Padmasambhava -Tibetan Buddhist Deity

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] King Indrabhuti adopted him as his son and spiritual master. Padmasambhava is one of his eight names, one for each of eight important actions he performed during his lifetime. He studied in Nalanda University in India and became an ordained monk. He practiced tantric Buddhism and was held in high esteem as the greatest master of the occult science in India and as such was recommended to the king of Tibet in eighth century A.D. by one of the most famous Buddhist scholars of the time Shantarakshita. King Khri-sron-ide-btsan (756-797 A.D.) invited Padmasambhava to help in the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. He visited Tibet and stayed there for some years. His principal task there was to demonstrate the superiority of the miracle-working power of Buddhism to that of Bon, a local cult of Tibet. As a great exorcist he was able to overcome local demonic opponents of Buddhism. From a miracle-worker he grew to gigantic proportions and was spoken of as the second Buddha. He accomplished the fusion of the old and new.

He founded Lamaism and Nyingmapa sect in Tibet. Tibetans call him Guru Rinpoche or Precious Teacher. He is highly revered in Tibet by all four great Buddhist sects. Though the statues and paintings of him are found every Tibetan monastery, but his teachings are followed especially by the Nyingmapa sect.

In the present painting he is seated in lalitasana on a moon disk on a lotus flower. He holds a vajra in his right hand and in the left, a skull cup, filled with nectar, in which rests a longevity vase. Moreover, he is holding a khatvanga staff under his left arm. He has a lovely young pink face. He wears a red scholar's hat with a half vajra and a peacock feather on top; jeweled ornaments that are painted with gold and an ornately decorated blue robe with red outer cloak. There is a halo and mandorla behind his head and body, respectively. The mandorla is encircled with flowers and leaves. Above the figure, stylized clouds are depicted in sky. The middle and foregrounds, depicts mountainous landscape, framed by clouds. The bottom center is filled with auspicious offerings.

References:

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

M.M. Rhied & R. A. F. Thurman, The Sacred Art Of Tibet, London, 1996

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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.