Shadakshari+Lokeshvara

Title: Shadakshari Lokeshvara (with Deities and Monks) Country of Origin: Tibet Date: Late 15th Century Medium: Distemper and gold on cloth Size: 40 3/8" x 31 1/4" (102.5cm x 79.4cm) Current Location: NYC: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1985.390.3) Gift of Margery and Harry Kahn, 1985
 * Shadakshari Lokeshvara-** with Deities and Monks
 * []**
 * Artwork Identification**

Many different kinds art forms have been put in service of religion. Anything from statues to paintings have been used as visual aides to help followers understand their religion. This painting, which depicts a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, is a great example of Tibetan Buddhist art. The form of Avalokitesvara that is depicted is the four armed Shadakshari Lokeshvara who is the patron boddhisattva of Tibet and one of the most popular deities in Tibet. Shadakshari Lokeshvara is portrayed with four arms and a white face, or in this case, colorless (here you should say that this is an outline depiction rather than a colored one.
 * Introduction**

Located at the center of this gold cloth painting is a form of the compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Avalokiteshva, Shadakshari Lokeshvara. He has a slight smile on his face which could represent his compassion nature. Taking up more than 25% of the painting, dressed in flowing drappery, four arms and surrounded by beautiful halos, there is so much detail put into this painting. The background has 33 total Buddist Divinities and Monks. Each one is different and a lot of details were put into these many little people. There is not a lot of coloring to this painting besides the all gold background, a few orange clouds, and the black ink. Shadakshari Lokeshvara is sitting on a lotus pedestal in his paradise, and we know that the lotus flowers is a symbol of purity. Two of his hands are held in the gesture of adoration or namakaramundra. While the other two hands hold a rosary and a lotus. His eyes are downcast or looking down, which may symbolize meditation, or tranquility.
 * Desciptive Analysis**

What about all the other figures in the composition?

Early Tibetan paintings including this painting, mostly include Deities that are meant to reside within them and generally with a principal detiy located in the center. For this painting Shadakshari Lokeshvara is the principal detiy. Two of his four hands are held in the adoration postion which means the act of paying honor as to a divine being. His other hand is holding a lotus flower which is a sign that he serves living beings, but is free from attachment. Since Shadakshari Lokeshvara looks richly dressed in a flow of the garment, might symbolize that although he is pure, he has not abandoned the good and pleasant things in life.
 * Formal Analysis**

Shadakshari Lokeshvara is believed to be is the embobiment of the mystic Buddhist mantra of the six syllables-Om Mani Padme Hum. These six syllables represent the seed syllables of the six realms of the wheel of life. Om is white and stands for the god realm; Ma is green and stands for the demigod or Asura realm; Ni is yellow and stands for the human realm; Pad is blue and stands for the animal realms; Me is red and stands for hungry ghost realm; Hum is black and stands for the hell realm. Avalokiteshvara helps brings all these different forms to enlightenment.

An incarnation of Avalokitesvara was considered mythically as the Tibetan ancestor in Tibetan manuscripts (Tibetan Treasures, 2).

This piece encompasses many of the complexities of the Buddhist religious tradition and its art. Though there is only one Buddha, there are dozens and dozens of Boddhisattvas, gods and other deities. 33 dieties and monks accompany Shadakshari, including a female version of himself seated to his right. Which points to the fluidity of gender amongst dieties in Buddhism which stems from earlier Vedic and Hindu traditions. The use of gold as a background could be a result of benefactor donation but I think speaks to the Buddhist ideal of casting off the material world to use gold in art instead of as currency. The simplicity of the line drawing with minimal color reflects the simplicity of a monk's life, but the complexity of characters and multitude of characters indicates to the amount of learning required to complete such a painting.
 * Personal Analysis**

While researching, the Internet and many books are filled with many different ways Avalokiteshvara is seen to many people. When I first saw this painting, it had so much detail and the fact that Shadakshari Lokeshvara was front and center amazed me. Even with 33 other Divinities and Monks surrounding him, he stood out, What really won me over was his smile and the way he looked so peaceful. This painting made me want to know more about the Buddhist Religion.

Kreijger, Hugo. //Tibetan Painting//. Shambhala. Boston, 2001
 * Sources**

Mei, Fu (trans. Hongjia, Xiang) //Tibetan Treasures//. Morning Glory Publishers. Beijing, 2001

Rinpoche, Dagyab (trans. Walshe, Maurice). //Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture//. Wisdom Publications. Boston, 1995

Rubin, Donald and Shelley. "Himalayan Art Resources." 1997-2011. Rubin Foundation. 23 March 2011 <[]>.

"Shadakshari Lokeshvara with Dieties and Monks [Tibet] (1985.390.0". In Helibrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. 25 March 2011 <[]> (October 2006)

Yoder, Scott. "History of Tibetan Mandals." __eHow.__ 19 April 2010. Demand Media. 1 April 2011 < []>.

"Shadakshari Lokeshvara-Form of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara." __ShakyaStatues.__ 1 January 2006. ShakyaStatues. 4 April 2011 < []>.