Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Refuge Field (Buddhist) - Nyingma Lineage

སྐྱབས་འགྲོའི་ཞིང་ངམ་ཚོགས་ཞིང་། 皈依境(佛教)
(item no. 90503)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1800 - 1899
Lineages Nyingma
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Object/Concept

Interpretation / Description

Padmasambhava and consort (Tibetan: pe ma jung ne yab yum) in the middle of a field for the accumulation of merit, Refuge Field (Tib.: tsog shing) arranged according to the tradition of the Longchen Nyingtig system of Revealed Treasure in the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. (See Longchen Nyingtig Outline Page).

Tibetan: Tsog shing

Seated above are the lineage teachers. At the lower front are the Buddhas. At the left are the transcendent followers (Sanskrit: sangha) - the bodhisattvas. At the right are the Shravaka followers. The sacred books representing the Dharma are stacked behind the central figures. Tutelary deities and protectors are below encircling the Buddhas.

Nyingma Tradition Refuge Field paintings first appear in the 19th century as a visual representation of the Field of Accumulation for the Longchen Nyingtig uncommon preliminary practices as taught by Jigme Lingpa (1729-1798) and later explained in detail by Patrul Rinpoche in the famous text The Words of My Perfect Teacher. Recent painting commissions depicting the 'terma' revelations of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche reveal several Refuge Field compositions.

Jeff Watt 5-2000 [updated 2-2011]

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Collection of Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
Subject: Refuge Field Main Page
Padmasambhava: Refuge Field
Padmasambhava: 'Revealed Treasure'
Subject: Longchen Nyingtig Field of Accumulation
Subject: Refuge Field (Nyingma)
Padmasambhava: Father & Mother (All Standard Forms)
Subject: Longchen Nyingtig Refuge Field (Standard Composition)
Collection of Southern Alleghenies: Teachers