Bodhisattvas of Wisdom, Compassion, and Power

Manjushri reveals and preserves the subtle nature of the Buddha’s teachings. Here, he appears in an approachable form as a fresh uncorrupted youth, the celibate crown prince who will act as a Buddha as long as the teachings (dharma) endure in this world. He holds the stem of a lotus that likely once supported the Prajnaparamita Sutra (Perfection of Wisdom). This text is understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology, which Manjushri personifies and is able to communicate.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

With his knitted brows, fearsome face, and aggressive stance, Manjushri takes on a manifestation associated with his role as a tantric-knowledge being. He originally had a sword in his right hand and in his left he displays the gesture of discourse and teaching (vitarka mudra). Elaborate jewels in his headdress and on his belt relate to Sogdian motifs from Central Asia, while the gold textile patterns of his dhoti (loincloth) likely have north India as their source.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Manjushri can take on various aggressive tantric manifestations, such as Achala, who can be seen here in a sexual embrace with his consort Vishvavajri. The pair visually expresses the bliss of enlightenment that can be achieved by combining knowledge and wisdom. In his right hand, he holds a sword that he uses to separate truth from illusion and to free his devotees from suffering and unhappiness. Tantric texts describe Achala as removing obstacles and destroying the strength of demons and evil spirits that he then binds with the noose seen in his left hand. In Nepalese Buddhism, he is associated with magic, healing, and protection from disease. He is one of the few tantric deities openly venerated by the lay community.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Manjushri, appearing in his tantric manifestation of Manjuvajra, is shown in his palatial abode at the center of this mandala. Embracing his consort Prajna, he possesses a golden body, three faces, and an array of weapons—all corresponding to descriptions found in the text of the Nishpanna Yogavali (Garland of Perfection Yoga). Drawing on this text and using this mandala (a diagram of reality’s true nature), a tantric practitioner would evoke Manjuvajra in the hope of gaining insight, a retentive memory, intelligence, and eloquence. In the corners are different forms of Manjushri, while along the base are auspicious deities, ferocious protectors, and a monk who sits before an altar eternally consecrating the mandala. The figural style and a range of motifs suggest that a Nepalese artist painted this work for a Tibetan patron.



On view from March 27, 2021–February 22, 2022

The most popular tantric manifestation of Manjushri is Vajrabhairava. Here, he has a buffalo head, holds an array of weapons, and tramples on birds, dogs, and Hindu gods. In this form, he is sometimes called Yamantaka, or the defeater of death, a deity that ends the cycle of rebirth and provides a path to nirvana. He frightens away egotism and selfishness—the root of suffering—and in this true form reveals the awesome and terrifying nature of enlightenment. For this extraordinary embroidery, the artist employed fine silk floss to achieve brilliant gradations of color and used horsehair underneath to create three-dimensional effects. The work was likely part of a group given by the Yongle-period emperor Chengzu to a Tibetan monk who conducted Vajrayana rituals in the Chinese court in 1415–16.



On view from February 25–October 30, 2022

In the center, Manjushri brandishes his sword to cut through ignorance and provide the reader with greater access to the text. At right, Avalokiteshvara holds a lotus and clasps his hands in a gesture of veneration (anjali mudra), addressing the reader’s false sense of reality governed by ego and attachment. At left, the striding bodhisattva Vajrapani provides the energy of enlightenment to empower the subtle doctrine of the text. This three-dimensional carved cover presents these bodhisattvas on thrones in elaborate shrine-like enclosures, which are set within a field of roiling clouds.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

The scene on this vibrant red manuscript cover would only have been visible to monastic practitioners reading the enclosed text. The top row features the fierce protector Mahakala, followed by four mahasiddhas (quasi-mythic tantric masters) and, finally, the goddess Tara, who holds her hand in a gesture of giving (varada mudra). The figures on the bottom are all auspicious and include another version of Tara, Jambala (the god of wealth), and four bodhisattvas. Together, this set of deities empowered and protected the manuscript.



On view from March 27, 2021–February 22, 2022

The upper cover shows the most important Mahayana Buddhist deities: at center is the Buddha attaining enlightenment; at his right are the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Vajrapani; at his left sit Shadakshari Lokeshvara and Tara. Together, these deities represent enlightenment, compassion, correct method and practice, and protection from worldly harm. The lower cover, in contrast, illustrates fierce protective deities flanking a central bodhisattva: Achala and Marichi at his right, and Mahapratisara and Mahakala at his left. Although these deities from the esoteric Vajrayana tradition appear in north Indian sculptures and manuscript illustrations, only in Tibet are they grouped in a set as here.



On view from May 1– October 30, 2022

Lavishly illustrated Perfection of Wisdom texts are understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology. Often they were not read but instead were placed on altars so they could be venerated almost like images. This well-preserved Indian palm-leaf manuscript probably made its way to Tibet, where it survived in the cold, dry climate. A key aspect of Avalokiteshvara is that he is always available to his devotees. Here, he interacts with his ecstatic followers. Behind him, a red protector holds an umbrella to shelter and honor this bodhisattva. The articulation of this exquisitely painted folio hints at the existence of large-scale, but now lost, paintings that must have been important to these north Indian Buddhist communities.



On view from September 25, 2021–February 22, 2022

Lavishly illustrated Perfection of Wisdom texts are understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology. Often they were not read but rather were placed on altars so they could be venerated almost like images. This well-preserved Indian palm-leaf manuscript probably made its way to Tibet, where it survived in the cold, dry climate. In this four-armed form, Avalokiteshvara holds his primary hands in the gesture of veneration (anjali mudra) and, in the others, a mala (string of prayer beads) and a book. He sits in the yogic posture of meditation, flanked by goddesses and a god.



On view from March 27–September 19, 2021

Lavishly illustrated Perfection of Wisdom texts are understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology. Often they were not read but rather were placed on altars so they could be venerated almost like images. This well-preserved Indian palm-leaf manuscript probably made its way to Tibet, where it survived in the cold, dry climate. Avalokiteshvara twists to display the teaching gesture while looking down from his throne to engage with a seated female devotee. The floating stupa evokes the Buddha’s teaching (dharma) and the underlying quality of Buddhahood within all devotees.



On view from March 27–September 19, 2021

Lavishly illustrated Perfection of Wisdom texts are understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology. Often they were not read but instead were placed on altars so they could be venerated almost like images. This well-preserved Indian palm-leaf manuscript probably made its way to Tibet, where it survived in the cold, dry climate. In this multiarmed depiction, Avalokiteshvara simultaneously holds a mala (string of prayer beads), a text, and a vessel with flowers. With his other hands, he gestures to offers boons (varada mudra) and displays the teaching gesture (dharmachakra mudra), providing a path to enlightenment. He sits within an elaborate stacked structure that likely is the source for Tibetan and Nepalese altars.



On view from September 25, 2021–February 22, 2022

These manuscript paintings do not illustrate the adjacent doctrinal text but instead bring auspiciousness and act to protect the collected body of Buddhist writings. Wearing beautiful textiles, jewelry, and a crown, Avalokiteshvara sits in the relaxed posture of a king or god. Conceptually he is present for his devotees, who need only to say his name and he will help them navigate the ocean of rebirth. Avalokiteshvara offers protection and, most important, frees one from self-imposed delusions. Emphasizing this role, he holds his right hand in a gesture of boon giving (varada mudra).



On view from March 27–September 19, 2021

These manuscript paintings do not illustrate the adjacent doctrinal text but instead bring auspiciousness and act to protect the collected body of Buddhist writings. This unusual six-armed red Avalokiteshvara holds a bow to dispel impediments standing in the way of enlightenment, as well as a mala (string of prayer beads), a text, and a lotus. His final hand is lowered in the boon-giving gesture (varada mudra).



On view from September 25, 2021–February 22, 2022

These manuscript paintings do not illustrate the adjacent doctrinal text but instead bring auspiciousness and act to protect the collected body of Buddhist writings. This unusual six-armed red Avalokiteshvara holds a bow to dispel impediments standing in the way of enlightenment, as well as a mala (string of prayer beads), a text, and a lotus. His final hand is lowered in the boon-giving gesture (varada mudra). As Avalokiteshvara’s ferocious manifestation, Mahakala (The Great Black One) rids the world of corruption and protects the monastic community as well as the Buddha’s teachings (the dharma). In this early depiction, he is surrounded by a flaming halo and wears a garland of severed heads.



On view from September 25, 2021–February 22, 2022

These manuscript paintings do not illustrate the adjacent doctrinal text but instead bring auspiciousness and act to protect the collected body of Buddhist writings. As Avalokiteshvara’s ferocious manifestation, Mahakala (The Great Black One) rids the world of corruption and protects the monastic community as well as the Buddha’s teachings (the dharma). In this early depiction, he crosses his arms to symbolize a vajra, wields a sword, and holds his right hand in a gesture of boon giving (varada mudra).



On view from March 27–September 19, 2021

Avalokiteshvara’s left hand holds the stem of a now-lost lotus, an attribute of this bodhisattva, whose beauty grows out of the “mud” of samsara (the cycle of rebirth). It also indicates his place within the lotus family of the Buddha Amitabha. Avalokiteshvara compassionately presides over our realm of existence during the time between the death of the Buddha Shakyamuni and the coming of the future Buddha Maitreya. The inlaid silver for the eyes, the copper for the lips, and the jewelry details all reflect Tibetan responses to north Indian Pala sculptural models.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Commissioned by the Ming dynasty for the Huguo monastery (the primary residence for Tibetan monks in Beijing), this painting features the three great bodhisattvas who protect the nation. The top figure of Vajradhara (an esoteric form of Vajrapani and the source of the tantras) embodies the power of enlightenment, while below are the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara. Instead of the eighty-four ascetic mahasiddhas (tantric masters), the upper part of the painting is filled with celestials and generalized bodhisattvas. More typical of Tibetan iconography are the fierce protectors running down the spine and across the base. Although a product of a Chinese workshop, the style of this painting reflects an awareness of Nepalese forms. According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, the date at the base of the work corresponds to the celebration of the Buddha’s enlightenment and parinirvana (death).



On view from February 25, 2022–October 30, 2022

This esoteric form of Avalokiteshvara holds a range of attributes in his twenty-four hands, including the sun, the moon, a vajra, and a bell. Multiarmed, powerful tantric forms of Avalokiteshvara were introduced into East Asia by the monk Amoghavajra as part of an eighth-century effort to repel Tibet’s military expansion across Central Asia. Later, this protective form of Avalokiteshvara, who is able to aid his numerous devotees with his many arms, became especially popular in Tibet after the north Indian monk Atisha (980–1054) emphasized this tantric deity.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Avalokiteshvara plays a crucial devotional role as Mahakala, who is the ferocious protector of Buddhist teachings and, by extension, of the monastic community. Here, he stands with the flayed skin of an elephant over his shoulders and holds ritual implements in his six hands. Above, the celestial Buddha Amitayus presides over the scene and is flanked by ascetic mahasiddhas and monastic patriarchs from the Gelugpa order. The hyperrealistic painting style heightens the viewer’s emotional response, emphasizing Mahakala’s role as a destroyer of evil. A dedicatory inscription on the reverse, which could equally apply to a peaceful representation of Avalokiteshvara, reads in part:



My humble salutations to the most loving, compassionate of all times—the past—present and the future . . . To you I pray that my good deeds be of service to all living beings from now until the time when all have achieved Buddhahood. May you the Great Protector [Mahakala] always be near to us and help us to follow the path to righteousness.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Vajrapani stands to the Buddha’s right, holding a bar-shaped vajra (thunderbolt). In this early period, artists depicted Vajrapani as a muscular hero, drawing on Heracles imagery that came to Gandhara through trade. Significantly, Vajrapani does not appear in the written narrative describing the first sermon; instead, the vajra-holding figure was added in order to protect the Buddha and bring auspiciousness to the narrative scene. The Buddha sets the wheel of law (dharma) in motion, revealing the teachings to the surrounding five monks, who in turn spread this doctrine and establish the monastic order.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

This vajra-holding deity lowers his right hand to offer boons and salvation (varada mudra). Interestingly, Vajrapani is the only bodhisattva mentioned in the seminal text of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Based on the presence of the high crown, it appears that during this period in Nepal Vajrapani was conflated with Indra, the god of thunder. Stylistically, this Nepalese sculpture draws on works being cast at the great north Indian Buddhist pilgrimage sites at this time.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

At the center, crossed vajras indicate the cardinal directions and the universe’s axis—a place of ultimate stability where the Buddha reached enlightenment—which is marked here with a diamond. The gems, semiprecious stones, and coral convey ideas of purity and together form a mosaic that evokes the crystalline nature of the heavens. On either side of the armlet are reddish-coral kirtimukha faces that symbolize the relentless passage of time.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Symbolizing the energy associated with enlightenment, the vajra is often described as a bolt of lightning with the indestructible, luminescent quality of a diamond. Vajras like these examples are used in Esoteric Buddhist rituals in conjunction with mantras and hand gestures. On each end, the four prongs, representing the cardinal directions, surround a central spike marking the cosmic axis.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

Vajrasattva, an Esoteric Buddhist deity, holds a vajra and a bell that symbolizes compassion and wisdom. His lotus pedestal, which is situated on a stylized hourglass-shaped mountain, suggests a celestial realm. Two snake deities—a naga and nagini—emerge from the mountain’s waters and raise their hands in veneration of his transcendent wisdom. To purify the mind, a practitioner will undergo a ritual that evokes Vajrasattva before undertaking the advanced Vajrayana practice of aligning oneself with a tantric deity.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

This wrathful tantric personage holds the handle of a now-lost sword in one hand and a single-pronged vajra in the other. An opening in the center of his chest reveals a multipronged vajra in his body’s interior, which corresponds to textual descriptions of Vajrasattva having a heart and soul like a vajra. However, his identity is not clear. He has a vertical third eye and upward-pointed fangs, marking him as an aggressive protector that may well have been part of a larger composition.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

The Buddha Vajradhara is a divine manifestation of the totality of Buddhist teachings and is credited with being the source of the Buddhist tantric texts. Here, he holds a vajra and a bell that symbolizes energy (male) and emptiness (female). This sculpture is remarkable for the many surviving original inset pieces of turquoise and semiprecious stones and for the silver wire inlay in his dhoti (loincloth). These components indicate his divine status and evoke the crystalline nature of the heaven where he resides.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022