White Tara Black Mandala with Five Dhyani Buddhas (A Serious Thangka)

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Goddess White Tara is seated in vajraparyankasana on a lotus in mountainous landscape, in the centre of the mandala which rests on vishva vajra. The right hand of the Goddess is in vara-mudra,while her left hand held in abhaya mudra, holds a stem of lotus flower. There is a square outside the centre circle which is divided into four triangles and decorated with geometric pattern in gold and silver colours. The walls of the square are decorated with stylized and floral designs. There are four gateways in cardinal directions with wish-fulfilling gems in them. The area outside the building is filled with floral pattern in gold. The building of the mandala has an outer circle of flames protecting the inner residence which is stylistically rendered here. Then there is a circle of lotus petals, symbolizes beginning of spiritual realm.

Across the top of the painting are three Dhyani Buddhas, from the left are Buddha Ratnasambhava, Vairochana, and Amitabha, respectively. Ratnasambhava represents the cosmic element of vedana (sensation) and is associated with the southern direction and with the addiction of pride and avarice, which he helps the practitioner to transform wisdom of equanimity. When painted his color is yellow and his clan is the jewel.

Vairochana is regarded as the oldest and the first Dhyani Buddha and his place is in the sanctum of the stupa where he is the master of the whole temple and its contents. When painted his colour is white. He represents the cosmic element of rupa (form). Vairochana is the embodiment of the Tathagata family and is established as an embodiment of adarsha (ideal) knowledge.

Dhyani Buddha Amitabha is the lord of the western paradise called sukhavati, he is also known as lord of bliss or pureland.

Both the upper corners depict Dragons. The dragon generally represents the strong male yang principle of heaven, change, energy and creativity. In Buddhism the dragon is the vehicle of Vairochana Buddha. Chinese Buddhism depicts different types of dragon. Dragon is also the vehicle of many protective deities and guardians of treasure.

Akshobhya Buddha is seated in bottom left corner. He is the lord of vajra clan and occupies the eastern direction in many popular tantras. He originates from the blue syllable Hum which is placed on the orb of the sun. He represents the primordial cosmic element vijnana (consciousness). He is popular in Nepal, Tibet and China.

The Buddha Amoghasiddhi is seated in lower right corner. When painted his complexion is green. Amoghasiddhi represents the cosmic element of samskara (conformation). He has the power of infallible magic. He is the embodiment of the rainy season.

White Tara is the special goddess of long life. She is considered to be a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Her complexion is white which is the symbol of purity and therefore she symbolizes immaculacy, and, because of her association with Avalokiteshvara. She helps practitioner overcome obstacles, particularly impediments to the practice of religion. The devotees invokes Tara to cross him over, to liberate him, and in that moment she emerges the Saviouress, Tara by name, from the root tar 'to save, to lead'. That is why the term 'Tara' also refers to 'pilotship' of the ferry-boat of life. Mother Tara ferries across all her devoted children through the stormy oceans of mundane existence. Moreover the term 'Tara' refers to the pupil of the third eye of wisdom through which the Cosmic Mother visualizes the world-drama. In other words, we may say that Tara refers to the intuitive vision or darshana, that is, human beings may know the nature of the ultimate Truth or Reality through darshana which may be granted by the grace of Mother Tara. White Tara has se3ven eyes – the normal ones, one vertical eye on her forehead and one in the palm of each hand and sole of each foot. Just as with Avalokiteshvara's thousand eyes, these symbolize the capacity to see all those in need in all four corners of the earth. In Nepal she is called Sapta-Lochani or Seven-Eyed Tara.

The cult of Tara is very popular in Tibet, Mongolia, China and Nepal etc. In Tibet the ceremonies of Tara are an integral part of Karmpa rituals. Her mandalas are worshipped from third to ninth of every month. On auspicious days there are special services to White Tara. In the daily ritual practices of the most important monasteries, at seven in the morning takes place the meditation on the mandala of Tara, which includes the recitation of her sadhana texts. The Tibetans pray to White Tara for long life, for human, life is infinitely precious as the ultimate goal of Buddhahood can be attained by striving in this human body. The Japanese Buddhists believe that Goddess Tara made two vows – to conquer evil (as Green Tara) and to save human beings (as White Tara). There are twenty-one forms of Tara – the most popular are Green and White Tara. The worship of Tara became more popular in Tibet when the two main forms of Tara were linked with two queens of the great Tibetan king sRong-tsan-sgam-po. Tibetan Buddhists believe Green Tara reincarnated in Nepalese queen of the king, White Tara in Chinese Queen.

Select Bibliography

Alice Getty, Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

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

Barbara Lipton & Nima D. Ragnubs, Treasures of Tibetan Art, New York, 1996

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.