Exhibitions 25


THE SECOND BUDDHA Master of Time


Tis exhibition is the first in a year-long theme of exhibitions of Te Future. Te choice of Padmasambhava as the subject of the Rubin’s opening exhibition is extremely fitting because almost everything surrounding him relates to the future. Te future, believed to be interconnected with the past, is the time frame during which his followers, yet unborn, can find the places where he had hidden his sacred teachings in the 8th century, a time capsule as it were, to await the right moment in time to be discovered and revealed. Eight years after my


mahaparinirvana, a remarkable being with the name Padmasambhava will appear in the centre of a lotus and reveal the highest teaching concerning the ultimate state of the true nature, bringing great benefit to all sentient beings – Buddha Shakyamuni, circa 400 BC


Organised in three sections, the first section introduces the legendary master Padmasambhava in the context of Tibetan cultural history. Te other two sections delve into the concealed treasure teachings and the interconnected nature of the past and future. Padmasambhava is also


known as Guru Padmasambhava (Precious Master) and is also referred to as the Second Buddha. Tis is because he was the sole recipient of the known and unknown teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni, who himself is accepted not only as being fully enlightened, but also having attained the highest possible level of realisation or nirvana. Padmasambhava is also responsible for bringing Buddhism from India to Tibet in the 8th century. Actually, the Buddha himself predicted Padmasambhava’s reincarnation to appear some 12 centuries later and this is supported by clear predictions in 19 different


In Tibetan, Guru


Vajrakilaya of the Eight Pronouncements, Tibet, circa late 13th century, pigments on cloth, 61 x 57 cm. Collection of Michael and Beata McCormick


sutras and tantras. Information about Padmasambhava’s early life is sketchy. It is believed he was reincarnated in the 8th century as an eight-year old child inside a lotus blossom floating on Lake Dhanakosha, probably in modern Odisha. He is credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century and was responsible for disseminating the secret teachings which the Shakyamuni Buddha had hidden to await the proper time to be found. Knowledge about him historically has always eluded us and what is believed is the subject of many myths and legends. One fact might be known (or deeply believed) is that major role in bringing Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century. Te subject of many myths and legends, little is known about him historically. What is probably factual is that during the reign of Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of Tibet (ruled 755-798) established the kingdom’s first Buddhist monastery in Samye. Here the first school of Buddhist teachings, the Nyingma or ‘ancient’ School, the oldest of the four major traditions of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, was founded. It was founded not just because he was an absolute king, but because as one of the 25 lobma, or disciples, of Padmasambhava,


Padmasambhava is generally referred to as Guru Rinpoche, which means ‘precious master.’ Guru Rinpoche is a totally enlightened being, a fully awakened one, a buddha. He did not become enlightened gradually, or start practising the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni and eventually achieve enlightenment. Guru Rinpoche incarnated as a fully enlightened being. Trough his form, primordial wisdom manifests in the world to benefit all sentient beings – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987), the eleventh Trungpa Kagyu guru


Te iconography, lineage


connections, the manifestations, sub-manifestations, levels of existence and the melding of the future with the past are probably the most complex – and confusing – in all of Buddhism. In brevis, the Nyingma School dwells on triumphing over obstacles, the transformation of sentient beings and concepts of time. Padmasambhava and his manifestations, the Eight Siddhis, deliver understandings which surpass the six human senses and into a metaphysical world beyond which opens the total energy of one’s true nature. In essence, for one to see and understand the visible and invisible universes, one meditates on Padmasambhava manifestations, who it is believed to be the original nature of all phenomena, beyond life and death, beyond appearance and non- appearance and beyond all opposites. At this point, a careful and slow voyage, or voyages, through the exhibition will begin to introduce and explain the complexities (and wonders) that lie within. Martin Barnes Lorber


• Rubin Museum of Art, to 7 January 2019, rubinmuseum.org • A catalogue is available


CHILDREN TO IMMORTALS Figural Representations in Chinese Art


Conveying a person’s inner spirit (chuanshen) is the central aspect of figural representation in Chinese art. Rather than prioritising accurate anatomical renderings, artists sought to capture the ‘life energy’ of their subjects. Tis new exhibition explores sophisticated decorative arts that depict figures dating to late imperial China, from the Song (960–1279) to the Qing (1644–1911) dynasty. Over this thousand-year period, images of humans, legendary figures, and immortals frequently appeared. Te first gallery focuses on children, a ubiquitous and long-standing motif expressing the cultural importance of offspring. Te


Daoist immortal Laozi by Chinese, Chen Yanqing (Chinese, active 15th century), Ming dynasty (1368-1644), dated 1438, gilt brass, lost-wax cast, 19 x 12 x 7 cm), Te Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1997


second gallery displays scenes from idealised daily life, historical novels, and legends. Various religious figures from Buddhism and Daoism are presented in the third gallery. Some of the objects in this exhibition are recognised masterpieces, while others are little known and have not been on view for decades. Mainly drawn from Te Met’s collection, the exhibition explores the sense of chuanshen in a variety of media, including textiles, lacquer, jade, ceramic, wood, bamboo, and metalwork. • Metropolitan Museum of Art, to 26 May 2019, metmuseum.org • Rotation 2: 1 June to 23 February 2020


SEPTEMBER 2018 ASIAN ART AUCTION:


SEPT. 8, 2018 (6PM EST)


EXHIBITION:


WED. AUG. 29 - FRI. SEPT. 7 (10AM - 7PM EST), SAT. SEPT. 8


(10AM - 5PM EST)


Warring States, A Pair of Rare Gold and Silver-inlaid Bronze Bixie-Form Ritual Vessel, Dou


FINE CHINESE PAINTINGS AND WORKS OF ART www.gianguanauctions.com || Info@gianguanauctions.com


39 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019 USA || Asian Art Newspaper (Sept issue) H.178 x W.128mm (3mm bleed) Untitled-3 1 08/08/2018 11:01 1 212.867.7288


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