Miaoying Temple: Vajrasattva

CHINA, Beijing; Yuan dynasty

Vajrasattva, regarded as the primordial Buddha in some schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, is dressed in the gem-studded attire of a Bodhisattva and sits in full lotus position. The ritual vajra once held in the right hand is lost, as is the bell from the left hand. These objects were symbolic of skillful means in the use of inherent wisdom.
The head is tilted to one side and surrounded by an open nimbus that attaches to the sidepieces extending from the figure’s crown and to the ornate earrings. The crown’s attachments also coincides there with a truncated aureole. Long hair scatters over the Buddha’s shoulders. The neck has the three lines of a great person, below which broad shoulders diminish to a slim waist.