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Folio 94 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and the rishi Bhishmottaranirgosha (recto); text (verso)

Unknown

1104

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Medieval Religious Nepal

Dominant colour

Folio 94 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and the rishi Bhishmottaranirgosha (recto); text (verso) is a 1104 unspecified by Unknown, depicting Nepal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1104
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a bright orange page from an old book, with a small painting at the top. A young man in a white robe kneels before an old sage with long white hair and a beard, sitting under a tree. The background is simple—just a few leaves and a hint of sky. This book is part of a Buddhist story where the boy, Sudhana, travels to learn wisdom. The twist? Many of his teachers aren’t monks—they’re regular people, even Hindu sages like this one. The painting matches the words on the back of the page. If you like this, look up more about Nepal—its art often blends different traditions this way.

The story of this work

Overview

The subject of the painting on this page accords with the text in another section of the manuscript. It describes the encounter of the pilgrim Sudhana with a Hindu Brahmin sage ( rishi ) in the forest, who had reached an enlightened state. Many of Sudhana's teachers were not Buddhist monks, but were "true friends" from many walks of life.