The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c23.10

c23.10

In identifying Buddhist images the student of iconography should guard himself against taking unnecessary figures in the image for principal ones, or necessary figures for unnecessary ones. A full-fledged Buddhist icon shows in the first place, the principal god, an effigy of his sire on his crown, and the Dhyāni Buddhas on the aureole. The icon may further show miniature figures of the companions of the principal god, some worshippers, mythical figures and the three, seven, or sixteen jewels or sacred objects of Buddhism. The figure of Vajrasattva seems to be a favourite decoration with the artists. He appears on many Buddhist images and is perhaps conceived as a sort of general guardian of Buddhism and Buddhist worship. For purposes of identification the principal figure, the figure of the Dhyāni Buddha on the top, and the companions are the indispensable parts of the image. When, again, a reference is made to the Dacca Museum image of Arapacana Mañjuśrī in which besides the four companions there are present four Dhyāni Buddhas Vairocana, Akṣobhya, Amitābha and Ratnasambhava, two mythical figures supporting the lotus seat, and two worshippers to the extreme left of the pedestal. All these figures are redundant for the purpose of identification, and their absence in the Java figure of Arapacana in no wise affects it. But if, for instance, the companions are confused with the worshippers the identification must be regarded as incorrect. The figures flanking Vajrāsana, for instance, are clearly Maitreya and Avalokiteśvara according to the Sādhana, but if they are described as worshippers, as has been done previously, the identification of the whole image becomes vitiated.