Vajradhara, Nairatmya, and mahasiddhas Virupa and Kanha
1450
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1450
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Vajradhara, Nairatmya, and mahasiddhas Virupa and Kanha is a 1450 unspecified by Unknown, a Renaissance work, depicting Central Tibet, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see four holy figures floating on a gold background: a blue Buddha, a red goddess, and two Indian monks in brown robes. This is the first painting in a set that maps a spiritual family tree. The blue Buddha passes wisdom to the goddess, who then appears in a dream to the monk at the bottom left. His student sits beside him, completing the chain. To see more paintings like this, look up Ngor Monastery.
The first in a series depicting the masters who transmitted the teachings on how to reach enlightenment, this painting begins at the upper left with the dark blue Vajradhara, who represents the essence of all Buddhas. The female enlightened being Nairatmya is seated at the upper right. She transmitted the teachings to Virupa, the brown-skinned Indian yogi at the lower left, in a vision; his disciple Kanha is at the lower right.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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