Temples of Western Tibet and their Artistic Symbolism. The monasteries of Spiti and Kunavar 8185179190, 8185179220

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The Temples of Western Tibet and their Artistic Symbolism

GIUSEPPE TUCCI

English version of I N D O - T I B E T I C A 111.1

T h e Monasteries of Spiti a n d Kunavar

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Lumbi International edited by LOKESH C H A N D R A

from a first draji translation by

UMA MARINA VESCI a n d others

ADITYA PRAKASHAN NEW DELHI

ins tit^

This volume describes the ancient monasteries of Spiti and Kunavar, namely, those at Tabo, Lhalung, Chang and Nako. Prof. Tucci has identified the paintings of mandalas and individual deities in the temples and elucidated their symbolism at length. The abundance of mystic meanings of the deities and cycles represented is interpreted from Sanskrit and Tibetan texts. The first chapter details the main temple of the monastic complex of Tabo, dedicated to the Vajradhiitumandala. The second describes the Gserkhan or Golden Temple of Tabo. Its walls are covered with ancient frescoes that go back to the 16th century. The Dkyil-khan or Mandala Temple constitutes the third chapter. Its paintings are from the 17th century. Chapter IV is devoted to the minor temples at Tabo. The next three chapters V, VI and VII take up the temples at Lhalung, at Chang, and at Nako. The Nako temple has frescoes of the 14-15 century. This volume is of unique importance to understand the fundamentals of Vajrayana art as a concomitant of mysteriosophic realisation. Prof. Tucci has propounded the symbolic and esoteric meaning of the mandalas at length, and in depth which is unique to him. Two Kashmiri wooden sculptures of 10-11th century in the Tabo Gtsug-lag-khan are valuable for the history of Indian art. A detailed preface by Lokesh Chandra throws further light on the mandalas of Vairocana, which dominate the temples in this volume. H e clarifies the various types of these mandalas which had posed problems to Tucci. The murals of Nor-bzan had escaped identification by Tucci, but have now been concorded to Sudhana of the Gandavyuha. The role of photism in the evolution of Tantras is discussed. This work calls for further field exploration and table research, on the extant sutras and chronicles, and on the murals and sculptures in the ancient territories of Guge.

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Prof. GIUSEPPE TUCCI ( 1894-1984) is the doyen of modern scientific studies of Tibetan art and thought, history and literature. He was for many years Professor of Religions and Philosophies of India and the Far East at the University of Rome. He also taught at universities in India. Professor Tucci made several visits to Nepal and has been on eight expeditions to Western and Central Tibet, collecting historical, artistic and literary material. His scientific expeditions resulted in many historical books, like the Tibetan Painted Scrolls and the seven volumes of Indo-Tibetica in Italian. Prof. Tucci gives word to the mute dialogue of the mind with the mysterious presences in the Land of Snows. The General Editor of the series is Prof. LOKESH CHANDRA who is a renowned and scholar of Tibetan, rdongolian Sino-Japanese Buddhism. He has to his credit over 360 works and text editions. Among them are classics like his Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary, Materials for a History of Tibetan Literature, Buddhist Iconography of Tibet, and his ongoing Dictionary of Buddhist Art in about 20 volumes. Prof. Lokesh Chandra was nominated by the President of the Republic of India to the Parliament in 1974-80 and again in 1980-86. He has been a Vice-President of thc Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research. Presently : Director, International Academy of 1 r~dian Culture.

First published in Italian: Roma, Reale Accademia d'Italia, 1935. English translation: New Delhi, 1988

0 Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma, Italy.

Lumbiai Jnternational I?. -.-ear& Institute

3 \\

ISBN: 81-85179-19-0 (SET) ISBN: 81-85179-22-0 Rs. 450

Published by Rakesh Goel for Aditya Prakashan, 482911, Prahlad Lane, 24, Ansari Road, New Delhi and Printed at D.K. Fine Art Press, Delhi 110052.

CONTENTS Frontispiece : Naraka-Mandala (see description.on p. 136 ff.) xiii xvii xxiv xxix xxxiv xxxvii xlii xlii xliv

PREFACE Synoptic view of the book Twentyfour mandalas of STTS (4 samayas and 5 kulas). T h e eighteen systems of VajraSekhara-yoga Types of mandalas of Vairocana Legend of Sudhana from the Avatamsaka stitra Gandavyiiha (Rocana to Vairocana) Amitabha and Amitayus Bhaisajyaguru Mgra Literature cited

Contents of the MAIN BOOK Page 5 17

0 1 T h e historical geography of Western Tibet 2 Diffusion of sects

21 25 28

2 3

30

4

32

5

36

6

39

7

1

Chapter I Tabo. T h e Gtsug-lag-khan General aspects of the monastery T h e interior of the Gtsug-lag-khan T h e statues of the Gtsug-lag-khan represent a Tantric cycle of Vairocana Some Tibetan sources o n the cycle of Sal-vavitl Vairocana T h e iconographical descriptions of the thirtyseven deities of Sarvavid Indian sources of the cycle of Sarvavid ant1 similar cycles T h e ~ n a ~ p a of l a Vairocana according to Tattvasangraha

The The The The

five mystical families and the five cycles . family of the gem (ratna-kula) family of the lotus (padma-kula) symbolic and esoteric meaning of the mandala T h e significance of the mandala of Sarvavid according to Tson-klla-pa T h e main mandala of Vairoca'na Which cycle of Vairocana is represented in Tabo Identification of the individual statues Iconographic types of Vairocana Age of the paintings at Tabo T h e frescos T h e cella and iconographic types of the Five Buddhas Amitgbha and Amitayus Acolytes of Amitabha T h e library of Tabo Two Kashmiri sculptures

91 97 105

Chapter I1 Tabo. T h e Gser-khan(Golden Hall) 24 T h e Gser-khan and its paintings 25 Methods and meanings of Tantric evocations 26 T h t -dharmapala and the terrific in T a n t r i ~ schools

. . Hall) Chapter 111 Tabo. T h e Dkyil-khan (Mandala 109 27 T h e initiation chapel 111 28 T h e paintings of historical character 114

Chapter 1V Tabo. T h e Minor Chapels 29 Minor temples

116 118 120

Chapter V Lhalung 30 New cycle of Vairocana represented at Lhalung 3 1 T h e central wall 32 T h e PrajAaparamita

Chapter VI T h e Temple of Chang (High Kunavar) 122 33 T h e cycle.of naraka or of the infernal deities 135 34 T h e cycle of naraka on tharikas 138 35 Minor paintings Chapter VII Nako T h e gompa attributed to Rin-chen-bzan-po Mystical meaning of the supren