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[[Image:Buddha16Arhats.JPG|frame|'''Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats''']]
[[Image:Buddha16Arhats.JPG|frame|[[Buddha]] and the Sixteen Arhats]]
'''Sixteen [[Arhat]]s''' or '''Sthaviras''' (Skt. ''Ṣoḍaśa Sthavirāḥ''; Tib.  གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག, ''Neten Chudruk'', [[Wyl.]] ''gnas brtan bcu drug'') — [[Buddha Shakyamuni]] personally selected the Sixteen Arhats from amongst his disciples and requested them to remain in the world, protecting the [[Dharma]] for as long as beings are capable of benefitting from the teachings. They vowed at the time of the [[parinirvana]] to remain in the world and maintain the Dharma until the time of the future Buddha [[Maitreya]]. To visualize the [[Buddha Shakyamuni]] surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of [[bodhisattva]]s generates great [[merit]] and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.


'''Sixteen Arhats''' or Sthaviras (Tib. ''gnas brtan bcu drug''; Skt. ''ṣoḍaśa sthavirāḥ''). The Sthaviras or Elders were disciples of the Buddha who vowed at the time of the [[Parinirvana]] to remain in the world and maintain the [[Dharma]] until the time of the future Buddha [[Maitreya]]. To visualize the Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of [[bodhisattva]]s generates great [[merit]] and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.
#[[Angaja]] (Tib. Yenlag Chung)
#[[Ajita]] (Tib. Ma Phampa)
#[[Vanavasin]] (Tib. Nagnanepa)
#[[Mahakalika]] (Tib. Düden Chenpo)
#[[Vajriputra]] (Tib. Dorje Möbu)
#[[Shribhadra]] (Tib. Pal Zangpo)
#[[Kanakavatsa]] (Tib. Sergyi Be'u)
#[[Kanaka]] (Tib. Serchen)
#[[Bakula]] (Tib. Bakula)
#[[Rahula]], the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin)
#[[Chulapanthaka]] (Tib. Lamtren Ten)
#[[Pindola Bharadvaja]] (Tib. Bharadodza Sönyom Len)
#[[Panthaka]] (Tib. Lamchenten)
#[[Nagasena]] (Tib. Lüdé)
#[[Gopaka]] (Tib. Bechepa)
#[[Abhedya]] (Tib. Michepa)


The Sixteen Arhats are usually shown in [[thangka]]s accompanied by their two attendants, [[Hva Shang]] and [[Upasaka Dharmatala]] and by the [[Four Great Kings]].


1. Panthaka (Tib. ''lam pa'')<br>
==Further Reading==
2. Abhedya (Tib. ''mi phyed pa'')<br>
===In Tibetan===
3. Kanaka (Tib. ''gser can'')<br>
*[[Mipham Rinpoche]], '''phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus''
4. Bakkula (Tib. ''bakkula'')<br>
5. Bhāradvāja<br>
6. Mahākālika (Tib. ''dus ldan chen po'')<br>
7. Vajrīputra (Tib. ''rdo rje mo’i bu'')<br>
8. Śrībhadra (Tib. ''dpal bzang'')<br>
9. Gopaka (Tib. ''sbed byed'')<br>
10. Nāgasena (Tib. ''klu sde'')<br>
11. Vanavāsin (Tib. ''nags gnas'')
12. Kṣudrapanthaka (Tib. ''lam phran'')<br>
13. Kanakavatsa (Tib. ''gser gyi be’u'')<br>
14. Aṅgiraja (Tib. ''yan lag ‘byung'')<br>
15. Ajita (Tib. ''ma pham pa'')<br>
16. Rāhula (Tib. sgra gcan 'dzin)<br>


===In English===
*''Crystal Mirror, volume VI'', Dharma Publishing 1984
*M. W. de Visser, ''The Arhats in China and Japan'', Oesterheld & Co. Berlin, 1923
*Tate, J. 'The Sixteen Arhats in Tibetan Painting,' in ''Oriental Art'' 35, 4 1989/90, pp. 196-206


==External Links==
*{{LH|topics/sixteen-arhats|A selection of texts related to the Sixteen Arhats on Lotsawa House}}
*[http://www.himalayanart.org/pages/arhat/index.html The Sixteen Arhats outline page at Himalayan Art Resources]
*[https://khenposodargye.org/books/ebooks/homage-and-offerings-to-the-sixteen-elders/ Homage and Offerings to the Sixteen Elders Composed by Pandita Shakyashri & Commented by Khenpo Sodargye]
==Gallery==
'''The Sixteen Arhats'''
<Gallery>
Image:Angaja.jpg|Angiraja
Image:Ajita.jpg|Ajita
Image:Vanavasin.jpg|Vanavasin
Image:Kalika.jpg|Maha Kalika
Image: Vajriputra.jpg|Vajriputra
Image:Sribhadra.jpg|Shibhadra
Image:Kanakavatsa.jpg|Kanakavatsa
Image:Kanaka.jpg|Kanaka
Image:Bakula.jpg|Bakula
Image:Rahula.jpg|Rahula
Image:Chulapanthaka.jpg|Chulapanthaka
Image:Pindola.jpg|Pindola Bharadvaja
Image:Panthaka.jpg|Panthaka
Image:Nagasena.jpg|Nagasena
Image:Gopaka.jpg|Gopaka
Image:Abhedya.jpg|Abhedya
</gallery>
'''The Two Attendants'''
<Gallery>
Image:Hva_Shang.jpg|Hva Shang
Image:Dharmatala.jpg|Dharmatala
</gallery>
'''The Four Great Kings'''
<Gallery>
Image:Dhritarashtra.jpg|Dhritarashtra
Image:VirudhakaTST.jpg|Virudhaka
Image:VirupaksaTST.jpg‎|Virupaksa
Image:VaisravanaTST.jpg|Vaisravana
</gallery>
[[Category:Buddhas and Deities]]
[[Category:Sixteen Arhats]]
[[Category:Buddha Shakyamuni's Disciples]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:Buddhas and Deities]]
[[Category:16-Sixteen]]

Latest revision as of 09:13, 14 November 2022

Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats

Sixteen Arhats or Sthaviras (Skt. Ṣoḍaśa Sthavirāḥ; Tib. གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག, Neten Chudruk, Wyl. gnas brtan bcu drug) — Buddha Shakyamuni personally selected the Sixteen Arhats from amongst his disciples and requested them to remain in the world, protecting the Dharma for as long as beings are capable of benefitting from the teachings. They vowed at the time of the parinirvana to remain in the world and maintain the Dharma until the time of the future Buddha Maitreya. To visualize the Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by the Sixteen Arhats and an assembly of bodhisattvas generates great merit and quickly develops insight into the teachings of the Buddha.

  1. Angaja (Tib. Yenlag Chung)
  2. Ajita (Tib. Ma Phampa)
  3. Vanavasin (Tib. Nagnanepa)
  4. Mahakalika (Tib. Düden Chenpo)
  5. Vajriputra (Tib. Dorje Möbu)
  6. Shribhadra (Tib. Pal Zangpo)
  7. Kanakavatsa (Tib. Sergyi Be'u)
  8. Kanaka (Tib. Serchen)
  9. Bakula (Tib. Bakula)
  10. Rahula, the Buddha's son (Tib. Drachen Dzin)
  11. Chulapanthaka (Tib. Lamtren Ten)
  12. Pindola Bharadvaja (Tib. Bharadodza Sönyom Len)
  13. Panthaka (Tib. Lamchenten)
  14. Nagasena (Tib. Lüdé)
  15. Gopaka (Tib. Bechepa)
  16. Abhedya (Tib. Michepa)

The Sixteen Arhats are usually shown in thangkas accompanied by their two attendants, Hva Shang and Upasaka Dharmatala and by the Four Great Kings.

Further Reading

In Tibetan

  • Mipham Rinpoche, 'phags pa'i gnas brtan chen po bcu drug gi lo rgyus mdor bsdus

In English

  • Crystal Mirror, volume VI, Dharma Publishing 1984
  • M. W. de Visser, The Arhats in China and Japan, Oesterheld & Co. Berlin, 1923
  • Tate, J. 'The Sixteen Arhats in Tibetan Painting,' in Oriental Art 35, 4 1989/90, pp. 196-206

External Links

Gallery

The Sixteen Arhats

The Two Attendants

The Four Great Kings