Transformations of the Peacock.

Public lecture by Prof. Ryan R. Overbey:
The Great Peahen Queen of Spells (Mahāmāyūrīvidyārājñī) is a dynamic Buddhist scripture containing lists of gods and demons, apotropaic spells, and protective rituals. This scripture and its artistic manifestations grew over time, with various forms of Mahāmāyūrī emerging in South, Central, and East Asia from the early centuries CE up to the present.
In this lecture we will explore two aspects of the development of the Māhāmāyūrī corpus over time. First, we will examine the ways images of Mahāmāyūrī transformed as they moved from South to Central and East Asia. Second, we will investigate some ritual manuals and visualization instructions extant in Chinese, Sanskrit, and Tibetan sources. Comparison of these materials will allow us think critically about the relationship between art and ritual in the Buddhist traditions.

Picture: Tokyo National Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons