The Guardians of Directions (Lokapalas) Take Vow to Protect the Dharma

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1. Virupaksha, the king or guardian of West

2. Vaishravana, the king or guardian of North

3. Virudhaka, the king or guardian of South

4. Dhritarashtra, the king or guardian of East

These Lokapalas are also known as Chatur-Maharajika, 'the four great kings'. They are mentioned in the earliest Buddhist works. It is said that the deities live on the shoulders of the axial mountain, Sumeru, and guard the entrances to Indra's heaven from the marauding titans or antigods. According to early Buddhist tradition Lokapalas appear before the Buddha and promise to uphold and protect his Dharma, or teachings, and its practitioners. They thus form an archetype for human kings and emperors in the history of Buddhism, who become moved by the Buddhas, or subsequent great masters, and at least partially renounce their worldly pride and vanity and become sincere supporters of the Buddhist community and Teaching. Thus the presence of Lokapalas before the Buddhas as shown in the present painting relates their assurance to the Buddhas for the protection of Dharma and its practitioners.

These four Lokapalas are standing slightly below the middle ground, two on each side. Virupaksha and Vaishravana are standing on the left. As mentioned above Virupaksha is the guardian of West. Moreover, he is the king of Nagas, and as such he is surrounded by thousands of them who paid homage to the Buddha Shakyamuni by offering pearls. Here he is holding a snake in his right hand, while his left hand is in abhaya-mudra. His dress is that of a warrior clad in armor, breastplate, backpiece, and bellypiece, strong boots with flowing dhoti.

Vaishravana is standing to the left of Virupaksha. He is the king or guardian of North and the Buddhist god of wealth. Moreover he is the king of Yakshas. Vaishravana too has appeared here in military attire. He is holding a banner of victory in his left hand, while a vase is in his left hand.

Virudhaka is standing in the right side and dressed in armor. He holds a sword in his right hand. He is the king of South, the direction always associated with Yama, the god of death. Virudhaka maintains a fierce demeanor to protect against wrongdoers. On the right of Virudhaka is Dhritarashtra. He is also clad in full military attire. Dhritarashtra guards the East and rules over gandharvas and pishachas. He is playing a stringed instrument (Vina), which is his distinctive mark.

The figures are brilliantly drawn. The middle and foreground depict beautiful landscape and lake. The painting is suitable for sadhana and ritual practices.

Select Bibliography

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

J.C. Huntington and D. Bangdel, The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, Ohio, 2004

Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

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.)".

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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.