Mahāsthāmaprāpta

Mahasthamaprapta, a prominent figure in both Infinite Life Sutra and Sutra On Contemplation Of Amitayus, is a central Bodhisattva in the Pure Land tradition. As described in Sutra of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Receiving the Prediction from Mahasthamaprapta and Lotus Sutra of Great Compassion, this Bodhisattva illuminates all beings with the light of wisdom, guiding them out of the Three Realms and into supreme power. When he practices, the worlds in all ten directions trembles, earning him the title Mahasthamaprapta, simply Da Shi, in Chinese. Along with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, he serves as one of Amitabha Buddha's attendants in the Western Pure Land, forming the revered trio known as the Three Saints of the West.

Legend holds that those born in the Year of the Horse are destined to embody the qualities of this great Bodhisattva, endowed with boundless wisdom and light. He guides all sentient beings with strength and courage in their practice, leading them toward purity and nobility, away from obstacles and impurities, drawing them closer to a life of transcendence and prosperity.

This artwork is a representation of the Meythang School of Painting, with a green background symbolizing the perfection of all achievements. The central deity, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, embodies the immense and ultimate power for realization, and Padmasambhava or the Lotus-born Master represents the source of the Nyingma Sect, while in auspicious clouds are heavenly and humans making offerings and the auxiliary deity, Sitātapatrā or the Buddha Mother Holding a Large White Umbrella, signifies her great power magnifying its light and enveloping all with the pure virtues and compassion, and her manifestation method signifies the complete and swift realization of the wondrous fruition of liberation.