The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c11.s17: 17. Maitreya
The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c11.s17
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17. Maitreya
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Colour—Golden Yellow Symbol—Nāgakeśara Flower
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The Bodhisattva Maitreya who is supposed to be waiting in the Tuṣita heaven in order to come down to earth as the Future Buddha is described several times in the Niṣpannayogāvalī. Maitreya heads the list of Bodhisattvas in the Mañjuvajra Maṇḍala. Although he takes the form of his spiritual sires Vairocana and Akṣobhya two of his independent forms are nevertheless available.
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In the Mañjuvajra Maṇḍala he is described as :
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Maitreyaḥ suvarṇavarṇo dvābhyāṃ kṛtadharmadeśanāmudro varadasavyakaro vāmena sapuṣpanāgakeśarapallavadharaḥ. NSP. p. 50 “Maitreya is of golden colour. With the two principal hands he displays the Dharmacakra mudrā. The other two hands show the Varada mudrā in the right and the twig of a Nāgakeśara with flower in the left.”
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In the Durgatipariśodhana Maṇḍala his description is as under : Maitreyaḥ pītaḥ savyakareṇa nāgakeśarakusumaṃ vāmena kuṇḍīṃ dadhānaḥ. NSP. p. 66. “Maitreya is yellow in colour. He holds in his right hand the flower of Nāgakeśara and with the left the mendicant bowl.”
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In the Chinese collection his statuettes occur at least six times and he is variously represented ¹. The Nāgakeśara flower is his chief recognition symbol both in China and in India. He is found also in Tibet ². Fig. 65 is a Nepalese drawing of the Bodhisattva.
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¹ Clark : TLP, II, 7, 9, 59, 143. 195, 202
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² Gordon : IL, p. 104, 107
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In the Sādhanamālā his description is simple : Maitreyaḥ pītavarṇaśca nāgapuṣpavarapradaḥ. Sādhanamālā, p. 49. “Maitreya is yellow in colour and shows the Nāga flower and the Varada mudrā.”
Linked texts (2)
- Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit
- Niṣpannayogāvalī — Abhayākaragupta, Sanskrit