#dharmapala

"HE IS EQUIPPED TO GUIDE THE SPIRITUAL TRAVELER PAST TEMPTATION ON THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT."

PIC INFO: Resolution at 843×1080 -- Fudō Myōō, a Buddhist deity and guardian of the Buddhist law. His name translates to "The Undefeatable Enlightened King of Buddhism," or "the immovable or unshakable one."

DATE: 13th century (1199-1399)

ARTIST: Japan

DEPARTMENT: Arts of Asia

TITLE: Fudo Myo-o

ORIGIN: Japan (Artist's nationality)

MEDIUM: Wood with polychromy and gilt-bronze accessories

CREDIT LINE: Gift of the Joseph and Helen Regenstein Foundation

OVERVIEW: "The name Fudo Myo-o means “the immovable or unshakable one.” He is one of five myo-o, or lords of light, whose threatening appearance guards the Law of Buddhism. He is equipped to guide the spiritual traveler past temptation on the path to enlightenment. Fudo’s bulging eyes, piercing stare, and protruding fangs express the intensity of his wrath against evil. Seated on a stylized rock formation that symbolizes his steadfastness, he once held his attributes, a rope and sword (these have been removed for conservation), which were used to subdue evil forces and to cut through the ignorance that is the source of suffering. This finely modeled figure reflects the highly detailed, realistic direction taken by Japanese sculptors in the Kamakura period (1185–1333)."

-- THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

And see

It is not some demon

But a wrathful divine

Trying to ensure

Mahakala is as a protector (Dharmapala) and one of the most important Tantric Buddhist deities. Mahakala can appear in different forms and colors and each color is expression of his powers.

We recommend to display this image near the entrance of your home to protect your household from negative emotions, obstacles, diseases and unwanted relationships.

The Afterlife Journey: Divine Protectors and Guides in Korean Buddhist Painting, July 18, 2022

Cheeyun Lilian Kwon, professor at the School of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Seoul, discusses the Ksitigarbha painting in the Art Institute’s collection. Influenced by a unique amalgamation of various sources, Korea adopted a vision of the afterlife that was protected by the Ksitigarbha bodhisattva and accompanied by a host of heavenly beings. In this talk, Cheeyun Lilian Kwon discusses the Ksitigarbha painting in light of the Buddhist tradition that became deeply rooted in Korea for over a millennium. Such paintings acted as central agents in the Buddhist rituals dedicated for the dead in pre-modern Korea.

Cheeyun Lilian Kwon is professor in the Arts and Cultural Management Department and the School of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Seoul. She received her PhD in East Asian art from Princeton University and taught Korean and East Asian art at American University and George Mason University. She also served as curator of Korean art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and curatorial consultant at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution.

This program is generously funded by the National Museum of Korea.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with Six Light Bodhisattvas, 16th–17th century

Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), Korea

Ink and color on hemp cloth mounted on panel

155.6 x 230.5 cm ( 90 3/4 x 61 1/4 in.)

This painting of Kshitigarbha (Jijang Bosal in Korean,) flanked by the Ten Kings of Hell and guardian deities, reflects the prevalence of faith in Kshitigarbha in Korean Buddhism. Kshitigarbha is the overlord of the Buddhist underworld who has the ability to save sentient beings from hell. Whereas Buddhism enjoyed the royal patronage during the Goryeo period, it became the religion of the masses in the late Joseon period, resulting in stylistic changes in Buddhist painting. Instead of expensive gold or lapis lazuli, red and green became the main palette; more affordable materials such as paper, cotton, or hemp were chosen over silk; and depicted robes show simpler treatment with little to no decoration.

.What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart .