In
Theravada Buddhism the Arahat or Arahant, translated into Chinese
as Lohan - or one who has followed the Eightfold Path and has
achieved deliverance of this earthly existence. He has reached
"the other shore" and is saved for all eternity. In
him the asavas - the craving for sensual pleasures, earthly
existence, ignorance and wrong views are gone. He is subject
to no more rebirths and karma.
Lohans
are well-known for their great wisdom, courage and supernatural
power. Due to their abilities to ward off the evil, Lohans have
became guardian angels of the Buddhist temple and there in the
main hall standing guard are the ever-present, indomitable-looking
18 Lohan figures, sometimes accompanied by 500 or more lesser
Lohans.
According
to tradition, there were originally only 16 lohans. Two were
added on the list by the Chinese in the Tang Dynasty.
Legend
has it that the first portraits of the 18 Lohans were painted
by a Buddhist monk Guan Xiu, in 891 A.D. Guan Xiu lived in Chengdu,
the capital of a small kingdom, the Former Shu, formed at the
decline of the Tang Dynasty in what is today's Sichuan Province.
He was adept at the scholarly pursuits of painting, calligraphy
and poetry.
It
was because of his expert painting skill that the Lohans chose
him to paint their portraits. They appeared to him in his dreams
to make that request.
The
traditional order of the 18 Lohans is based on the order in
which they appeared in Guan Xiu's dreams, not on the strength
of their power. The order is: Deer Sitting, Happy, Raised Bowl,
Raised Pagoda, Meditating, Oversea, Elephant Riding, Laughing
Lion, Open Heart, Raised Hand, Thinking, Scratched Ear, Calico
Bag, Plantain, Long Eyebrow, Doorman, Taming Dragon and Taming
Tiger Lohans.
Since
then, Chinese artists, be they painters, sculptors or potters,
have sought to give flesh and blood to these essentially mythical
figures. Often they would base their portrayals of the Lohans
on Guan Xiu's paintings. Numerous legends have served to provide
attributes and dispositions, from which the artists draw their
inspiration. As each artist has his own method of expression,
thus the portrayals of the Lohans differ from dynasty to dynasty
and from place to place.
