Buddha Shakyamuni Tangka

This tangka, a sacred possession of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, is the central painting of a series of seven tangkas which depict the Buddha and Sixteen Arhats -- a favorite subject of artists throughout China, Tibet, Mongolia and Nepal for well over a thousand years.

In this painting, which dates from the mid-18th century, the Buddha Shakyamuni is shown with his two chief Mahayana disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. Shariputra is remembered in Buddhist literature as a monk who asked the most questions on the doctrine of voidness, thus inspiring the Buddha's "Perfection of Wisdom" discourses. Maudgalyayana is remembered as the Buddha's foremost disciple in the realm of magical abilities and clairvoyant powers.

The six animals blazing forth from the perimeters of the Buddha's halo symbolize the six perfections: generosity, self-discipline, patience, joyous energy, meditation, and wisdom. The throne is upheld by the eight lions of fearlessness in teaching. Eloquent vases hold up flowers in bloom to symbolize the blossoming of the Dharma. The Indian gods Indra and Brahma kneel in front of the Buddha and hold up offerings to him.

Text excerpted from the exhibition catalog written by Glenn Mullin and Andy Weber.

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