The primordial Buddha Vajradhara is the root-deity of many Tantric Buddhist teachings, and the great adepts (mahasiddhas) who surround him in this painting are exemplary Tantric practitioners of those teachings. They represent meditators and yogis of great spiritual attainment from all castes and professions, who were often unorthodox in their behavior.This painting is from an important transitional period in Tibetan art when painters were transforming the Indic artistic traditions they received to reflect their own aesthetic interests. Many of the stylistic elements, including the faces, the scrollwork background, and the hierarchical organization of the figures are reminiscent of early Tibetan art, which cleaved closely to its Indian roots. In contrast, the fullness of the deities’ garments and their patterns, the Chinese-inspired flowers and clouds, the gilding of all the figures, and the figures’ sense of movement are later (15th century) developments. Especially notable in this painting is the use of raised gold to decorate the central deity’s ornaments, halo, and body nimbus.

Artwork Details

Title
Buddha Vajradhara with the Great Tantric Masters (Mahasiddhas)
Dimensions
35 1/2 × 29 1/4 in. (estimated)
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Central Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings
Date
15th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2003.50.1
HAR Number
89
Published references
*Linrothe, Rob. Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas. New York: Rubin Museum of Art; Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2006. Catalog No.13; Pp. 207-209, 216, 217, 225, 229*Rhie, Marylin M., and Robert A.F. Thurman. Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art and Wisdom of Compassion. New York: Tibet House, 1999. Cat. 166; Pp. 422-424.* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014. Pp. 15, 184-485

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Transmission

Concepts

The passing down of authentic Buddhist teachings from a teacher to a disciple or student, often in the form of a text in a ritualistic context.

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Lineage

Concepts

The transmission of teachings from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, traced all the way back to the Buddha without interruption. A complete lineage is essential in Tantric Buddhist practices as it makes the blessings of the teaching more powerful.

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Buddhas

Figure Type

An awakened being who understands the true nature of reality and is free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. While there are many buddhas, Siddhartha Gautama is the historical Buddha, whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism.

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Tibetan Regions

Region

Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.

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