Peaceful deity
Peaceful deity (T. zhi ba ཁྲོ་བ།; lit. "peaceful one"). A class of Mahayana deity that represents a calm, peaceful energy.
Peaceful deities are shown with serene expressions on their faces. Their bodies are well-proportioned, and they typically have one head, and two arms and two legs (although there are exceptions, such as some forms of Avalokiteshvara).[1] Their postures (asanas) represent peaceful activity, such as meditation, dispelling fear, gift granting, or teaching the dharma. In their hands, they hold peaceful objects such as a lotus blossom, a vase, etc.[1]
Peaceful deities include a variety of buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as Green Tara, White Tara, Amitabha, Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha), etc.[2]
Peaceful deities are contrasted with wrathful deities, which represent a direct, forceful energy.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Peaceful and Wrathful deities, asianart.org
- ↑ Peaceful deities, thangka-mandala.com
Further reading
Subject: Guhyagarbha Tantra (Peaceful & Wrathful Deities), Himalayan Art Resources- Collection of the Ashmolean (Peaceful Deities), Himalayan Art Resources
- Bon: Peaceful Deities, Himalayan Art Resources
- Painting Style: Palpung - Peaceful & Semi-Peaceful Deities, Himalayan Art Resources
Tantric Imagery, StudyBuddhism
Himalayan Art Up Close: Peaceful and Wrathful Deities of the Bardo, Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art- Sacred visions : early paintings from central Tibet, fully digitized text from The Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries
