Featured as part of Encountering Religions in Asian Art
Historical Period(s)
late 19th century
Medium
Mineral pigments on sized cotton; Chinese Qing brocade frame, silk dustcover and ribbons; chased silver caps
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 127 x 66 cm (50 x 26 in), H x W (painting): 61 x 38.1 cm (24 x 15 in)
Geography
Lhasa, Central Tibet
Credit Line
The Alice S. Kandell Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2013.29.3
Title: Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara[aa-vuh-LO-kee-TAYSH-vuh-ruh]literally, “the Lord Who Looks Down [From on High]”; the widely worshiped bodhisattva of compassion who protects and saves all beings., from a four-part set of thangkas
Type: Thangka
Associated Religious Tradition: Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.
Origins
Geography: Central Tibet, Lhasa
Date: Late 19th century
Physical Properties
Material: Opaque watercolor and gold on cotton; silk border, dustcover and ribbons; chased silver caps
Dimensions: H × W: 127 × 66 cm (50 × 26 in); H × W (painting): 61 × 38.1 cm (24 × 15 in)
Crediting Information
Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Credit Line: The Alice S. Kandell Collection
Accession Number: S2013.29.3
Set amid the Himalayan mountains, the Tibetan plateau is the highest and largest in the world. Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE., which emerged in India, reached Tibet in the eighth century CE. By the thirteenth century, the Mongol emperor Khubilai Khan (1215–1294) of the Yuan dynasty[yoo-EN]a dynasty that ruled China from 1271 to 1368. converted to Tibetan Buddhism and made it the state religion of China. Tibetan Buddhism developed four lineages or schools. The Geluk (“yellow-hat”) school, which originated in the fifteenth century, became politically powerful due to the support of the Mongols, who granted a Geluk leader regional authority and the title of Dalai lama[LAH-muh]a Tibetan Buddhist monk. in 1577. In 1959, the Dalai Lama, along with many Tibetans, fled the region for northern India. Through their movement into exile, which eventually became a global diaspora, Tibetan Buddhists brought their particular type of religious practices and visual culture to the attention and appreciation of the world.
This thangka, a painting on cloth made for meditation, was made in central Tibet. It represents Avalokiteshvara[aa-vuh-LO-kee-TAYSH-vuh-ruh]literally, “the Lord Who Looks Down [From on High]”; the widely worshiped bodhisattva of compassion who protects and saves all beings., the bodhisattva[BO-dee-SAAT-vuh]literally, “enlightenment being”; a person who, inspired by compassion, vows to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. of compassion. Bodhisattvas are beings who have perfected good qualities, such as patience, empathy, and wisdom, over many lifetimes. Their extraordinary spiritual accomplishments endow them with the ability to heal, protect, and guide others. Thus, bodhisattvas are important objects of devotion for many Buddhists. Artists typically depict bodhisattvas as radiant figures, richly adorned with jewelry. Their beauty is an outward expression of their perfected inner virtues.
Thangkas are made to enable monks and lay people to contemplate and understand the teachings of the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.. Meditating on peaceful beings is understood to help individuals gain wisdom and compassion; meditating on wrathful deities is understood to help individuals move beyond ego, material attachments, and fear of death. To ensure that the thangkas functioned to guide individuals toward enlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism., it was important that painters follow the proportions and iconography outlined in Buddhist texts and artist manuals. Artists nevertheless had room for creativity. Tibetan artists incorporated the styles and motifs of surrounding regions, including those that developed over time in India, Nepal, and China. Here, blue-green mountains, deep pastel tones, and peony-like lotuses are adapted from Chinese art.
Avalokiteshvara[aa-vuh-LO-kee-TAYSH-vuh-ruh]literally, “the Lord Who Looks Down [From on High]”; the widely worshiped bodhisattva of compassion who protects and saves all beings. is the thangka’s spiritual focus and compositional center. Smiling calmly, he meditates while seated in a lotus posture. His two main hands join together in a worshipful gesture; his other hands hold a lotus and a string of prayer beads. This form of the bodhisattva[BO-dee-SAAT-vuh]literally, “enlightenment being”; a person who, inspired by compassion, vows to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. is called Six-Syllable (Shadakshari) Avalokiteshvara after the six-syllable mantra[MAAN-truh]sacred syllables that effect change when recited in their original Sanskrit. (om mani padme hum) that his devotees repeat to invoke his compassionate presence.
Three lamas from the Geluk school, also with halos, float in the clouds above. Below Avalokiteshvara on the left is Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, who holds an upraised sword to cut away ignorance; on the right is a fierce protector of the faith, the bodhisattva Vajrapani. Two wrathful personifications of the Buddha glower menacingly from the lowest register.
Tibetan culture was historically nomadic, and thangkas were designed to be rolled and then carried or stored. The Chinese brocade borders and the yellow silk cover (which is bunched at the top in this photograph) protected the precious painting when it was not in use.
In Tibetan Buddhist communities today, practitioners use prayer beads to count their recitations of Avalokiteshvara’s mantra[MAAN-truh]sacred syllables that effect change when recited in their original Sanskrit., om mani padme hum.
Devotees also use prayer beads for mantra recitation while spinning prayer wheels. Each wheel contains the mantra written numerous times on paper strips. Tibetan Buddhists believe that each spin of the wheel releases the spiritual power of that number of mantras. Thus, spinning prayer wheels is seen as a very effective way to invoke Avalokiteshvara’s great compassion and generate positive merit for all beings.
At the Dalai Lama’s temple in McCleod Ganj, Dharamshala, India—and at many Tibetan temples and monasteries—prayer wheels take the form of larger, cylindrical structures assembled in a long line. By turning these series of large golden wheels, each filled with thousands of written mantras, om mani padme hum is symbolically repeated innumerable times.
Look closely at the wrathful deity Hayagriva, a manifestation of the Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment., on the thangka’s lower right corner. Find at least four visual elements that indicate he is fierce. Why might the Buddha manifest in such a terrifying way? Find at least four figures or objects that convey benevolent qualities. What do you see that makes you think they are benevolent?
Tibetan artists conveyed importance through the placement and relative size of figures and objects. Who is the most important figure in this composition, and why?
Compare two thangkas that represent this Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara[aa-vuh-LO-kee-TAYSH-vuh-ruh]literally, “the Lord Who Looks Down [From on High]”; the widely worshiped bodhisattva of compassion who protects and saves all beings.. The NMAA thangka draws upon Chinese painting styles in its palette and the background, while the Walters Museum thangka has a more traditional Tibetan style. What elements of the paintings are the same? How would you describe the major differences?
Why do you think it is important for Tibetan Buddhists to chant Avalokiteshvara’s mantra[MAAN-truh]sacred syllables that effect change when recited in their original Sanskrit. every day? What purpose does it serve for their spiritual practice?
How do you think a painting might help in the practice of meditation on an important Tibetan Buddhist figure like the bodhisattva[BO-dee-SAAT-vuh]literally, “enlightenment being”; a person who, inspired by compassion, vows to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. of compassion?
How does the composition of this particular thangka reflect the core values and teachings of Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.?
Leidy, Denise Patry. The Art of Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.: An Introduction to its History and Meaning. Boulder, CO: Shambhala, 2009.
Lucic, Karen. Embodying Compassion in Buddhist Art: Image, Pilgrimage, and Practice. Poughkeepsie, NY: Vassar College, 2015. Published following the exhibition of the same name at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, April 23–June 28. https://pages.vassar.edu/embodyingcompassion/files/2015/04/Embodying-Compassion.pdf
