The 3rd Kulika King of Shambhala, Bhadra (Rig ldan bzang po) (?)

Estimated Value:

2.500 € - 3.500 €

Schätzpreis:

11.000 €

Description:

Eastern Tibet, Gadri school, 19th c.
75 x 52 cm R.
Tempera and gold on cotton fabric. The king Bhadra (identity not sure) appears wrathful, in red body color, crowned with a fivefold crown, adorned with golden jewels and entwined with snakes. The right hand holds a fully blossomed lotus stem and the left a vajra rope to bind the enemies. The hips are clothed with a tiger skin. His feet, and his golden throne seat, are supported and carried by numerous serpentine creatures that rise from the primeval ocean. Next to the king appears a female attendant of blue body color, holding sickle knife and kapala in her hands. To the right rises a rocky mountain, at the feet of which is an enclosed monastery complex, and in the courtyard of which teachings are held. Kalacakra is considered by the followers of Vajrayana Buddhism (Diamond Vehicle) to be the final and most magnificent teaching system. Just before Gautama Buddha entered Paranirvana, he transformed himself into the deity Kalacakra and transmitted the "outer", "inner", and "secret" teachings associated with the deity to a large assembly of scholars and deities. Sucandra the first king of the mythical kingdom of Shambhala kept these teachings with him and took them back to his kingdom where he recorded and commented on them. Thus, this system of teachings is intimately connected with the kingdom of Shambhala. According to Tibetan sources, after the Buddha entered Paranirvana, the Kalacakra remained hidden in Shambhala for more than a thousand years. An Indian scholar named Cilupa (or Tsilupa or Tilopa ?) heard about the existence of the mythical kingdom of Shambhala during the 10th century. He decided to find this kingdom in order to receive the Kalacakra teachings, without which it seemed impossible for him to attain enlightenment. Miraculously, he met the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Manjushri. The Bodhisattva enlightened him about the difficulty of getting there, and promised him that if he earnestly wished to do so, he would be able to obtain the realizations and all the knowledge of Kalacakara here on the spot as well. After Cilupa had recognized the Bodhisattva and prostrated himself before him in deep worship, Manjushri introduced him to the secrets of Kalacakara. Another Indian yogi is said to have later succeeded in reaching Shambhala. He returned with a large collection of commentaries on the Kalacakra - Tantra. "Each one of the kings of Shambala will reign for 100 years. There will be a total of 32 kings (25 of which will be named as Kalika kings), and while they are ruling in Shambala, the conditions in the world are increasingly developing for the worse. People lose sight of truth and religion and become more and more entangled in wars. They strive for ever greater power only for the sake of power. Dishonesty, greed and cunning will prevail. The ideology of a ruthlessly exploitative materialism will spread all over the globe. After crushing all external opposition to their doings, the barbarians will fight among themselves until an evil king rises from among them to unite them and gain world domination. Finally, when the tyrant is certain that he has no further resistance to fight, the mists will rise and reveal the snowy mountains of Shambala. Enraged by the discovery that he does not rule the whole world, he will attack the kingdom with his army, which has an arsenal of the most terrible weapons. At that time, the 32nd king of Shambala, Rudra Cakrin, the "Wrathful One with the Wheel," will rise from his throne and lead a mighty army against the invaders. In this last great battle, the evil king of the barbarians and his army are finally destroyed. Framed.
Important German private collection, collected in the 1970s and 80s, mainly acquired from Schoettle Ostasiatica, Stuttgart
Publ. Thangka Calendar 1990, Wind Horse Publishing House, Month September
Cf. E. Bernbaum, Der Weg nach Shambhala - auf der Suche nach dem sagenhaften Königreich im Himalaya; Papyrus Verlag GmbH, Hamburg, 1982 "The kingdom of Shambhala is in your own heart" (Bernbaum, p. 32)
Traces of age, wear, two folding creases

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