Paradise of the Medicine Buddha

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The Medicine Buddha is at the centre of the painting. He sits in the celestial palace in the centre of the city on a mountain. The four gates of the palace are guarded by four lokapalas or guardians (chatur-Maharajikas). Bhaishajyaguru holds myrobalan plant and a medicine bowl, his dark blue colour body is radiating healing rays of energy to all suffering beings. He is surrounded by gods, sages, Arahats etc. to whom he is imparting the Ragyud-bzhi. His expression is calm and serene and he does not wear a crown over the head. His throne indicates that he has perfected the six paramitas (transcendences). These paramitas are represented by six animals – the Garuda at the top is the first paramitas of dana (charity). The two young nagas stand for shila-paramita (moral excellence). The two makara are symbols of kshanti-paramita (forbearance). The two dwarfs on goats represent virya-paramita (endurance). The two elephants symbolize dhyana-paramita (meditation) and the lions on elephants are the symbol of prajna-paramita (highest-perfection of wisdom).

The medical text Ragyud-bzhi was translated into Tibetan by the famous Vairochana-rakshita at the time of king Trisong Detsen, with the help of Chandranandana who came from Kashmir. Medicine Buddha is mentioned in the first chapter of the Rgyud-bzhi. The text mentions the transmission of medicine from Brahma to the two divine physicians, the twin Ashvins. They handed it down to Indra. Indra passed it on to Ragyn-shes-kyibu and he to Than-la-hbar, Dkah-gnis-spyod, Mu-khyud-hdzin, Bshol-hgro-skyed, Me-bzhin-hyug, Lug-nag and Rgya-skegs-sna. These great divine sages brought the science of medicine from the world of gods to that of humans. This was the divine Brahma system of medicine. The four-headed Brahma is seen in the innermost enclosure of the painting, passing on the system to the Twin Ashvins, Indra and a divine is also seen, at the bottom left corner. To the right are divine sages, mature in years, with their matted ling hair and beards. On the top left are lord Ganesha, Ramana and Six-faced Karttikeya. Top right are Kashyapa, Jivaka the physician of Shakyamuni Buddha in the corner, and others.

All around the celestial palace are the many houses of the city in concentric layout. They are surrounded by gardens of medicinal herbs, pharmaceutical minerals, hot springs, etc. These are named in Tibetan language. In the outer concentric enclosure are trees as well as animals of medical importance. On the topmost panel are the Buddhas of Medicine with the first Dalai Lama, Lo-zan gyatso, in the upper left corner. At the bottom, are portion of Tibetan verses pertaining to the Tibetan Medical science.

The cult of Medicine Buddha is still very popular in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea. He is said to dispense spiritual medicine when properly worshipped. It is a popular belief in all these countries that an efficacious cure may be accomplished by merely touching the image of Medicine Buddha with reverence.

Historically Tibetan medicine is a confluent trinity of Indian Ayurvedic, Hellenic and Chinese traditions of medicine wherein the spatial tangents have met and harmonized.

Illness occurs when the balance among the three bodily fluids comprising the human – air, bile, and mucus – is disturbed. Such a disturbance can arise when there is an imbalance in the component parts of fluids, the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether (prana).

According to Buddhism, hatred, wanting (desire), and ignorance are the main ailments that torment and poison the body and soul. They disturb the balance of bodily fluids so that illness arises. There are also external influences at work that can negatively impact the body, such as evil spirits, a particular position of the planets, negative karma, improper food, and irreligious behavior. The religious cure is right thinking and acting. Tibetan healthcare comprises a combination of somatic and psycho-philosophical healing. In regard to the former healing method, the doctor gives nutritional advice and administers pills made from minerals and herbs. Moreover meditation is also the part of therapy.

Select Bibliography

Alice Getty, Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

Ben Meulenbeld, Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangka, Holland, 2001

Lokesh Chandra, Transcendental Art of Tibet, Delhi, 1996

Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet, Thames and Hudson, 1996

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.