Tales of Buddha Shakyamuni’s past lives are well-known in Himalayan culture. They are often presented in series of paintings, with each painting illustrating several of the 108 stories.
Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on a lotus, holding a begging bowl in his left hand and making the gesture of giving with his right hand. Landscape elements separate the narrative scenes arranged around the central image. The scenes illustrate his teaching stories about principles of causality (karma) and depict episodes from his previous lives and his last human life in which he became the Buddha. The narrative scenes begin in the lower right section and move in clockwise direction. They include an explanation of cause and effect regarding building stupas, an account of King Punyabala’s generosity, and the story of the trials of Kunala, King Ashoka’s son. These stories correspond to tales fifty-seven through fifty-nine of the 108.
Ritual informs the structure of religious life in the Himalayas, defining the daily routine of practitioners and shaping a range of community-based activities.
In Himalayan cultures religious merit is the overarching reason for creating, commissioning, dedicating, and using religious works of art.
Religious rituals and the commissioning of art can serve everyday secular needs, the most common being wealth, health, and long life.
Tantric practitioners strive to transform themselves by using meditative and ritual tools with the ultimate goal of enlightenment or awakening.
Instructive paintings can illustrate religious doctrines, medical and astrological charts, or images of ritual implements and meditative postures.
Experience a sacred space similar to what could be found in a Tibetan household where religious objects are displayed and used in ritual and devotional practices.
In Himalayan regions and culturally connected regions of Inner Asia the main religious traditions are Buddhism, Hinduism, and Bon.
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Storytelling is a main means of teaching in Buddhist cultures and includes morality tales, legends, and life stories of the Buddha.
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