Vairochana in his four-faced, eight-armed form presides over this mandala of Vajradhatu [the Diamond Realm], which is almost certainly based on the Sarva Tathagata Tattva Samgraha Tantrra [STTS], a text translated into Tibetan by Rinchesen Sangpo [958 - 1055]. Vairochana in seiner vierköpfigen und achtarmigen Erscheinung nimmt die Mitte dieses Varadhati [Diamant Sphäre] Mandalas ein, das fast mit Sicherheit auf das Sarva-tathagata- tattva samgraha tantra [STTS] zurückgeht, ein von Rinchesen Sangpo [958 - 1055] ins Tibetsche übersetzter Text
Lokesh Chandra, who has studied the twenty-four mandalas described in the STTS, notes that the Vairadhatu was one of the earliest mandalas to appear in Tibet during the Chidar [the Later Diffusion]; some of its mandalas appeared in the main temple at Tabo [dated ca. 996 - 1042]. Nach Lokesh Chandra, der die im STTS beschriebenen 24 Mandalas erforscht hat, war das Vajradhatu eines der frühesten Mandalas, das in Tibet während des Chidars, der Späteren Verbreitung [der Lehre], aufkam. Einige Mandalas dieses ikonographischen Typs wurden im Haupttempel von Kloster Tabo geschaffen [datierbar um 996 - 1042]
The iconographically similar Diamond World mandalas, commonly see in Esoteric Japanese Buddhism, also stem from the STTS, which was translated into Japanese by Amoghavajra [705 - 774] Die ikonographisch ähnlichen Diamantwelt-Mandalas, die häufig im esoterischen Buddhismus Japans vorkommen, gehen ebenfalls auf das STTS zurück, das von Amoghavajra [705 -774] ins Japanische übertragen wurde:
This mandala is meant to convey Vairochalla's sambhogakaya [Body of Perfect Rapture], said to be characterised by radiance and emptiness [shunyata], a state directly perceptible only to advanced tenth level bodhisattvas. Dieses Mandala soll Vairochanas sambhogakaya veranschaulichend vermitteln - den Körper der "Vollkommenen Wonne", der von strahlendem Glanz ist und für die Leerheit [shunyata] - ein Zustand, der direkt wahrnehmbar nur für zur zehnten Stufe vorangeschrittenen Bodhisattvas ist - steht
Nine encircled deities are arranged in three registers within the mandala's primary court [kutagara]. In the center is Vairochana, one pair of hands at his chest held in a gesture of adoration [anjali mudra], another upward-turned pair held in his lap in meditative gesture [dhyana mudra]. Other hands hold the bow and arrow, a rosary, and a wheel.
Surrounding Vairochana and placed at the cardinal points of the compass are four symbols of the "families" [kula] associated with the four transcendent Buddhas [Tathagatas]:
The 4 Tathagatas are themselves at the centers of the 4 adjacent circles:
Each is surrounded by four attendants. In four circles marking the intermediate points of the compass are four goddesses associated with offerings made to the mandala's central deity:
Four further offering goddesses appear at the corners:
Each quadrant contains two hundred and fifty bodhisattvas who are associated with the Tathagata presiding over each of the four cardinal directions. Outside the sacred circle of the central mandala, at the four cornerss of the painting, are four further circles of deities. In the top register is a series of celestial and historical figures associated with the teachings of the Vajradhatu mandala. The first Tibetan in the series. The sixth figure from the left may be Rinchesen Sangpo, noted above as the Tibetan translator of the STTS
Without identifying inscriptions, the other historical figures cannot be named with certainty. The bottom register includes a Tibetan monk seated before implements and objects of ritual worship, and sixteen protector deities
The original painting can be dated to the late fourteenth century. Newari artists from Nepal painted this work, either for the monastery of Ngor or another religious site in central Tibet.
Source: Catalogue "Sacred Visions - Early Paintings from Central Tibet", Steven M. Kossak and Jane Casey Singer, published on conjunction with the exhibition held at The Metropolitn Museum of Art, New York, October 6, 1998 - January 17, 1999, ISBN 0-87099-861-7
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Measurements: | 18.5 x 24.4" | 47 x 62 cm |
| Price: | on request |
| Shipment: | Parcel Service from Germany or Nepal |
| Color: | Color Version |
| Material: | Natural Stone Colors |