Pair of Manuscript Covers with Three Deities and Three Hierarchs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

On the upper cover, Shadakshari Lokesvara is flanked by Maitreya to his right and Avalokiteshvara to his left. Shadakshari is a form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who presides over our current age, protecting us and offering a compassionate path to enlightenment. The Dalai Lama is understood to be an incarnation of Shadakshari Lokesvara, and he fosters spiritual knowledge in this form. These three bodhisattvas on the upper cover are paired on the lower cover with Atisha flanked by Tibetan patriarchs, relating the role of these important human figures with those of the divine realm.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art