This article deals with an important festival in Tibet dedicated to the future Buddha Maitreya. It was held on three days in summer when three giant thangkas showing Buddhas Amitābha, Śākyamuni and Maitreya were put on public display. Introduced in the seventeenth century, it became a defining feature of the monastic life in the Dge lugs monastery of Bkra shis lhun po, the seat of the Panchen Lamas. It attained a supra-regional importance, which even extended to Mongolia. Based on a number of textual sources, this essay examines various aspects of this festival, how it was funded, who participated, and which rituals and ceremonies were conducted. It also analyses the history and iconography of the three giant textile thangkas by discussing in detail the contributions made during the reign of each respective Panchen Lama from the past to the present. In sum, the article argues that this festival has to be seen in the context of a special bond the Dge lugs school of Tibetan Buddhism maintained to have with the future Buddha Maitreya.
目次
Introduction 55 1. Maitreya worship at Bkra shis Ihun po and the Maitreya Prayer Festival 56 2. The Celebration of the Festival and Related Activities 59 The Venue of the Festival 62 The Funding of the Festival 63 The Participants of the Festival 64 Rituals, Prayers, Ceremonies, and Teachings 66 Announcements and Long-Life Prayers 69 Strengthening Religious and Political Ties 71 3. The History and Iconography of the Giant Textile Thangkas 75 1st Dalai Lama Dge 'dun grub (1391-1474) 76 4th Panchen Lama Blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1570-1662) 81 5th Panchen Lama Blo bzang ye shes (1663-1737) 84 6th Panchen Lama Dpal ldan ye shes (1738-1780) 88 7th Panchen Lama Bstan pa'i nyi ma (1782-1853) 89 8th Panchen Lama Bstan pa'i dbang phyug (1854/1855-1882) 89 9th Panchen Lama Thub Bstan chos kyi nyi ma (1883-1937) 89 10th Panchen Lama Chos kyi rgyal mtshan (1938-1989) 91 11th Panchen Lama Rgyal mtshan nor bu (b. 1990) 92 The Amitabha Thangka 92 The Sakyamuni Thangka 93 The Maitreya Thangka 94 4. Concluding Remarks 96 Bibliography 101
