Reflections of the Buddha - The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts

Cube Gallery
Vajrayāna Buddhism
The spiritual practices and rituals of Vajrayāna Buddhism include the use of verse (mantra) to invoke a deity or
to gain protection and the visualization of a vast array of celestial Buddhas and bodhisattvas, many embraced
from early Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism. In this gallery are three sculptures representing some of the
most important bodhisattvas, along with three thangkas (portable paintings or hanging banners). Thangkas
often portray a divinity’s cosmos or circle (mandala) as an architectural plan with gates and various levels leading
to central pinnacles. Such Vajrayāna objects aid meditation and trance induction that connect the viewer
with sanctity in the universe and within oneself, bringing enlightenment closer.
11. Four Mandalas (dkyil-‘khor), 18th century
Tibet; thangka; colors on cotton, mounted on
silk brocade; 31¾ x 24 in.; The Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri,
Bequest of Joseph H. Heil, 74-36 /16
Practioners wishing to receive the
blessing of an extended lifespan often
meditated on the figure at the center of
this thangka, Amitāyus (the name given to Amitābha in
his manifestation as the bestower of longevity). Colored
red, he sits in a beautiful landscape on a lotus throne in
meditation holding a vase containing the elixir of immortality.
On either side of him are lamas, Tibetan teachers of
the Dharma, who sit in foliage that bears fruit in the
form of the Three Buddhist Jewels, representing the
Buddha, the Dharma, and the San� gha.
12. Four-circle Hevajra Mandala (Kye-ba Rdo-rje
dkyil-‘khor), 15th or 16th century
Tibet; thangka mounted as an album leaf; ink
and colors on linen; 21 x 17½ in.; Harvard
Art Museums / Arthur M. Sackler Museum,
Paul Bernat Fund, 1967.8
This mandala helps the practitioner
visualize the union of the male and female principles of
compassion and wisdom, respectively. This integrative
process of opposites lies at the heart of Vajrayāna practice.
By recognizing opposites as psychological distortions
within oneself, their power over you is lessened and your
path to enlightenment is accelerated.
42
13. Acala Candamaharosana (Budong Mingwang),
“The Immovable One,” One of
the Five Great Wisdom Kings, 1764
China, Qing dynasty, 1644 – 1912; kesi thangka
mounted as a hanging scroll; silk in kesi tapestry
weave with some details painted on the surface in
gold and light colors; 35¼ x 21¼ in.; Harvard Art
Museums / Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr.
and Mrs. Earl Morse, 1958.8
This tightly woven tapestry depicts Acala surrounded by
four other wrathful deities. Terrifying deities are often
visual metaphors for inner states that block enlightenment,
such as anger, greed, fear, passion, and ignorance.
Acala holds a sword and a lasso, evidence of his abilities
to cut through obstacles, snare you, and bring you closer
to enlightenment.
14. Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Karunamaya),
late 10th or early 11th century
Nepal, Transitional period, c. 879 – 1200; gilt
copper alloy with inlays of semiprecious stones;
26¾ x 11½ x 5¼ in.; Asia Society, New York:
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection,
1979.047
Avalokiteśvara (Perceiver of the World’s
Sounds) travels to all realms of the universe to deliver beings
from suffering. He has a special mantra: Om Mani
Padme Hum (“Hail the wish-fulfilling jewel and lotus”).
This particular work is one of the earliest Buddhist sculptures
to use semiprecious stone inlays, which became a
distinctive feature of Himalayan sculpture. Sculptures
like this one were highly revered in Tibetan monasteries,
which helped spread their style to other parts of Asia,
including Mongolia (see artwork 16).