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A page of detail images of the 4th Dalai Lama and three other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images of the 3rd Dalai Lama and three other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images of the 2nd Dalai Lama and three other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images of the 1st Dalai Lama and two other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images of King Songtsen Gampo and two other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images of Dromton and two other Dalai Lama pre-incarnations.

A page of detail images for the 5th Dalai Lama depiction from a nine painting set.

This seven painting set depicts the previous incarnations of the Dalai Lamas along with the post 5th Dalai Lama incarnations up to and including the 9th Dalai Lama. The painting set has been highlighted on the HAR News Page previously, however, several hundred new detail images of the seven paintings have been added. The details especially highlight the portrait like faces, birds and animals, flowers and foliage. The animals and birds are very unusual because of their accuracy to real living creatures - not generally common in Tibetan painting.

The central painting depicts Ngagwang Lobzang Gyatso (1617-1682) with three paintings to either side. It is most probable, based on the last Dalai Lama depicted, that the paintings were done between 1810 and 1823 prior to the official selection and enthronement of the 10th Dalai Lama.

The artist is currently unidentified by name but known through a number of other paintings and painting sets following the same unique style, composition, colour and brushstrokes. It is believed at this time that the artist worked in the Chamdo area of Kham Tibet. (See the Outline Page depicting all seven paintings as they are typically depicted together).

This subject page contains detail images of Green Tara surrounded by numerous narrative vignettes. The detail images especially highlight the many Tibetan inscriptions identifying the various stories depicted. The painting is on wood and was likely a panel from a large piece of decorative Tibetan furniture.

This subject page contains detail images of Geleg Gyatso (16th/17th century) a Tibetan teacher of the Lamrim lineage.

This subject page contains detail images of the Tibetan teacher Chokyi Dorje (15th century) included as a Lamrim Lineage teacher.

This subject page contains detail images of Vidyakokila the Younger an Indian teacher counted as one of the early Lamrim Teachers.

This subject page contains detail images of a currently unidentified early Indian Lamrim teacher. This composition is from a set of paintings depicting all of the Lamrim teachers of the Gelug Tradition. Currently only twelve of the paintings are accounted for from a total set of likely more than sixty individual compositions. The paintings themselves contain some of the finest artistic skill of the late 18th century.

This composition of a mandala surrounded by smaller mandalas and an endless number of other figures looks impossibly complex and difficult to read. However, when the various sections are analyzed and separated they appear very organized, logical and understandable.

Follow the coloured sections: blue, red, green, purple, yellow and brown along with the lists of figures and see how this composition was constructed.

This subject page contains detail images of a Padmasambhava painting. The form of Padmasambhava is Pema Jungne from a nine composition set depicting the Eight Forms of Guru Rinpoche.

Surrounding the central figure are numerous narrative vignettes of the life story of Padmasambhava. At this time there are no other paintings from this set known in either private or museum collections.

At the middle right side are several depictions of Manjushri but the most interesting is the one with the five peaked, or terrace mountain, Wutaishan, in the background with five stupas marking each peak. Manjushri also holds a tortoise which is an important symbol in Buddhist astrology. Manjushri is believed to have invented astrology at Wutaishan Mountain.

This Bodhisattva Outline Page is a recreation of what a specific nine composition Eight Bodhisattva painting set would look like when complete. The images of the paintings represented here are from a number of different sets. Six partial sets are known to exist. The central image, likely to be that of Amitabha Buddha, is missing along with three of the eight bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara, Samantabhadra and Nivarana Vishkhambin. The six different sets all appear to follow the same compositional model. Stylistically they follow conventions that are more common with painting styles from the Kham region of Eastern Tibet. The correct order and position of each of the bodhisattvas is not yet determined.

Amitabha and Amitayus are the same person, or entity. In the Mahayana Tradition of Buddhism a buddha is described as having three bodies: a form body (nirmanakaya), an apparitional body (sambhogakaya) and an ultimate truth body (dharmakaya). The first, Amitabha, is the form body and the second, Amitayus, is the apparitional body. The ultimate truth body is without appearance and is generally not represented in painting or sculptural art.

The important iconographic difference in Tibetan art between the two, Amitabha and Amitayus, is that Amitabha has Buddha Appearance and Amitayus has Bodhisattva Appearance.

Amitayus, although commonly referred to in the Mahayana literature, is a very popular meditational deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. He belongs to the important and popular set known as the Three Long-life Deities: Amitayus, White Tara and Ushnishavijaya. There are also mandala practices such as the Nine Deity Mandala of Amitayus along with forms of the deity where he is embracing a consort.

Rechungpa, the famous student of Milarepa, recieved a special practice tradition of Buddha Amitayus from Tipu Pandita while on a trip to India. Upon his return he passed the tradition on to Milarepa. This is known as the Rechung Tradition. As a meditational practice in the lower tantras Amitayus primarily serves as a Long-life deity.

There are many different Buddhas represented in Buddhist art. Following after the many  images of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni the next most common Buddha form to appear in art is likely to be Amitabha (immeasurable light). His popularity is based in the Mahayana Sutra literature of which there are many texts specifically devoted to him.

In art depictions Amitabha has two appearances and two names that differentiate those appearances. When referred to as Amitabha he has the appearance of a standard buddha form, although red in colour, wearing the traditional patchwork robes of a monk. In his other appearance he has a different name, Amitayus (immeasureable life), and wears the clothing and jeweled adornments of a peaceful heavenly god according to the classical Indian system of divine aesthetics.

In the Mahayana Tradition of Buddhism a buddha is described as having three bodies: a form body (nirmanakaya), an apparitional body (sambhogakaya) and an ultimate truth body (dharmakaya). Amitabha and Amitayus are the same person, the first is the form body and the second the apparitional body. The ultimate truth body is without description.

The important iconographic difference between the two, Amitabha and Amitayus, is that Amitabha has Buddha Appearance and Amitayus has Bodhisattva Appearance.

Forms & Iconography:

- As a solitary Buddha seated in front of a tree

- Seated in Sukhavati

- Seated in Sukhavati surrounded by the Eight Great Bodhisattvas

- Seated in Sukhavati surrounded by the Sixteen Great Bodhisattvas and other figures

- Surrounded by lineage teachers and/or various deities (artist & patrons choice)

- Amitabha included with the Five Symbolic Buddhas of the Tantra System

- Others...

An outline page for the Kundeling Tatsag Painting Set has been added.

This post was also first uploaded January 25th 2010.

View another example of How to Read a Painting #2.