Khara Khoto: Usnisavijaya Mandala

CHINA, Inner Mongolia, Alxa; Western Xia period

Discovered in Khara Khoto, this mandala is kept with another similar artwork in the State Hermitage Museum in Russia. The central figure is the white Usnisavijaya, sitting in lotus position in a red niche within a white stupa. Usnisavijaya is associated with the Usnisavijaya Dharani Sutra. According to the sutra, a heavenly being named Susthita suddenly heard a voice telling him that he had only seven days left to live. After death, the voice went on, he would be reborn as an animal for seven successive lives, before falling into hell to undergo more sufferings. Upon hearing this, Susthita was terrified, so he sought help from Sakra, who in turn related this incident to the Buddha. The Buddha replied by saying, “there is a dharani known as the Usnisavijaya. It can purify all evil paths, completely eliminate all the sufferings of the animal and hell realms, and transfer sentient beings onto the virtuous path.” This dharani, proclaimed by Buddhas as numerous as 88 hundred million sand grains in the Ganges river, is said to expel the sufferings of one who upholds, propagates and makes offerings to it.
In the image, Usnisavijaya sits in the center, flanked by Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani. Apsaras fly above the heads of the Bodhisattvas, and a small gold figure kneels before Usnisavijaya. The figures are contained within a circle decorated with colorful lines. There is a gate in each of the four walls of the white square that surrounds the circle. Colorful patterned bands encircle the square. Large portions of the mandala have worn away with age. In the bottom right corner, there is an image of a female donor, identified by an inscription written in Tangut script.