B U D D H A S

Thangka paintings of the Buddha can include Shakyamuni Buddha, the Awakened One, as well as the five Jinas (also known as the Dhyani Buddhas) or Victorious Ones. The Jinas each have different body colors and families, and are wearing monk’s robes. As seen in the Santa Fe wall painting, “The Five Jinas (Dhyani Buddhas)”:

  • Ratnasambhava - yellow

  • Amoghasiddhi - green

  • Vairocana - white

  • Amitabha - red

  • Akshobya - blue

Some of the Buddhas are wearing Bodhisattva clothing because they are in “activity mode”, shifting from emptiness to activity for the benefit of beings. These Buddhas include:

  • Vajrasattva - white

  • Amitayus - red

  • Vajradhara - blue

  • Medicine Buddha - blue

  • Samantabhadra (Kuntu Zangpo) - blue