Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is Tibetan Buddhism’s consummate liberator. His name translates roughly as the Lord who Looks Down with Compassion, and his mantra, om mani padme hum, is thought to purify its reciter from the sufferings of existence. The distinctive Shadakshari (“Six-Syllables”) form that he takes here is named for that mantra.
Berthe and John Ford Collection, gift of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey toward Enlightenment, VMFA, Richmond, April 20-August 14, 2019; Rubin Museum of Art, New York, March 12, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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