News

The Mahachakra Vajrapani Page has been updated with additional paintings and sculpture.

Database search parameters for 'Bodhisattva, Standing' have been added to the system Search. A link is also provided on the Bodhisattva Main Page and titled Standing Sculpture Images.

Database search parameters for Avalokiteshvara Standing have been added to the system Search. A link is also provided on the Avalokiteshvara Standing Main Page and titled All Sculpture Images.

These paintings of Tara surrounded by an additional twenty-one forms are conditionally designated as describing the Sadhana-sammucchaya Tradition. The only reason for this designation is because they do not fit into the Suryagupta system where each form of Tara has a different appearance, colour, numbers of heads, arms, attributes, etc. They also do not fit into the Atisha system where each Tara holds a vase in the extended right hand. They again do not fit into either of the two Nyingma systems where the principal symbolic attribute of the deity is depicted above the flower blossom on the left hand side.

It is very possible that other traditions and systems for describing the Twenty-one Taras will be found or discovered in rare religious texts.

The individual links for the Eight Forms of Padmasambhava on the subject main page have been updated with additional images.

The Tara Main Page has been updated with new navigation, links and images.

A gallery page for the Twenty-one Taras according to the tradition of Jowo Atisha - in a single composition - has been added to the related Tara pages.

The Bhaviveka Page has been updated. As a central figure he is typically found as a pre-incarnation in the line of Tibetan Panchen Lamas. Bhaviveka can be found as a secondary figure in other compositions but not usually as a central figure. One of the very best painting examples belongs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

A Dhritarashtra Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page. Dhritarashtra is traditionally the Guardian of the East, or Eastern Direction.

A Virudhaka Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page. Virudhaka is traditionally the Guardian of the South, or Southern Direction.

A Virupaksha Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

The page for the Indian mahasiddha, Shavaripa has been updated. Shavaripa typically appears holding a bow and arrow. Often he wears a lower skirt of peacock feathers.

There are three standard visual presentations for depicting the Panchen Lama Incarnation and Pre-incarnation Lineage. They can be described as short, medium and long. The shortest of the three numbers thirteen figures [13] in total and the best and most complete example of this is a set of paintings in the collection of Tibet House, New Delhi.

The medium length enumeration and visual depiction adds two more figures - Padmasambhava and Atisha for a total of fifteen [15]. A wood block print edition of the Prajnaparamita Sutra decorated with numerous Buddhas, deities, individual teachers and lineages of teachers and incarnations best highlights the inclusion of the two additional figures of the medium enumeration.

The longest presentation of the incarnation lineage adds four more Indian teachers for a total of nineteen [19] individuals and potentially nineteen individual painted compositions. The numbers of thirteen, fifteen and nineteen are all three based on the central figure of the earliest and most important of the sets being the person of the 3rd Panchen Lama, Lobzang Palden Yeshe (1738-1780). It was during the later life of the 3rd Panchen that the sets of incarnation paintings became widespread and popular.

A Parnashavari Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

An early Tibetan mandala of Ekallavira Achala in a private collection:
An Art Historical Analysis by Pratapaditya Pal.


The history of portable Tibetan painting can now be confidently pushed back to the eleventh century. Buddhism was officially introduced to the country under the great ruler Song-tsen Gampo (r. 609-649) of the Yarlung dynasty and one can form a good idea of the architecture and sculpture of this early historical period; but significant evidence for Tibetan painting of any kind, cannot be traced back much earlier than the tenth century. (Read the full article).

The Padmasambhava Main Page has been updated with new pages along with smoother navigation between pages and sections. There still remains a considerable amount of work to organize the painting sets particularly for the Eight Main Forms, Terma Representations and Life Story.

An Atisha Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A White Tara Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

There is a prevalent myth concerning Eastern deities or gods that have three eyes - two regular and a third eye at the center of the forehead. The myth with regard to Buddhist iconography and Himalayan style art is that any deity with three eyes means that the deity is enlightened and on the same level as a Buddha.

Padmapani, as a name for Lokeshvara, is very much a Sanskrit language term coming out of the Sutra and Mahayana traditions of Buddhism. The Tibetan language translation of the name Padmapani is not easily found in the Tibetan literature. The name is also not commonly, if ever, found in Vajrayana Buddhism where the forms of Lokeshvara are understood as meditational deities with clear descriptions and meanings taught in the various Tantra texts. The most common Sanskrit names for the deity in Vajrayana Buddhism are Lokeshvara, Avalokita, Avalokiteshvara, Lokanata and Mahakarunika. After that there are scores of names for specific forms of Lokeshvara - peaceful, wrathful and in-between.

It is interesting to note that in the study of Art History the term Padmapani is almost exclusively used with reference to sculpture and not painting.

The general description of Padmapani is of a peaceful male deity, seated or standing, wearing a crown, jewels and heavenly garments, holding a flower, or stem of a flower in the left hand that blossoms at the level of the shoulder. This type of appearance can also be called bodhisattva appearance. Peaceful deity appearance and bodhisattva appearance are the same. Any figure that fits this description could also be called a 'lotus holder' without drawing a connection to Lokeshvara.

A specific description of Lokeshvara Padmapani and a positive identification requires in addition to the characteristics above, Amitabha Buddha on the crown of the head, and a krishnasara deer skin over the left shoulder.