Thangka of Vajriputra

A central, large-scale figure of a monk with a shaved head, dark skin, and wide, alert eyes sits cross-legged on a rock. He wears vibrant saffron-orange robes and gestures with his hands near his chest, holding a thin, rod-like instrument. Behind his head is a large, solid red halo, set against a backdrop of lush green foliage, white peonies, and stylized mountainous crags. To his lower right, a smaller, bearded attendant in a red tunic and white head covering gestures upward. The painting is framed by intricate Chinese-style silk brocade borders featuring circular auspicious symbols.

Vajriputra is one of the Sixteen Arhats, legendary disciples of the Buddha tasked with protecting the Dharma until the arrival of Maitreya. This iconography is central to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Arhat worship and the preservation of the Vinaya, often used in ritual practices to ensure the longevity of the Buddha's teachings.