Sixteen Arhats: Difference between revisions

From Rigpa Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
(30 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Buddha16Arhats.JPG|frame|'''Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats''']]
[[Image:Buddha16Arhats.JPG|frame|[[Buddha]] and the Sixteen Arhats]]
 
'''Sixteen [[Arhat]]s''' or '''Sthaviras''' (Skt. ''Ṣoḍaśa Sthavirāḥ''; Tib. གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག, ''Neten Chudruk''; [[Wyl.]] ''gnas brtan bcu drug'') — [[Buddha Shakyamuni]] personally selected the Sixteen Arhats from amongst his disciples and requested them to remain in the world, protecting the [[Dharma]] for as long as beings are capable of benefitting from the teachings. They vowed at the time of the [[parinirvana]] to remain in the world and maintain the Dharma until the time of the future Buddha [[Maitreya]]. To visualize the [[Buddha Shakyamuni]] surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of [[bodhisattva]]s generates great [[merit]] and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.
'''Sixteen Arhats''' or Sthaviras (Tib. Néten Chudruk; [[Wyl.]] ''gnas brtan bcu drug''; Skt. ''ṣoḍaśa sthavirāḥ''). The Sthaviras or Elders were disciples of the [[Buddha]] who vowed at the time of the [[parinirvana]] to remain in the world and maintain the [[Dharma]] until the time of the future Buddha [[Maitreya]]. To visualize the [[Buddha Shakyamuni]] surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of [[bodhisattva]]s generates great [[merit]] and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.


#[[Angaja]] (Tib. Yenlag Chung; Wyl. ''yan lag ‘byung'')<br>
#[[Angaja]] (Tib. Yenlag Chung; Wyl. ''yan lag ‘byung'')<br>
#Ajita (Tib. Ma Phampa; Wyl. ''ma pham pa'')<br>
#[[Ajita]] (Tib. Ma Phampa; Wyl. ''ma pham pa'')<br>
#Vanavāsin (Tib. Nagna Né; Wyl. ''nags gnas'')<br>
#[[Vanavasin]] (Tib. Nagnanepa; Wyl. ''nags na gnas pa'')<br>
#Mahākālika (Tib. Düden Chenpo; Wyl. ''dus ldan chen po'')<br>
#[[Mahakalika]] (Tib. Düden Chenpo; Wyl. ''dus ldan chen po'')<br>
#Vajrīputra (Tib. Dorje Möbu; Wyl. ''rdo rje mo’i bu'')<br>
#[[Vajriputra]] (Tib. Dorje Möbu; Wyl. ''rdo rje mo’i bu'')<br>
#Śrībhadra (Tib. Pal Zangpo; Wyl. ''dpal bzang'')<br>
#[[Shribhadra]] (Tib. Pal Zangpo; Wyl. ''dpal bzang'')<br>
#Kanakavatsa (Tib. Sergyi Be'u; Wyl. ''gser gyi be’u'')<br>
#[[Kanakavatsa]] (Tib. Sergyi Be'u; Wyl. ''gser gyi be’u'')<br>
#Kanaka (Tib. Serchen; Wyl. ''gser can'')<br>
#[[Kanaka]] (Tib. Serchen; Wyl. ''gser can'')<br>
#Bakula (Tib. Bakula; Wyl. ''bakkula'')<br>
#[[Bakula]] (Tib. Bakula; Wyl. ''ba ku la'')<br>
#[[Rahula|Rāhula]], the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin; Wyl. ''sgra gcan 'dzin'')<br>
#[[Rahula]], the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin; Wyl. ''sgra gcan 'dzin'')<br>
#Chulapanthaka (Tib. Lamtren Ten; Wyl. ''lam phran'')<br>
#[[Chulapanthaka]] (Tib. Lamtren Ten; Wyl. ''lam phran bstan'')<br>
#Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja (Tib. Dza Sönyom Len; Wyl. ''bha ra dva ja so nyom len'')<br>
#[[Pindola Bharadvaja]] (Tib. Bharadodza Sönyom Len; Wyl. ''bha ra dhwa dza bsod snyoms len'')<br>
#Panthaka (Tib. Lamten; Wyl. ''lam pa'')<br>
#[[Panthaka]] (Tib. Lamchenten; Wyl. ''lam chen bstan'')<br>
#Nāgasena (Tib. Lü De; Wyl. ''klu sde'')<br>
#[[Nagasena]] (Tib. Lüdé; Wyl. ''klu sde'')<br>
#Gopaka (Tib. Bé Chépa; Wyl. ''sbed byed'')<br>
#[[Gopaka]] (Tib. Bechepa; Wyl. ''sbed byed'')<br>
#Abhedya (Tib. Michépa; Wyl. ''mi phyed pa'')<br>
#[[Abhedya]] (Tib. Michepa; Wyl. ''mi phyed pa'')<br>


The Sixteen Arhats are usually shown in [[thangka]]s accompanied by their two attendants, [[Hva Shang]] and [[Upasaka Dharmatala]] and by the [[Four Great Kings]].


==Further Reading==
==Further Reading==
===In Tibetan===
===In Tibetan===
*[[Mipham Rinpoche]], '''phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus''
*[[Mipham Rinpoche]], '''phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus''
===In English===
*''Crystal Mirror, volume VI'', Dharma Publishing 1984
*M. W. de Visser, ''The Arhats in China and Japan'', Oesterheld & Co. Berlin, 1923
*Tate, J. 'The Sixteen Arhats in Tibetan Painting,' in ''Oriental Art'' 35, 4 1989/90, pp. 196-206


==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://www.lotsawahouse.org/buddha_and_16_arhats.html Buddha and 16 Arhats practice by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo]
*{{LH|topics/sixteen-arhats|A selection of texts related to the Sixteen Arhats on Lotsawa House}}
*[http://www.himalayanart.org/pages/arhat/index.html The Sixteen Arhats outline page at Himalayan Art Resources]
 
==Gallery==
'''The Sixteen Arhats'''


<Gallery>
Image:Angaja.jpg|Angiraja
Image:Ajita.jpg|Ajita
Image:Vanavasin.jpg|Vanavasin
Image:Kalika.jpg|Maha Kalika
Image: Vajriputra.jpg|Vajriputra
Image:Sribhadra.jpg|Shibhadra
Image:Kanakavatsa.jpg|Kanakavatsa
Image:Kanaka.jpg|Kanaka
Image:Bakula.jpg|Bakula
Image:Rahula.jpg|Rahula
Image:Chulapanthaka.jpg|Chulapanthaka
Image:Pindola.jpg|Pindola Bharadvaja
Image:Panthaka.jpg|Panthaka
Image:Nagasena.jpg|Nagasena
Image:Gopaka.jpg|Gopaka
Image:Abhedya.jpg|Abhedya
</gallery>


'''The Two Attendants'''
<Gallery>
Image:Hva_Shang.jpg|Hva Shang
Image:Dharmatala.jpg|Dharmatala
</gallery>
'''The Four Great Kings'''
<Gallery>
Image:Dhritarashtra.jpg|Dhritarashtra
Image:VirudhakaTST.jpg|Virudhaka
Image:VirupaksaTST.jpg‎|Virupaksa
Image:VaisravanaTST.jpg|Vaisravana
</gallery>
[[Category:Buddhas and Deities]]
[[Category:Sixteen Arhats]]
[[Category:Buddha Shakyamuni's Disciples]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:Buddhas and Deities]]
[[Category:16-Sixteen]]

Revision as of 13:37, 1 December 2018

Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats

Sixteen Arhats or Sthaviras (Skt. Ṣoḍaśa Sthavirāḥ; Tib. གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག, Neten Chudruk; Wyl. gnas brtan bcu drug) — Buddha Shakyamuni personally selected the Sixteen Arhats from amongst his disciples and requested them to remain in the world, protecting the Dharma for as long as beings are capable of benefitting from the teachings. They vowed at the time of the parinirvana to remain in the world and maintain the Dharma until the time of the future Buddha Maitreya. To visualize the Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of bodhisattvas generates great merit and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.

  1. Angaja (Tib. Yenlag Chung; Wyl. yan lag ‘byung)
  2. Ajita (Tib. Ma Phampa; Wyl. ma pham pa)
  3. Vanavasin (Tib. Nagnanepa; Wyl. nags na gnas pa)
  4. Mahakalika (Tib. Düden Chenpo; Wyl. dus ldan chen po)
  5. Vajriputra (Tib. Dorje Möbu; Wyl. rdo rje mo’i bu)
  6. Shribhadra (Tib. Pal Zangpo; Wyl. dpal bzang)
  7. Kanakavatsa (Tib. Sergyi Be'u; Wyl. gser gyi be’u)
  8. Kanaka (Tib. Serchen; Wyl. gser can)
  9. Bakula (Tib. Bakula; Wyl. ba ku la)
  10. Rahula, the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin; Wyl. sgra gcan 'dzin)
  11. Chulapanthaka (Tib. Lamtren Ten; Wyl. lam phran bstan)
  12. Pindola Bharadvaja (Tib. Bharadodza Sönyom Len; Wyl. bha ra dhwa dza bsod snyoms len)
  13. Panthaka (Tib. Lamchenten; Wyl. lam chen bstan)
  14. Nagasena (Tib. Lüdé; Wyl. klu sde)
  15. Gopaka (Tib. Bechepa; Wyl. sbed byed)
  16. Abhedya (Tib. Michepa; Wyl. mi phyed pa)

The Sixteen Arhats are usually shown in thangkas accompanied by their two attendants, Hva Shang and Upasaka Dharmatala and by the Four Great Kings.

Further Reading

In Tibetan

  • Mipham Rinpoche, 'phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus

In English

  • Crystal Mirror, volume VI, Dharma Publishing 1984
  • M. W. de Visser, The Arhats in China and Japan, Oesterheld & Co. Berlin, 1923
  • Tate, J. 'The Sixteen Arhats in Tibetan Painting,' in Oriental Art 35, 4 1989/90, pp. 196-206

External Links

Gallery

The Sixteen Arhats

The Two Attendants

The Four Great Kings