Four Mandalas of the Guhyasamaja Cycle

Tibet

Not on view

Mandalas serve as visualizations of the Buddhist cosmos. Celestial palaces for divine beings exist within them, represented here in two-dimensional form. Tibetan monasteries are likewise conceived as three-dimensional mandalas. Residing in this four-fold mandala are the esoteric Buddhist deity Gukyasamaja (a form of Akshobya), Vairochana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi—the five transcendent Buddhas embodying supreme wisdom. Together they command the universe, harnessing enlightenment qualities to aid those seeking true knowledge. Meditation upon this cosmic map aids those journeying on that path.

Four Mandalas of the Guhyasamaja Cycle, Distemper and ink on cloth, Tibet

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Four Mandalas of the Guhyasamaja Cycle, Distemper and ink on cloth, Tibet
Four Mandalas of the Guhyasamaja Cycle, Distemper and ink on cloth, Tibet

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