The four walls are painted with murals, floor to ceiling, depicting every form of Manjushri, peaceful and wrathful. The more important, or common, of the forms are painted large scale with the minor, or more obscure forms, smaller in size. Each iconographic form is accompanied with a name inscription. Some of the Manjushri forms have retinue deities which can be seen clearly in image #46875. The iconography of the paintings represent the many forms of Manjushri found in the Kriya, Charya and Yoga Tantras of Tantric Buddhism. One wall has sustained damage and the paintings have been effaced with cracks patched and filled. The general format and stylistic elements of the murals and comparing them with the more datable murals of Jonang Monastery, Tagten Damcho Ling, not far away, would suggest a date of the 17th century for the creation of the paintings. (The photos were taken in June of 2007).

Meditation Instructions for Calm Abiding (Shamatha) in the form of a painting with accompanying instructions. The idea of relating the mind to an unruly elephant along with the monkey and other elements in the visual example of Calm Abiding meditation originates in the writings of Asanga and then later in the meditation commentaries of Je Tsongkapa. It is thought that the artistic depiction of the practice is relatively late and possibly first arose in the 19th century as a wall mural. The image above is of a poster published in India in the early 1970s. An original Tibetan version of the painting has not yet been located. (See a black and white line drawing of the same image).

Key Elements:

- The monk holding an elephant goad and a lasso is the individual.

- The flame represents effort.

- The elephant represents the mind.

- Black elephant colour - the mental factor of sinking - lethargy.

- The monkey is distraction.

- Black monkey colour - the mental factor of scattering.

- The Five Objects of Sensory Pleasure are the object of distraction.

- The rabbit represents subtle sinking - lethargy.

Chakrasamvara Body Mandala depicted according to the Newar Buddhist Tradition of Kathmandu, Nepal. Each of the mandala deities is accompanied by a Sanskrit name inscription written in Devnagari script. The figures are sixty-two in number and follow precisely the list of deities that make up the Sixty-two Deity Chakrasamvara Mandala.

A seated human figure is located at the center of the composition which represents an individual Buddhist Tantric practitioner. Over-laying the body and to the sides and above are numerous circles of deities. These figures in the composition represent the internal Body Mandala for the Tantric Buddhist system of the Chakrasamvara Tantra which typically has sixty-two deities in the external mandala. These same sixty-two deities are subsequently arranged and placed at various locations within the physical human body of the practitioner - hence the body mandala, or internal body mandala.

Internal Body Mandala concepts and theories are common to many religious and spiritual traditions of Asia such as the Shaiva, Shakta, Yoga, Tantric Buddhist, Bon and Taoist Traditions.

In the Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism these same sixty-two deities are also super-imposed onto the Tibetan landscape and many pilgrimage sites have been created, named, or claimed as part of the greater geographical Chakrasamvara mandala. Over the centuries, many Bon pilgrimage sites have been taken over and claimed to be holy for the practices of Chakrasamvara. Mount Kasilash in West Tibet is believed to be the center of the Tibetan Chakrasamvara geographical mandala with the top of Mount Kailash as the abode of Chakrasamvara and  Vajrayogini.

Mount Kailash is still holy according to Bon belief and is sacred for the two wrathful deities Welchen Gekho and Zhangzhung Meri.

These large size murals, larger than life, of the Five Buddhas are painted on the facing wall of the Kangyur Lhakang in Shalu Monastery, Tibet. Compare these five images with site location images from the Leigh Sangster Archive - Kangyur Lhakang.


The Five Buddhas:

1. Vairochana Buddha, white

2. Amitabha Buddha, red

3. Akshobhya Buddha, blue

4. Ratnasambhava Buddha, yellow

5. Amoghasiddhi Buddha, green

Five compositions depicting Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo at the center with further depictions of his previous incarnations in the remaining four compositions. (See the Khyentse incarnation lineage arranged in a single composition).

Central Figures:

1. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (main center)

2. Trisong Detsen (right first)

3. Jestun Dragpa Gyaltsen (left first)

4. Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (right second)

5. Dromton Gyawa'i Jungne (left second)

The five images shown here are temporary snapshot photos. Higher quality images of the five compositions along with detail images will be uploaded in the next few weeks.

A very clear set of seven block prints depicting Shakyamuni Buddha & the Sixteen Arhats has been added to the Tibet House, New Delhi, Gallery Page. These prints are based on the famous Nartang Monastery set of prints from the 18th century. (See the Tibet House Quick Guide to browse the full collection).

A gallery of miscellaneous images from various sets of the Twelve Dzogchen Buddhas of the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. These twelve figures are found in the Revealed Treasure text called the Three Inner Cycles of Peaceful Deities discovered by Choggyur Lingpa. Only four or five of the Buddhas in the group of twelve have Buddha Appearance. The remaining eight or so Buddhas have Peaceful, Semi-peaceful/wrathful and Wrathful Appearance. The specific appearance of each of the twelve Buddhas is not consistent between the miscellaneous paintings and the initiation card set. Although popularized by Choggyur Lingpa in the 19th century, these Twelve Buddhas were already well established in the 'Revealed Treasure' tradition.

Painting Sets:

- Set 1 (one of three paintings)

- Set 2 (one of twelve or thirteen paintings)

- Gold Set 3 (two of twelve or thirteen paintings)

- Initiation Cards (complete set)