Nandimitra

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

An inscription on this painting states that it depicts Nandimitra, an eminent monk from Sri Lanka whose teachings are preserved in the Records of Nandimitra’s Discourse on Abiding Dharma. The text states that before he passed away, Nandimitra consoled his mourning followers by stating that death is unavoidable, even for Buddhas. He then went on to say that 800 years before, the Buddha had entrusted the protection of the Dharma to the Sixteen Arhats before he passed into parinirvana. The Arhats are able to extend their lives with their supernatural powers and preserve the Dharma until the arrival of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Then the Arhats will pass into nirvana themselves.
This painting was originally part of a set of paintings of the Eighteen Arhats, but only two of the other artworks remain: a picture of Cudapanthaka kept in the Shanghai Museum, and one of Vajraputra now in Nanjing University. The three paintings are all dated to the same time period, but differences in style suggest that they were created in the same workshop by different artists.
Nandimitra sits in a bamboo chair, leaning forward and supporting himself with a staff held in both hands. He has gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a large nose. His mouth is open wide, revealing his teeth and tongue. The patterned monastic robe leaves the right side of the body bare. A peaceful lion cub sleeps at Nandimitra’s feet. A scarf threaded through a hole in a rock and a basket of loquat fruit can be seen in the background on the right. The painting style suggests that the picture was made in the Ningbo or Hangzhou areas, where Buddhist arts were prevalent during the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties.