Tibetan Iconography of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Other Deities

ISBN: 9788124601785
Year Of Publication: 2002
Edition: 1st
Pages : xxiii, 784
Bibliographic Details : 360 B/w photographs; Complete Book on Art Paper; Bibliography; Index
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Size: 29 cm.
Weight: 3800

Beginning with a few aniconic symbols, like footprints, the Bo tree or stupas, in the pre-christian Indian art, Buddhism, over the centuries, came to evolve a be-wildering array of deities — in ever-increasing number of pantheons. Interestingly, in Buddhism today, there are perhaps as many pantheons as there are countries, or internal regions or sects within them. Chou Fo P’u-sa sheng Hsiang Tsan, in focus here, is one of these many Buddhist pantheons and acknowledgedly the ‘culmination of Lamaist art’. Authored by Rol. pahi.rdo.rje, alias Lalitavajra, (1717-1786): an imperial preceptor of Emperor Ch’ien-lung (1736-1795), it is a rare set of 360 wood-cuts/xylographs, representing varying forms and manifestations of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, tantric and tutelary deities, arhats, sages, teachers, dharmapalas and protective divinities. It is also accompanied by 360 `eulogies’ in Chinese. Two internationally distinguished scholars here team up to present afresh the Chou Fo p’u-sa Sheng Hsiang Tsan, aptly called ‘a unique pantheon’. Drawing together all the 360 wood-cut images in their vividly enlarged/enhanced versions — without compromising their aesthetic integrity, the book not only captures their subtle iconic devices, but spells out as well, in meticulous detail, all their iconic attributes, like body postures, faces, arms/hands, mudras, asanas, vahanas, companions, and whether clam or wrathful. The book also incorporates the names of each deity/deity-form in Sanskrit, Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Chinese. Unveiling, for the first time, the images of a veritably unique pantheon, in their enlarged format, and their accompanying Chinese eulogies, the book is bound to fascinate anyone concerned with Buddhist art and iconography.

Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
360 Icons of Chu Fo P’u-sa Sheng Hsiang Tsan
Teachers (Guru) : Prajna Teachers
Nagarjuna — Asanga — Aryadeva — Vasubandhu — Dinnaga — Dharmakirti — Gunaprabha — Shkyaprabha — Candrakirti — Shantideva
Teachers (Guru) : Guhya Teachers
Saraha — Luhipada — Ghantapada — Krishnacarin — Lalita(vajra) — Dombipada — Tailikapada — Nadapada
Teachers (Guru) : Bodhimarga Lam.rim Teachers
Arya-Atisha — hBrom-ston-pa — bCon-kha-pa chen-po — Yuvarajasvamin — Siddhasamgha — Svamimahapandita-Sumatidharmadhvaja — Svami-Vagishvarasumatisagara — Mahapandita-Sumatijnana — Dalai Lama — Kalpabhadrasamudra
Buddhas: Mahaguhya Buddhas
Jina Vajradhara — Guhyasamaja-Manjuvajra — Antarasadhana-Manjughosha — Guhyasamaja-Lokeshvara — Jinasagara-Avalokiteshvara — Kalacakra — Shri-Cakrasamvara — Sita-Shamvara — Garuda-Shamvara — Shabala Vajragaruda — Bhairava — Krishnari — Shanmukha — Rakta-Yamari — Ekavira-Bhairava — Hevajra — Hridaya-Hevajra — Vajramrita — Mahamaya — Buddhakapala — Jnanadakini — Nairatma — Vajravarahi — Dakini — Vajrahumkara — Vajracatuhpitha — Yogambara — Mahacakra-Vajrapati — Kurukulla — Guhyasadhana-Hayagriva — Padmanarteshvara-Hayagriva
Buddhas: Various Guhya Buddhas
Caturbhuja-Amitayus — Amitayus — Vajradhatu — Vairocana-Shakyasimha — Dharmadhatu-Vagishvara — Sarvavid-Vairocana — Vajrasattva — Abhisambodhi-Vairocana — Bhutadamara-Vajrapati — Nilambaradhara-Vajrapati — Alpa-canda-Vajrapati (Chun) — Ucarya-Vajrapati — Trimukha-shadbhuja-Canda — Lohakhadga-Hayagriva
Buddhas: Five Buddhas
Vairocana — Akshobhya — Ratnasambhava — Amitabha — Amoghasiddhi
Buddhas: Thirty-five Buddhas (of Confession)
Shakyamuni — Vajragarbhapramardin — Ratnarcis — Nageshvararaja — Virasena — Viranandin — Ratnagni — Ratnacandraprabha — Amoghadarshin — Ratnacandra — Vimala — Shuradatta — Brahman — Brahmadatta — Varuna — Varunadeva — Bhadrashri — Candanashri — Anantaujas — Prabhasashri — Ashokashri — Narayana — Kusumashri — Brahmajyotirvikriditabhinja — Padmajyotirvikriditabhinja — Dhanashri — Smritishri — Suparikirtitanamashri — Indraketudhvajaraja — Suvikrantashri — Yuddhajaya — Vikrantagamishri — Samantavabhasavyuhashri — Ratnapadmavikramin — Shailendraraja (Buddha)
Buddhas: Ten Buddhas (of the Directions)
Anucarin (?) (Buddha) — Abhyudgataraja (Buddha) — Hkhon.dan(?).rgyags.pa.rnam.gnon — Ratnangavyuhadyuti (Buddha) — Sans.rgyas Bdud.dan.yid.gnis.kun.hjoms — Avaivartikacakrasambhavashri — Rattnacchattrodgata — Sans.rgyas Byan.sems.hdul.ba — Nirbhayavigatatamoraja (?) — Prathamacittotpadasamshayacchedika (?)
Buddhas: Six Buddhas (of the Past)
Vipashyin (Buddha) — Shikhin — Vishvabhu — Krakucchanda — Kanakamuni — Kashyapa
Buddhas: Seven Buddhas of Medicine
Suparikirtitanamashriraja — Ratnacandrapadma-pratimanditapandita (?) — tejahsvaraghoshraja — Suvarnabhadravimalaratnaprabhasavrata — Ashokattamashri — Dharmakirtisagaraghosha — Dharmakirtisagaragra(?)mativikriditabhijnaraja — Bhaishajyaguru-Vaiduryaprabharaja
Buddhas: Various Buddhas
Simhanada — Vajrakshobhya — Rashmisamudgatashrikutaraja — Samantadarshin — Ratnashikhin
Bodhisattvas: Manifestations of Manjushri Bodhisattva
Sita-Manjughosha — Kumarabhuta-Manjushri — Sthiracakra-Manjughosha — Guhyasadhana-Manjughosha — Simhanada-Manjughosha — Vadirad-Manjughosha — Ashtabhuja-Dharmadhatuvagishvara-Manjughosha — Bhadrasvareshvara(?)raja-Manjughosha — Rajalila-Manjughosha — Trailokyavashyadhikara-Manjughosha — Caturbhuja-Namasamgiti-Manjughosha — Prajnacakra-Manjughosha — Tikshna-Manjushri
Bodhisattvas: Manifestations of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
Caturbhuja-Avalokiteshvara — Padmavikasana-Avalokiteshvara — Khasarpana-Avalokiteshvara — Simhanada-Avalokiteshvara — Halahala-Lokeshvara — Vajradharma-Avalokiteshvara — Dvibhuja-Padmanarteshvara-Avalokiteshvara — Ashtadashabhuja-Padmanarteshvara — Hariharivahana-Avalokiteshvara — Trailokyavashamkara-Avalokiteshvara — Caturbhuja-rakta-Lokeshvara — Nilakantha Lokeshvara — Mayajalakrama-Avalokiteshvara — Amoghapasha — Mahabhumika(?)-rakta-Avalokiteshvara — Ekadashamukha — Gaganaraja — Cittavishramana-Avalokiteshvara — Cintamani-Avalokiteshvara — Vajragarbhapramardin-Avalokiteshvara
Bodhisattvas: (Sixteen) Bodhisattvas of Vairocana Buddha
Vajramushti — Vajrayaksha — Vajraraksha — Vajrakarma — Vajrabhasha — Vajrahetu — Vajratikshna — Vajradharma — Vajrahasa — Vajraketu — Vajratejas — Vajraratna — Vajrasadhu — Vajraraga — Vajraraja — Vajrasattva (Bodhisattva)
Bodhisattvas: Various Bodhisattvas
Caturbhuja-Maitreya — Dvibhuja-Maitreya — Akashagarbha — Kshitigrabha — Samantabhadra — Sarvanivaranavishkambhin — Hastivahana-Samantabhadra
Goddesses (Matrika): Pancaraksha
Mahasahasrapramardani — Mahamayuri — Shitavati — Mantranudharani — Pratisara
Goddesses (Matrika): Twenty-two Taras
Khadiravani-Tara — Pravira(?)-Tara — Candrakanti(?)-Tara — Kanakavarna-Tara — Ushnisha-Tara — Humsvaranadini-Tara — Vijaya-Tara — Aparajita-Tara — Marasudana-Tara — Shokavinodana-Tara — Jagadvashi(?)-Tara — Mangalotpadana-Tara — Pacaka-Tara — Kruddha-Kali-Tara — Mahashanti-Tara — Raganishudana-Tara — Sukhada-Tara — Sita-Vijaya-Tara — Duhkhadahana-Tara — Siddhida-Tara — Paripurna-Tara or Parinishpana-Tara — Janguli-Tara
Goddesses (Matrika): Various Goddess
(Vajra) panjarabhashita-Vajratara — Cinakrama-Tara — Cintamanicakra-sita-Tara — Caturbhuja-Cintamanirajni — Shadbhuja-sita-Tara — Dhanada-Tara — Durgottarini-Tara — Sarvarthasadhana-Tara — Arya-Janguli — Caturvimshatibhuj-Ekajata (devi) — Vishvamatri — Ekajata (devi) — Caturbhuja-Cunda(devi) — Bahubhuja-Cunda(devi) — Dashabhuja-Marici — Ashtabhuja-Marici — Dvibhuja-Marici — Marici (with jade girdle) — Vajradhatvishvari-Marici — Ushnishvijaya — Arya-Sitatapatra — Shadbhuja-Parnashabari — Dvibhuja-Parnashbari — Dvibhuja-Prajnaparamita — Caturbhuja-Prajnaparamita — Shadbhuja-Vajrasarasvati — Dvibhuja-Vajrasarasvati — Vina-Sarasvati — Bhrikuti (devi) — Vajracarcika — Dvibhuja-Pratisara — Mahapratyangira — Dhvajagrakeyura — Aparajita — Vajragandhari — Dharmavajri — Karmavajri — Sattvavajri — Ratnavajri — Shramana — Dhanada — Grahamatrika — Prajnalokakritya-sita-Vajra-varahi — Sarvarthasadhana-Varahi
Arhats (Lohan): Eighteen Arhats
Angaja — Ajita — Vanavasin — Kalika — Vajriputra — Bhadra — Kanakavatsa — Kanakabharadvaja — Bakula — Rahula — Cudapanthaka — Pindolabharadvaja — Panthaka — Nagasena — Gopaka — Abheda — Upasaka-Dharmatala — Upasaka-Hva-shan
Arhats (Lohan): Various Arhats
Mahakashyapa — Ananda — Shanakavasin — Upagupta — Dhitika — Kala — Sudarshana
Protective Deities: Mahakala (21 manisfestations)
Shadbhua-Mahakala — hBron-zhal-can — Simhvahana-Takshad — Mahakala-Takshad — Vyaghravahana-Mahakala — Bhagvad-Mahakala — Danda(dhara)-Mahakala — Kakasya-Karmanatha — Panjara-Mahakala — Caturbhuja-Mahakala — Brahmanarupa (Mahakala) — Krishna-Takshad — Shankhapali (devi) — Dhumavati(devi) — Dvibhuja-Shrimati-Devi — Dharmaraja — Takkiraja — Jinamitra — Kshetrapala — Ayushpati-Mahakala — Sita-Cintamani-Mahakala
Protective Deities: Vaishravana
Sita-Ayurvarshana-Vaishravana — Raudra-Krishna-Vaishravana — Maharaja-Vaishravana — Raktashula-Vaishravana — Mahapita-Vaishravana
Protective Deities: Various Dharmapalas
Dridha-Prithvi (devi) — Nartakavara-Vaishravana — Virudhaka — Virupaksha — Dhritarashtra — Shatakratu — Brahman (Brahma) — Candika (devi) – Vasanta-devi — Varsha-devi — Sharad-devi — Hemanta-devi — Mangaladirghayushi — Beg-ce — Citipati — Nila Acala — Pita Jambhala — Sita-Acala — Shadbhuja-Jambhala — Krodha-Mahabala — Trailokyaraja — Krishna-Jambhala — Vighnantaka — Amritakundalin — Vajrashrinkhala — Ashtakapi Acala — Jvalanala — Caturbhuja-Acala — Krodha Bhurkumkuti — Vajravidarani — Zhan-blon-rdo-rje-bdud-hdul — Yaksha-Purnabhadra — Sita-Nagavahana-Jambhala — Krodha Bhurkumkuta — Simhavaktra — Bhagavad-Bhayanashana — Vajrahumkara — Maharakta-Ganapari
References
Bibliography
Index