Art AppreciationRathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South and the Enthroned Madonna are very similar images that were produced by very different cultures. Both images were made in the 13th century. The image of Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South, was produced in Tibet during an interesting period in the country's religious history. The Tibetan branch of Buddhism is led by a religious and sometimes political leader called the Dalai Lama. It was in the 13th century, under the reign of Kublai Khan, at the time this painting was created, that Tibet experienced the first incarnation of the Dalai Lama. One has to wonder if this painting is somehow connected to this event. According to one source, the system of reincarnation of living Buddhas is the main point that distinguishes Tibetan Buddhism from other forms of Buddhism. “In 1252, Kublai Khan granted audience to Pagba and Garma Pakshi, a prominent monk of the Garma Gagyu sect. Garma Pakshi, however, sought the patronage of Monge Khan who awarded him a black hat rimmed with gold and a gold seal of authority. Before his death in 1283, Garma Paksli wrote a will to secure the established interests of his sect. The will advised his followers to find a boy to inherit the black hat, with instructions based on the principle that Buddhist ideology is eternal and that a Buddha would reincarnate to carry out the missions he had initiated. The disciples of Garma Pakshi acted as per the will and located the reincarnated boy soul of their master. The event marked the introduction of the Living Buddha reincarnation system for the Black Hat lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. ...giving to humanity. Both paintings seem to suggest that this kind of altruism will result in serenity.Works CitedRathnasambhava, the transcendent Buddha of southern Tibet, 13th century CE. Mineral pigments on cotton fabric, height 36 1/2". Angeles County Museum of Art. Madonna Enthroned. C. 1280-90. Tempera on wood, 12'71/2"x7'4". February 19 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_in_Christianity “Wikipedia and Web February 19, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratnasambhava “The reincarnation of the living Buddhas”. .tibet-tour.com/tibet/reincarnation.html