Himalayan Art Resources

Indian Adept (Mahasiddha) Religious Context

Mahasiddha Main Page

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Definition
- Outline Page
- Five Contexts
- Three Groupings
- Technical Glossary
- Systems of Mahasiddhas
- Study Guide (Individual Siddhas)
- Source Texts & Publications
- Vajrayana Buddhism Main Page
- Confusions
- Others...

Videos: Mahasiddha Videos Page

Three Study Topics:
- Source Texts
- Site Locations
- Iconography

The Adepts, kings, monks, scholars, yogis, boatmen, cobblers, men and woman, were the source of the rich Tantric tradition known as Vajrayana Buddhism. There are many systems enumerating who they were and to what occupation they belonged. The earliest known system is that of [1] Abhayadatta Shri, also know as Abhayakara Gupta, followed by the [2] Vajrasana and several other Indian and Nepalese lists such as the [3] Palde (Shrisena). In Tibet the oldest lists are those of the Drigung Tradition, Jonang, and the teachers Buton Rinchen Drub followed by Jamgon Ameshab. Each of these lists maintains a core group of universally excepted scholars and adepts such as Nagarjuna, Virupa, Tilopa and Naropa, however the lists differ on many of the lesser known individuals. (See the Mahasiddha Technical Glossary).

Database Search: All Images | Painting | Sculpture

Jeff Watt 4-2006 [updated 6-2017, 4-2019, 12-2019]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the painting and sculpture links above).