A PORTRAIT THANGKA OF SETON KUNRIG (1025-1113)

NGOR MONASTERY, CENTRAL TIBET, CIRCA 1600

Footnotes

This extraordinary painting belongs to a famed set of over thirty depicting the lineage masters of the Lamdre teaching, a core doctrine within the Ngor Sakya tradition. The well-contemplated composition, flawless execution of details, and lavish use of gold to heighten the bold colors, attest to the importance of its commission as well as the artists' pursuit of perfection.

The gold inscription at the bottom of the painting identifies the central figure. The first line reads:

"Attending the teacher with devotion, holding all of the tantras and instructions, possessing great power and strength; to the revered Seton Kunrig, I bow! From this time forth in all my lives and properly attending upon a holy spiritual teacher may I place all living beings in the state of liberation."

Seton Kunrig (1025-1113) was apprentice to Drogmi Lotsawa for seventeen years while receiving the complete Lamdre teachings. Also known as Sekar Chungwa, the seventh in the Lamdre lineage, his primary student was Shangton Chobar (1053-1135), who in-turn passed on the 'Path with the Result' to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158), the pioneering leader of the Sakya lineage.

Kunrig's portrait dominates the composition, but with a gentle and approachable character. He displays the gesture of teaching before a magnificent throne back. His smile is peaceful and compassionate, as if recognizing the enlightened nature locked within the viewer.

He is surrounded by registers of meticulously detailed hierarchs and deities, each identifiable by a gold Tibetan inscription. Meanwhile, the second line inscription at the bottom of the painting names the top and side registers (T1-T22) as the "Path of Indrabhuti Lineage", one of the over thirty Sakya lineages recorded by Chogyal Pagpa Rinpoche (1235-1280).

The sequence of deities along the bottom register (D1-D12), from Khasarpani on the left to Manjushri on the right, is associated with the Bari Gyatsa, The One Hundred Teachings of Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag (1040-1112), who was the second throne holder of Sakya school and one of the main lineage figures in the transmission of the White Tara tantras.

This format of meditational deities and lineage teachers surrounding the central figure is one of the many characteristics shared by paintings from this Ngor Lamdre set. The style reflects the Newari artistic tradition with incredible scrollwork, bright colors, and masterfully controlled brushstrokes. Meanwhile, other aspects evoke forms and themes inspired by Chinese art and culture, such as the design of the throne base and intricate treatment of garments.

This thangka of Seton Kunrig is the ninth within the set. The other known paintings are held in some of the most prestigious public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Rubin Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Zimmerman Family Collection, only to name a few. A complied list can be found at Himalayan Art Resources set no. 385. Two other paintings from the set sold recently at Sotheby's, New York, 20 March 2013, lots 237 & 238.

The back of the thangka is imbued with a substantive Tibetan prayer:

" Patience for hardships is noble patience, [Leading to] supreme liberation, the Buddha has said. With respect to others, monks should do no harm or cause distress. Commit not a single wrong; perform wholesome virtue to tame one's mind completely. This is the teaching of the Buddha. Having the perfect vow of body, having the perfect vow of speech, having the perfect vow of mind, having perfectly all the vows, Bhikshus who protect all [the vows] - will be liberated from all suffering."

Published
Galerie Robert Burawoy, Nor: Peintures Monastere De Nor, Paris, 1978, unpaginated.

Provenance
Galerie Robert Burawoy, 1978
Jerry Solomon, Los Angeles, since 1980



(T – Teacher; D – Deity; ID – Inner Deity)

T1 Vajradhara
T2 Indrabhuti
T3 Cham Lakshmi
T4 Je Gayadhara
T5 Je Drogmi Shakya Yeshe
T6 Je Khar Chungpa Kunrig
T7 Je Shang Gonpawa Chobar
T8 Je Sakyapa Chenpo Kunga Nyingpo
T9 Lobpon Rinpoche Sonam Tsemo
T10 Jetsun Rinpoche Dragpa Gyaltsen
T11 Je Sakya Pandita Chenpo
T12 Chogyal Pagpa
T13 Shang Konchog Pel
T14 Dragpugpa
T15 Palden Lama Sonam Gyaltsen
T16 Palden Tsultrim
T17 Buddhashri
T18 Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo
T19 Kepa Kunlo
T20 Palchog Gyaltsen
T21 Namkha Palzang
T22 Sangye Puntsog
D1 Khasarpani
D2 Vasudhara
D3 Kurukulla [Hevajra Tantra]
D4 Kalpoktam Kurukulla
D5 Ekajati
D6 Vighnantaka
D7 Janguli
D8 Kurukulla
D9 Trailokyavashamkara Lokeshvara
D10 Mahachinakrama Tara
D11 Vajrapani
D12 Manjushri
ID1 Amitabha
ID2 Amitayus
ID3 Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja
ID4 Amitayus
ID5 Amitayus
ID6 Lokesahvara Guhyasamaja
ID7 Amitayus
ID8 Amitayus


色頓昆利（1025-1113年）唐卡
鄂爾寺，西藏中部，約1600年
布本設色；正面底部有兩行金色藏文題記；背面在每一人物對應位置有墨色藏文咒語"嗡阿吽"，以及一段十二行塔型排版祈願文。
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網89471號
畫芯： 78.7 x 66 釐米（31 x 26英寸）

2,400,000-3,800,000 港元

此幅傑出唐卡本屬一組成堂三十余幅，此組唐卡享有盛名，描繪鄂爾薩迦一核心教義"道果"法門的上師傳承。其構圖精心，細節完美，大量以金汁襯托濃烈的色彩，皆體現出此項委托之重要與畫師之精益求精。

畫芯底部之金汁題記指明中央主像之身份，題記第一行譯為：

"虔誠追隨上師，精通諸密續教法，修得大成就法力；吾拜倒於德高望重的色頓昆利身前！從此以往生生世世追隨精神之師，願吾等得以解脫眾生。"

色頓昆利（1025-1113）師從卓米羅擦瓦十七年，得道果法門完整教法。亦稱"色卡昌瓦（Sekar Chungwa）"，為道果法門第七世祖師。其大弟子為仙通秋巴（1053-1135），其後又將"道果"傳授予薩迦派重要領袖薩欽貢噶寧波（1092-1158）。

色頓昆利之像在構圖中占據絕大部分，但亦描繪出其平易近人的性格特征。其身後背光華美，雙手施說法印，微笑安詳慈悲，似乎洞察出觀者內在之覺悟根性。

刻畫精美的諸位本尊與上師環繞在其周圍，每位以金汁題記指明身份。同時，唐卡底部題記的第二行指明上方與兩側的上師（T1-T22）來自"因扎菩提傳承"，此為確嘉帕巴仁波切（1235-1280）所記載的三十多個薩迦傳承之一。

畫芯下方繪數位本尊（D1-D12），從左方空行觀音至右方文殊菩薩，其排列順序與拔日嘉措，即拔日大譯師（1040-1112）所譯的百種成就法有關。拔日為薩迦派第二任住持與白度母密續傳承的幾位主要上師之一。

此種以禪修本尊與傳承上師環繞在中央主體周圍之形式，是此組鄂爾道果唐卡的共同特征之一。風格體現尼瓦爾藝術傳統，如曼妙的卷草紋，明艷的色彩，及高超的畫工。與此同時，某些方面亦反映出中原藝術形式與主題的影響，比如寶座的樣式及對衣紋褶皺的處理。

此幅色頓昆利唐卡排組中第九。其他唐卡現藏於著名博物館與私人收藏，包括大都會博物館、魯賓博物館、布魯克林博物館、洛杉磯郡博物館與Zimmerman 家族收藏等等。此組唐卡詳情可見喜馬拉雅藝術資源網385號。組中兩幅於2013年3月20日在紐約蘇富比售出（拍品237與238號 ）。

唐卡背面之藏語祈願文譯為：

"佛祖曰，忍耐苦難乃高尚之忍，[助修] 正等正覺。諸僧皆應律己敬他，切勿施難於人。不犯一錯，行善修心 。此乃佛祖之教誨。祈請圓滿身之誓、圓滿語之誓、圓滿意之誓、皆圓滿之誓，佑[誓]者比丘得以脫苦彌災。"

著錄
Galerie Robert Burawoy，Nor: Peintures Monastere De Nor，巴黎，1978年， 無頁碼。

來源
Galerie Robert Burawoy收藏，1978年
Jerry Solomon收藏，洛杉磯，1980年至今



(T – 上師; D – 本尊; ID – 內部本尊)

T1 金剛總持
T2 因扎菩提
T3 占拉克希米
T4 迦雅達拿
T5 卓彌釋迦智
T6 卡堅巴昆利
T7 藏貢巴瓦喬巴
T8 薩迦千波貢噶寧波
T9 洛本仁波切索南澤摩
T10 傑尊仁波切札巴堅贊
T11 薩迦班智達千波
T12 確嘉帕巴
T13 藏貢秋陪
T14 傑普巴
T15 巴登喇嘛索南堅贊
T16 巴登次成
T17 布達師利
T18 哦千貢噶桑波
T19 可巴坤格
T20 帕卓堅贊
T21 南喀巴桑
T22 桑傑彭措
D1 空行觀音
D2 財源天母
D3 作明佛母 [喜金剛續]
D4 光作明佛母
D5 一髻佛母
D6 軍荼利明王
D7 穰麌梨菩薩
D8 作明佛母
D9 紅觀音
D10 黑度母
D11 金剛手
D12 文殊菩薩
ID1 阿彌陀佛
ID2 無量壽佛
ID3 密集不動金剛
ID4 無量壽佛
ID5 無量壽佛
ID6 密集金剛菩薩
ID7 無量壽佛
ID8 無量壽佛