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Portraits of 500 Arhats: 甲 – Jia, first Heavenly Stem
Ink on paper, 39 x 1,820 cm, after Wang Fangyue, 1757
National Library of China, Beijing
 

 

A serene and detailed scene unfolds in a mountainous forested landscape, where Buddhist monks, known as arhats, are scattered across the terrain in small groups and alone, each engaged in distinct poses and gestures. Some sit in contemplation or discussion, while others walk or stand, occasionally holding staffs or ritual objects. Rugged hills and twisted trees—some bare, others in leaf—surround them, with textured rock formations adding to the sense of seclusion. Near the centre, a small pond or stream reflects the peacefulness of the setting, as meditative figures gather around it. Immersed in nature, the arhats appear serene and transcendent, having entered nirvana—a state of ultimate enlightenment and liberation beyond the cycle of life and death.