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The Secret Five Bodhisattvas (Gohimitsu Bosatsu)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The Secret Five were used in a Buddhist ritual to convert negative aspects of consciousness into positive ones. At the center is Kongōsatta, who represents the enlightened mind. He is surrounded by enlightened beings who convert the human frailties of desire, sensory pleasure, passion, and pride into constructive tools to use on the path to enlightenment.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Secret Five Bodhisattvas (Gohimitsu Bosatsu) (五秘密菩薩像), 1200s. Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333). Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold, and silver on silk; image: 78.1 x 63.5 cm (30 3/4 x 25 in.); overall: 163.2 x 83.8 cm (64 1/4 x 33 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund, 1961.423
