Four harmonious animals
Encyclopedia
The four harmonious animals figure is a Buddhist legend which can often be found as subject in Tibetan art
.
This is a popular Tibet
an scene which is often found as wall painting in Tibetan religious buildings and represents an elephant
standing under a fruit tree carrying a monkey
, a hare
and a bird
on top of each other.
The scene refers to a Buddhist legend which tells that four animals were trying to find out who could be considered as being the oldest. The elephant said that the tree was already fully grown when he was young, the monkey that the tree was small when he was young, the hare that he saw the tree as a sapling when he was young and the bird claimed that he had carried the seed from which the tree grew. So the bird was recognized by the other animals as the oldest, and the four animals lived together in harmony
, helping each other to enjoy the fruits of the tree.
In Tibetan this group of four animals is normally referred to as mthun pa spun bzhi (four harmonious brothers) or as mthun pa rnam bzhi
The primary source for the Buddhist legend of the four harmonious brothers is the Vinayavastu
(´dul ba´i gzhi) which forms the first section of the Kanjur (ka´gyur), the canon of Tibetan Buddhism
.
Tibetan art
Tibetan art refers to the art of Tibet. For more than a thousand years, Tibetan artists have played a key role in the cultural life of Tibet. From designs for painted furniture to elaborate murals in religious buildings, their efforts have permeated virtually every facet of life on the Tibetan...
.
This is a popular Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an scene which is often found as wall painting in Tibetan religious buildings and represents an elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
standing under a fruit tree carrying a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, a hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
and a bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
on top of each other.
The scene refers to a Buddhist legend which tells that four animals were trying to find out who could be considered as being the oldest. The elephant said that the tree was already fully grown when he was young, the monkey that the tree was small when he was young, the hare that he saw the tree as a sapling when he was young and the bird claimed that he had carried the seed from which the tree grew. So the bird was recognized by the other animals as the oldest, and the four animals lived together in harmony
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
, helping each other to enjoy the fruits of the tree.
In Tibetan this group of four animals is normally referred to as mthun pa spun bzhi (four harmonious brothers) or as mthun pa rnam bzhi
The primary source for the Buddhist legend of the four harmonious brothers is the Vinayavastu
Vinaya Pitaka
The ' is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns...
(´dul ba´i gzhi) which forms the first section of the Kanjur (ka´gyur), the canon of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
.