Kham Province, Eastern Tibet
18th century
Kham Province, Eastern Tibet
18th century
Believed to be a hidden kingdom, Shambhala is a pure land ruled by enlightened kings who act as holders of the Kalachakra Tantra (Wheel of Time) teachings. According to Tibetan Buddhism, only those who have achieved a high level of practice can gain entry into this realm. Surya, manifested in this painting in his deity appearance, is descended from the first king of Shambhala, who is believed to have received the Tantra directly from Buddha Shakyamuni. A Kalachakra lineage master floats above Surya and his consort, testifying to this esoteric teaching’s authentic transmission to Tibet. This painting is from a set depicting all thirty-two rulers of Shambhala (seven dharma kings and twenty-five Kalkin kings)—the largest commissioned at Pelpung Monastery by the famed artist-scholar Situ Panchen (1700–1772), who is credited with reviving the Karma Gardri style. The style is evident in this thangka by the minor figure seated in an open airy landscape, with colors fluidly transitioning from intense blues and greens to the unpigmented canvas, effectively conveying a sense of receding space.
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.
Prescribed practices that carry symbolic meaning and value within a specific tradition and are intended to attain a desired outcome. Rituals are usually done as part of a ceremony or regular routine.
A religious movement that originated in India around the fifth to seventh century with sacred writings and esoteric teachings and practices transmitted from teacher to student through initiation. These remain an important part of Hinduism and Buddhism today.
Himalayan art includes portraits of legendary and historical humans, including accomplished religious teachers (lamas), the Buddha’s original disciples (arhats), and spiritually accomplished tantric masters (mahasiddhas).
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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