Get to know the many striking forms of the Buddha.
Whether cosmic, crowned, or color-coded, the Buddha has a variety of appearances in Himalayan tradition. Each one plays a special role in spiritual thought and practice; to Buddhists, each can be understood as revealing a particular aspect of enlightened awareness. This selection introduces some of these Buddhas, whose collective title literally means ‘the Awakened Ones.’
A diverse array of Buddhas appear throughout the galleries; some specialize in healing, while others facilitate spiritual practice. When meditated upon under the direction of a spiritual teacher (lama), the visualization of some of these deities is thought to have the power to produce enlightenment “in this very life.”
“According to some of the most ancient Buddhist texts, only one Buddha can appear in the cosmos at a time; the historical Buddha Shakyamuni is the Buddha of our era,” notes Dr. Jeffrey Durham, associate curator of Himalayan art. Shakyamuni is shown at the center of the first painting in this installation, along with legendary episodes from stories associated with his teachings. Another featured thangka, The Lives of the Buddha, comes from the most famous set of Tibetan paintings in history, the Narthang Series, detailing vignettes from the Buddha’s hundred previous lives.
Top image: The Buddha Shakyamuni with Lamas, 1700-1800. Tibet. Colors on cotton. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60D23+. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Below: Installation view. Photo © Asian Art Museum.
