Arya Asanga (Tibetan: thog me) the famous 4th century Indian pandita, founder of the Mind-Only (Cittamatra) School of Mahayana Buddhism.

At the top center is the Buddha of long-life Amitayus with the Gelugpa lama Lobzang Gyatso sitting at the left and another lama sitting to the right. Again on the left is the bodhisattva of wisdom, White Manjushri, and on the right side the goddess of long-life, White Tara. At the bottom center is the pandita scholar Shakyaprabha, on the right Gunaprabha and at the left Vasubandhu, the younger half brother of Asanga.

Unusual in style, the painting is likely from an imperial palace workshop in Beijing, China.

This composition belongs to a set of nine paintings depicting Shakyamuni Buddha as the centerpiece along with the Six Ornaments and Two Excellent Ones of the Southern Continent.

Jeff Watt 4-2000