Aesthetically, a few generalizations can be offered
about esoteric painting. Because the human form is the
yogic “vessel” for following the path, the figure is
paramount. Images of symbols are also important as
the focus for specific meditations. A MANDALAoften
combines the use of figures and symbols to striking ef-
fect. Composition, depth, and volume are only defined
through the juxtaposition of pure contrasting colors
and solid defining lines; realistic depictions are not val-
ued. Most of the background and details are idealized
and stylized into fluid symmetrical patterns.
Visual supports for ritual meditation
Esoteric Buddhism makes more extensive use of visual
imagery and symbols to impart its teachings than any
other school of Buddhism. This is because Vajrayana
uses texts so abstruse that their meanings can seem-
ingly be conveyed only through art. Even the name of
this path, vajra,which literally means “thunderbolt” or
“diamond,” is expressed in art by a ritual implement
that reveals the esoteric truth of the name. The vajra
is a scepter with, usually, five prongs joined together
at the end; the prongs symbolize the powerful and
quick method of practice focused on the five tran-
scendent buddha families, ultimately joined together
in the enlightened state. Sometimes a vajramay be at-
tached to a bell, which symbolizes PRAJN
A(WISDOM).
A bell with a vajrahandle thus represents the perfect
balance and necessity of combining method with wis-
dom to achieve enlightenment.
A wide range of media are used for esoteric arts.
Paintings mounted as hanging scrolls (Tibetan, thang
ka; literally, “something rolled up”), murals on monas-
tery or temple walls, and manuscript illustrations are
the most common art forms used as aids for medita-
tion. They are often commissioned as offerings or to
commemorate a special event or festival. Sculptures for
either altars or niches are cast in metal, carved of wood,
or sculpted in clay, usually painted and gilded. Ritual
objects and instruments manipulated in meditation
rituals or dances (Tibetan, cham) are usually cast in
metal, but gems and semiprecious stones are also used,
along with bones, shells, and rock crystals. More tem-
porary media include woodblock prints, prayer flags,
and votive clay images. Offerings, especially initiation
mandalas, can be made of almost any material, such
as chalk, butter, grains, or sand. The two main forms
of sacred architecture in esoteric Buddhism are the
STUPA, called a mchod rten (chorten) in the Himalayas,
and the monastery complex, which includes shrines,
dance courtyards, and residences for monks or nuns.
Transcendent pantheon in esoteric art
The Buddha S ́akyamuni is deified, or rather multiplied,
as two groups of beings in the esoteric pantheon. His
teachings thereby become elaborated in visually con-
crete systems that are organized by mandalas, mystical
diagrams that map out the process of visualized med-
itations. The first group is comprised of the five tran-
scendent buddhas who parent the five buddha families
of deities. The second group encompasses an array of
beings, mostly adopted from local traditions, who
sponsor specific practices; these are guardians or per-
sonal deities called yi damsin Tibetan (Sanskrit, istade-
vata). Within each sect of Vajrayana Buddhism, the
second group is incorporated into the first group in a
way that emphasizes their particular doctrines.The iconography of this esoteric pantheon is pre-
cise. The five transcendent buddhas are identified by
color, gesture, and direction in the mandala (east is at
the bottom), and each one characterizes a particular
aspect of the Buddha S ́akyamuni’s life:ESOTERICART, SOUTH ANDSOUTHEASTASIAThe Buddhist Goddess Vajravarahl,Central Tibet, fourteenth cen-
tury, gilded bronze with inlaid gems. Los Angeles County Museum
of Art, purchased by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Board
of Trustees in honor of Dr. Pratapaditya Pal, Senior Curator of
Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 1970–1995. Reproduced by per-
mission. This yi damor personal deity in a whirling dance pos-
ture symbolizes the transcendent wisdom needed to become
enlightened.