Pindola Bharadvaja, the first venerable Luohan 賓度羅跋羅墮闍尊者像

Formerly attributed to Wu Daozi (傳)吳道子 (active ca. 710-760) · 1345

The subject of this painting, Pindola Bharadvaja (Binduluo Boluoduoshe), was one of the Buddha's main disciples. He was a vigouous exponent of the Buddhist Law (dharma), and has manifested himself on several occasions to pious Chinese believers. Pindola has a voice like a lion's roar, and is often depicted with extraordinarily long eyebrows, a physical attribute for which he is sometimes named Changmai seng. Pindola was one of the first arhats to be depicted in China, and is the only luohan afforded special worship. He is said to dwell with eleven-hundred luohan protogees in the Western Continent of Apara-godaniya (Xi Qutuoni zhou).