Sixteen Arhats

The Sixteen Arhats (Chinese: 十六羅漢, pinyin: Shíliù Luóhàn, Rōmaji: Jūroku Rakan; Tibetan: གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག, "Neten Chudrug") are a group of legendary Arhats in Buddhism. The grouping of sixteen Arhats was brought to China, and later to Tibet, from India. In China, an expanded group of Eighteen Arhats later became much more popular, but worship of the sixteen Arhats still continues to the present day in China, Japan and Tibet. In Japan sixteen Arhats are particularly popular in Zen Buddhism, where they are treated as examples of behaviour.[1] In Tibet, the sixteen Arhats, also known as sixteen sthaviras ('elders') are the subject of a liturgical practice associated with the festival of the Buddha's birth,[2] composed by the Kashmiri teacher Shakyahribhadra (1127-1225).[3] They are also well represented in Tibetan art.[4]

The 16 Arhats, with various associated symbolic items; as depicted in a "gentle caricature" style Japanese painting, late 19th - early 20th century

The sixteen Arhats are:

• Ming dynasty painting scroll of the Sixteen Arhats by Wu Bin. China. Currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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• Ming dynasty painting scroll of the Sixteen Arhats by Qiu Ying. China. Currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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• Qing dynasty painting scroll of the Sixteen Arhats by Shitao. China. Currently held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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• The Sixteen Arhats from the Alice S. Kandell Collection
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  Arhats Rahula, Cudapanthaka, and Pindola
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  Arhats Kanakavasta, Vajriputra, Kanaka-Bharadvaja, and Bhadra
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  Arhats Ajita, Kalika, and Vanavasin
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  Arhats Panthaka, Nagasena, Gopaka, and Abheda

• Other depictions of the Sixteen Arhats in Art
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  Painting of Ańgaja (Yīnjiētuó zūnzhě), out of a set depicting the sixteen arhats, by Guanxiu.9th - 10th century. China.
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  Song dynasty painting of Ańgaja (Yīnjiētuó zūnzhě), out of a set depicting the sixteen arhats. China. Currently held in the Tokyo National Museum.
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  Song dynasty painting of Gopaka/Jīvaka (Róngbójiā zūnzhě), out of a set depicting the sixteen arhats. China. Currently held in the Tokyo National Museum.
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  Covered Box in the Shape of Sixteen Arhats in a Begging Bowl
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  Pindolabharadrāja (Binzuru) statue in Mitsu-tera Temple, Osaka, Japan.
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  Ańgaja (Ingada sonja) holding a stupika in his right hand. Musée Guimet.