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Photography by David De Armas. The Rubin Museum of Art. 2017.
King of Shambhala, (From a Pelpung set of The Kalkin Kings of Shambhala)
Photography by David De Armas. The Rubin Museum of Art. 2017.
Photography by David De Armas. The Rubin Museum of Art. 2017.

King of Shambhala, (From a Pelpung set of The Kalkin Kings of Shambhala)

OriginKham Province, Eastern Tibet
Date18th century
Dimensions31 3/8 × 21 3/4 in.
MediumPigments on cloth
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art
Object numberC2004.5.6
Himalayan Art Resources Number65297
DescriptionBelieved to be a hidden kingdom, Shambhala is a pure land ruled by enlightened kings who act as holders of the Kalachakra Tantra (Wheel of Time) teachings. According to Tibetan Buddhism, only those who have achieved a high level of practice can gain entry into this realm. Surya, manifested in this painting in his deity appearance, is descended from the first king of Shambhala, who is believed to have received the Tantra directly from Buddha Shakyamuni. A Kalachakra lineage master floats above Surya and his consort, testifying to this esoteric teaching’s authentic transmission to Tibet. This painting is from a set depicting all thirty-two rulers of Shambhala (seven dharma kings and twenty-five Kalkin kings)—the largest commissioned at Pelpung Monastery by the famed artist-scholar Situ Panchen (1700–1772), who is credited with reviving the Karma Gardri style. The style is evident in this thangka by the minor figure seated in an open airy landscape, with colors fluidly transitioning from intense blues and greens to the unpigmented canvas, effectively conveying a sense of receding space.
Not on view