When I first entered the Rubin Museum, I was in awe. The spiraling staircases added to the excitement. There is always that special feeling when you enter a museum. There are so many wonders and mysteries waiting to be discovered.
While exploring the museum, I came across an artwork named “Shantarakshita and Scenes of His Life in Tibet”. The artwork tells a narrative of the legends and myths in Himalayan folklore. It shows how Shantarakshita, who has supernatural powers, is teaching Buddhism to his followers. His hands are in held in a symbolic gesture for teaching. There is also a “golden” Buddha, which symbolizes the importance of Shantarakshita’s teaching.
The narrative continues with Shantarakshita and his followers reaching a palace. In fact, his teachings are supposedly so important, that his teachings reached the king (evident by the crown on the king’s head). There are students gathered around Shantarakshita, who is teaching them the ways of Buddhism.
One of the recurring themes that I came across in the artwork is that the art is divided into panels. The panels each tell a different story and are separated by landscapes or architectures. Furthermore, the panels are not in any particular order. Each panels/stories can be look and examine separately.
I felt that I definitely learned more about Shantarakshita. I also left the museum feeling more intellectually fulfilled.
