Yamantaka in Yab Yum - Tibetan Buddhist

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Name: Yamantaka in Yab Yum - Tibetan Buddhist
Brand: Exotic India
SKU: TE25
Price: 500.00 USD
Availability: InStock

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Yamantaka is known as the wrathful aspect of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. In this form, Yamantaka is set to defeat Yama, the God of Death. Yamantaka fits in the narrative of death because his defeat of Yama signals Samsara (cycle of rebirth). Buddhism believes that stopping this cycle of rebirth is the quality of Buddhas and Yamantaka represents the end goal of achieving enlightenment by terminating death.

This thangka showcases Yamantaka with a wrathful face, to discourage you from going back to a cycle of bad habits. He has 7 heads side by side each other and two more heads on top of the main one. His main head has a crown of five skulls which represents the Five Negative Afflictions (greed, delusion, hatred, jealousy, pride) and its transmutation to positive wisdom. The flame on the skulls and the fiery detail on top of his eyes (as well as the fire designs in his aura) symbolize Yamantaka's power to transmute the five afflictions by the flame. On the top-most head is Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom.

The thangka also showcases yab-yum position (literally father-mother) which showcases the union of male compassion and female wisdom. On his chest is Yami holding a skullcap with blood that represents Great Bliss and wisdom. He has twenty hands each holding a weapon or an object. The first right-hand holds the skin of an elephant as a sign of victory over small-mindedness. The remaining right hands also hold objects with their meaning such as the ax (cutting duality and ignorance), dart (to pierce conception about objects), pestle (destroy backward mindfulness, a harpoon (to destroy the faults of one's self), an arrow (to pierce through preconception), skull-club (protect against karma), and the Khatanga blade (to get attuned to nature of great practice), to name some. Meanwhile, some objects on his left hand include a skull cap with blood, head of Brahma (great compassion), the shield (victory against Maras), a leg (symbol of proceeding to enlightenment), lasso (never-ending wisdom), bell (sound of wisdom), hand (symbol for performing four activities), flags (emptiness of the three doors as being one entity). His 16 legs are also depicted in this thangka.

The ones under the set of feet on his right side represent the Siddhis (powers gained through meditation) and include humans, buffalo, bullock, donkey, dog, sheep, and fox. Meanwhile, the feet on the left side are the eight powers vulture, owl, crow, parrot, hawk, kite, mynah, and swan. At the bottom part of the thangka are Three Skull offerings. The left and right skulls are smaller in size and represent semen and fertile blood, items necessary for rebirth. The center offers represent the five senses such as touch, sight, taste, smell, and sound.

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Item Code:	TE25
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface - 14.5 inch X 19.5 inch Size with Brocade - 26.5 inch X 43 inch

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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.

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