Vajradhara - Protector of Vajrayana Buddhism

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The name Vajradhara means “holder of the vajra or thunderbolt’, implying that Vajradhara is the holder or protector of Vajrayana Buddhism. He is the supreme guru of the Kargyupa and the principal deity of this sect whose origins go back to Marpa. Marpa was a disciple of Naropa and the master of supreme yogi and the mystic poet Milarepa. Vajradhara occupies a prominent position in the mystical experience of the Gelugpa too. Vajradhara is Buddha from the beginning with no conquest of Buddhahood. He is the Absolute, beyond the five Dhyani Buddhas, transcending them and nevertheless permeating them as the source of all apparent things. He is referred to as being the sambhogakaya form, the Body of Bliss or Transcendent Buddha form, of the primordial Buddha, the representation of pure Buddha nature from whom all Buddhas arise. He is also considered as counterpart of Adi-Buddha Vajrasattva. The unreformed Lamaist sects in Tibet acknowledged a primordial Buddha whom they worshipped under the name of Samantabhadra. The Red-Caps as well as Nepalese Mahayanists worshipped the Adi-Buddha under the name of Vajrasattva, while the ‘Yellow-Caps’ looked upon Vajradhara as the Supreme power or Adi-Buddha and creator of all things.

The Guru in his transcendant character may be envisaged as the yidam with whom one has the paramount feeling of transcendance. The Guru enters life as a spiritual friend (kalyanamitra) and ultimately he is a manifestation of Buddhahood. The Supremely Enlightenment One has said in his precious tantras and sutras that in this degenerate age Lord Vajradhara manifests himself in the form of spiritual friends, and acts for the good of sentient beings. Accordingly, our spiritual friends, apart from merely exhibiting different aspects of being, are manifestations the Lord Vajradhara to attract beings, are manifestations of the Lord Vajradhara to attract us who have the ill-fortune of being unable to perceive Buddhahood directly. . Vajradhara is shown here seated in vajraparyankasana on a moon disk on a pink lotus flower against a brilliant aureole. The complexion of his body is blue, suggestive of the absolute. His both the hands are crossed over the chest in vajra-humkara-mudra and carries the vajra in the right and vajra-tipped bell in the left hand, respectively, a gesture symbolizing highest energy and the union of compassion and wisdom necessary to reach enlightenment. He is dressed in royal attire, with diadem with jewels, necklaces, earrings, armlets, bracelets, anklets, silk scarf, dhoti and waist-band.

Vajradhara is widely represented in all Buddhist countries of North, especially in Tibet and China. As mention above this thangka is brilliantly drawn and painted. The extended brocade is woven with flowers and Chinese good-luck symbols. The painting is very much suitable for sadhana and practices of Vajradhara Buddha.

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma, whose Doctorate thesis is on “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

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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.