Artwork Details

Title
Previous Lives of the Buddha
Dimensions
38 7/8 x 27 5/8 x 1 1/2 in. (98.7 x 70.2 x 3.8 cm)
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Kham Region, Eastern Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings
Date
19th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2006.66.488
HAR Number
954

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Enlightenment

Concepts

A state of “waking up” from illusion and seeing the true nature of reality. Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment while meditating under the bodhi tree. Buddhist teaching explains that the accumulation of merit and wisdom are essential for achieving enlightenment, also known as awakening.

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Storytelling

Concepts

A vehicle for the preservation and transmission of knowledge. The Buddha’s teachings were originally passed down through oral transmission and storytelling, and stories of the Buddha’s past lives are considered an important source of inspiration and guidance.

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Attachment

Concepts

A mental affliction that binds sentient beings to the cycle of death and rebirth, known as samsara, and distorts one’s perception of reality. According to Buddhism, this distortion leads to the formation of desires that result in feelings of pain, frustration, and loss.

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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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