Art was widely used to express the traditions of the Himalayan region. Once Upon Many Times is an exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art representing a wide range of visual narratives and reproductions of temple murals, which can be considered exceptional examples of Himalayan art based on Tibetan myths and legends. Furthermore, this article will analyze the color arrangement, composition, proportions, hierarchy and motifs of Shantarakshita's historical narrative and scenes from her life as well as the Drowa Sangmo mural depicted at the Once Upon Many Times exhibition. . Both the Drowa Sangmo mural and the Shantarakshita portrait are essential examples of Himalayan Buddhist art, telling not only the literal history of Buddhism, but also the underlying cultural forces and religious meanings at play. Taking a closer look at the painting Shantarakshita and Scenes from her Life in Tibet and the Drowa Sangmo wall mural, it can be argued that the color palette, proportions and scale of these objects are similar, but significant differences can be found in the form, the hierarchy. and the composition of these objects which can be explained with disparity in the main themes of these objects and materials. The Drowa Sangmo mural is painted directly on the wall of a temple in Tibet; its religious context is literally inseparable from the painting. The Drowa Sangmo mural also represents in a two-dimensional format the dynamism of Tibetan opera: another art form that encapsulates the complexity of Tibetan culture and the connection between art, culture and religion. On the other hand, Shantarakshita is the portrait of a monk who was instrumental in introducing Buddhism to Tibet. The Drowa Sangmo mural and the portrait of monk Shantarakshita show how the historic...... middle of paper ... painting shape was replaced by a more rectangular shape. Another important aspect is the hierarchy of the depicted characters, which depends on the spiritual wishes of the priorities and affects the choice and positioning of the characters. Most of these characteristics, including religious concerns, color palette, shape composition, and hierarchy, are observed in the analyzed objects, making them elements of the stylistic movements of their time. Concerning the metaphorical meaning of the objects, the main conclusion that can emerge from the story of Shantarakshita and the scenes from her life and from the mural of Drowa Sangmo is the importance of practicing Buddhism. By involving the depicted characters in the historical and legendary context and recounting different episodes from their lives, the artists emphasized the main motive of belief and its place in people's lives..