Gautam Buddha with His Two Disciples

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The Buddha Shakymuni is shown here seated in vajraparyankasana on a moon disk on a lotus emerged from a lake. His right hand is in earth-witness gesture and the left hand in meditation position. The earth-witness gesture of the Buddha reminds the event of his enlightenment at Bodhgaya. His figure is well drawn. He has an oval face; his half closed eyes, and smiling face convey the expression of calm, serene, love and compassion. His hair, painted in gold, is fashioned in small curls with prominent ushnisha (protuberance). There is a jewel on the top of his head. The characteristic signs of a Buddha – broad shoulders, long earlobes, trivali (three lines on the neck) etc. are precisely shown in the present figure of the Buddha. His robes whose patches are bordered with gold are decorated with geometric designs. There is a mandorla and a halo behind his body and head, respectively. Amitabha, the Buddha of infinite light are seated in the upper center in clouds. The upper right and left corners are filled with the images of auspicious symbols, followed by two semicircles in which two deities are shown in dancing attitude in clouds. The bottom corners are filled with perhaps the figures of Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, the chief disciples of the Buddha Shakyamuni. These two from their prominence in the system seem to have contributed materially to its success, having died before their master, the first of the patriarchs was the senior surviving disciple, Mahakashyapa. The bottom center of the painting is filled with auspicious offerings.

The middle and foreground is filled with mountainous landscape, high peaks, lakes, natural vegetation and clouds etc. The thangka is very much suitable for sadhana and for the ritual to obtain power and compassion.

References:

A.Getty, The Gods Of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

L.A. Waddell, Buddhism & Lamaism of Tibet, New Delhi, 1979 (reprint)

M.M. Rhie & R.A.F. Thurman, World of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D)."

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

Free Shipping. Delivered by to all international destinations within 3 to 5 days, fully insured.

Unveiling the Divine Art: Journey into the Making of Thangkas

A Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that usually depicts a Buddhist Deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva), a scene, or a mandala. These paintings are considered important paraphernalia in Buddhist rituals. They are used to teach the life of the Buddha, various lamas, and Bodhisattvas to the monastic students, and are also useful in visualizing the deity while meditating. One of the most important subjects of thangkas is the Bhavacakra (the wheel of life) which depicts the Art of Enlightenment. It is believed that Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the murals, of which only a few can be seen in the Ajanta caves in India and the Mogao caves in Gansu Province, Tibet. Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk applique and are usually small in size. The artist of these paintings is highly trained and has a proper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, knowledge, and background to create a realistic and bona fide painting.

The process of making a thangka begins with stitching a loosely woven cotton fabric onto a wooden frame. Traditionally, the canvas was prepared by coating it with gesso, chalk, and base pigment.

After this, the outline of the form of the deity is sketched with a pencil or charcoal onto the canvas using iconographic grids. The drawing process is followed in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scriptures. The systematic grid helps the artist to make a geometrical and professional painting. When the drawing of the figures is finalized and adjusted, it is then outlined with black ink.

Earlier, a special paint of different colors was made by mixing powdered forms of organic (vegetable) and mineral pigments in a water-soluble adhesive. Nowadays, artists use acrylic paints instead. The colors are now applied to the sketch using the wet and dry brush techniques. One of the characteristic features of a thangka is the use of vibrant colors such as red, blue, black, green, yellow, etc.

In the final step, pure gold is coated over some parts of the thangka to increase its beauty. Due to this beautification, thangkas are much more expensive and also stand out from other ordinary paintings.

Thangka paintings are generally kept unrolled when not on display on the wall. They also come with a frame, a silken cover in front, and a textile backing to protect the painting from getting damaged. Because Thangkas are delicate in nature, they are recommended to be kept in places with no excess moisture and where there is not much exposure to sunlight. This makes them last a long time without their colors fading away. Painting a thangka is an elaborate and complex process and requires excellent skills. A skilled artist can take up to 6 months to complete a detailed thangka painting. In earlier times, thangka painters were lamas that spent many years on Buddhist studies before they painted.