This painting combines Chinese derived elements, such as the square mandala and the rocks to its sides, with Himalayan deities and symbolism in innovative ways. The mandala, actually a palace within a square walled garden enclosure accessible through four Chinese style gates, floats in the composition and is shown from a bird’s eye view. Typical for art from the regions northeast of Tibet are the symbols of luck strung along the upper part of the mandala. The surrounding deities are set into a landscape with a low horizon, fantastical rocks, and high clouds of varying colors. In this form of the Medicine Buddha mandala, a Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) book is surrounded by the eight medicine buddhas. The deities in the squares around them are sixteen bodhisattvas, guardians of the ten directions, and twelve yaksha generals. The Four Great Kings guard the mandala palace doors at cardinal directions. At the top of the painting an unidentified teacher of the Geluk tradition is flanked by the deities Kutagara Vajrapani and Dorje Dudul, or “Vajra Demon Tamer,” who heads an assembly of four deities associated with health and wealth depicted around the mandala. At the bottom of the painting the wealth deity Vasudeva is flanked by the protectors Pelden Lhamo and Pehar.

Artwork Details

Title
Medicine Buddha Mandala
Dimensions
38 × 28 3/8 × 2 1/4 in.
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Inner Mongolia
Classification(s)
paintings
Date
18th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
C2006.31.3
HAR Number
65660
Published references
* The All-Knowing Buddha: A Secret Guide. Rubin Museum of Art, 2013, p. 172, Fn. 59

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Visualization

Concepts

A meditation technique primarily used in tantric practice that involves imagining a deity in one’s mind or imagining oneself becoming a deity and carrying out various activities. Such techniques are intended to help a practitioner transform ordinary perception and achieve enlightened qualities.

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Meditation

Concepts

A contemplative practice in which a person uses concentration and visualization to achieve aims such as transforming the mind and generating feelings of compassion. Techniques include focusing on breathing or visualizing oneself as a deity.

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Mandala

Figure Type

A geometrically shaped tool used for meditation and visualization in Buddhist practice. It is a representation of the palace of a deity and the Buddhist conception of the cosmos.

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Mongolian Regions

Region

Mongolians have been widely active in the Tibetan Buddhist world, playing a key role in Tibetan culture, politics, and relations with China. In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire—the largest contiguous empire in world history—facilitated the spread of Tibetan visual culture.

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