Wallpaintings and Mandalas at bSam-yas

Kimiaki Tanaka

bSam-yas Mon. astery (桑 耶 寺) is located in Brag-dmar on the north shore of

the gTsah-po River。 According to the Zang-zu li-shi nian-jian (蔵 族 歴 史 年 堕,

1982, 西 寧) by Tshe-tan Shabs-druh (才 旦 夏 茸), this monastery was severely da-

maged in 1967 during出e Cultural Revolution (文 化 大 革 命).

The appearance of bSam-yas after its partial destruction is shown in the picto-

rial book Tibet (西 蔵-日 申 共 同 出 版 企 画-1982), published by Mainichi Communi-

cations (毎 日 コ ミ ュ ニ ケ ー シ ョ ン ズ). This writer Visited bSam-yas on 18 August

1985. The upper story of the famous Three-storied Chapel (dBu rtse, 烏 策 大 殿),

built according to the architectural styles of India, China and Khotan (Li-yul), is
now lost, and only two stories remain.

Buddhas of the Ten Directions

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(31) Wallpaintings and Mandalas at bSam-yas (K. Tanaka)

Although the scale of destruction was tremendous, the main deities of the two
lower stories and eight Bodhisattvas of the first story had been repaired. Several

young monks dwelt in the monastery and were performing a Buddhist service.
The main deity of the second story is Padmasambhava (蓮 華 生 大 師), and the

Buddhas of the ten directions(Phyogs-bchi sahs-rgyas, 十 方 仏) described in the

"Nidana-parivarta" (縁 起 品) of the Prajinaparamita-sutra (『大 般 若 波 羅 蜜 多 経 』)

were painted on the walls.

According to the Prajnaparamita-sutra, when the Buddha Sakyamuni (釈 迦 牟

尼) expounded this sutra, he entered into a meditation called Sirphavikridita (師

子 遊 戯 三 味) and emitted light throughout the cosmos.

When the light emitted by the Buddha Sakyamuni reached the worlds (loka-
dhatu, 世 界) of the ten directions, the Buddhas of the ten directions each and all

dispatched Bodhisattvas to the Saha-lokadhatu (娑 婆 世 界)。 As soon as they arrived

at Vulture Peak (璽 鷲 山), they saluted the Buddha Sakyamuni and presented him

athousand-petaled golden lotus flower (千 葉 金 色 蓮 華).

This story was famous in Tibet, and the picture depicting this story was known
as "hBum-gyi glen-gshihi bris-bkod" (Panorama of the opening story of hBum
〔Satasahasrika-Prajnaparamita,『 十 万 頗 般 若 経 』〕).

During his visit, this writer discovered inscriptions from the lower part of the
wall-paintings : they were extracts from the Tibetan translation of the Satasa=
hasrika-Prajnaparamita. Accordingly, the paintings were-confirmed to represent
"hBum -gyi glen-gshihi bris-bkod". In the center of each wall, the Buddha of

each direction is depicted. Around him, a scene from the opening story of the
Prajnaparamita-sutra is depicted.
Up to now, six Buddhas have been identified. But I am unable to discover the
remaining four Buddhas in the second story. On the names and arrangement of
the Buddhas of the ten directions, reference should be made to the accompanying
chart and diagrams.
On the other hand, the main deity of the first story is Sakyamuni. On the
wall, Hevajra (Kyehi rdo-rje/dGyes rdo-rje, 呼 金 剛/喜 金 剛) and other deities are de-

picted, The ceiling is divided by lattice, and a mandala (曼 茶 羅) is depicted in

every square except in the one over the head of the main deity.

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 Wallpaintings and mandalas at bSam-yas (K. Tanaka) (32)

Arrangement of the wall-paintings in th& second story of

dBu rtse.

On the mandalas depicted on the ceiling of the first story of dBu rtse

Ka与 一thogs, Si-tu, Chos-kyirgya-mtsho (璃 妥 ・司 徒 ・却 吉 嘉 措) made a report in

his Garis-ljons dbus-gtsan gnas-bskor lam-yig, Nor-bu zla-shel-gyi se-mo-do

(Pilgrimage to Central Tibet during the years 1918 to 1920; reprinted in 1972, Palampur,
India).
Buthewrites"Phur-pa(Kilaya, 〔金 剛 〕極), bDe-mchog (Salpvara, 勝 楽), dGyes-

rdor (Hevajra, 喜 金 剛), hJigs byed (〔Vajra〕bhairava, 畏怖 〔金 剛 〕)sogs(=etc.)"

(ibid., fol. 95b, 1. 5), and does not enumerate the names of all the mandalas.
Since they are painted on the ceiling, the disposition of the deities is inverted.
The front three mandalas belong to the rNih-ma-pa sect (寧 礪 派, 紅 教). On the

other side, the rear seven mandalas belong to the gSar-ma-pa sect (新 密 児 派).

However, the 32-Deity Guhyasamaja-Aksobhya Mandala (gSan-hdus mi-bskyod

rdo-rje 1ha gsum-bcu-so-ghis-kyi dkyil-hkhor, 『秘 密 集 会 』 本 続 阿 閾 金 剛 三 十 二 尊 曼 茶 羅)

in front of the main deity is damaged.

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(33) Wallpaintings and Mandalas at bSam-yas (K. Tanaka)

Disposition of mandalas depicted on the ceiling of the first

story of dBu rtse

Furthermore, I could not investigate the rearmost one on the left side, for

bookshelVescontainingtheTibetanTripitaka (『西 蔵 大 蔵 経 』) were standing just

under it.
On the arrangement of the mandalas, reference should be made to the ac-
companying illustration.
(I wish to express my thanks to E. Kaneko and R. W. Giebel for guidance and advice
received in the preparation of this paper. )
(Assistant, Tokyo University)

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