Sacred Buddhist Painting

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Sacred Buddhist Painting is a lucid account of thangka painting, a form of scroll painting integral to Tibetan Buddhist worship. Painting and sculpture were crucial to the religious life of Tibet. Ordinary Tibetans were often advised by their religious preceptors to commission a painting to 'remove' physical or mental obstacles, or to create the prerequisites for a long and healthy life (zhabs brtan).

Like any other virtuous deed, the commissioning of religious art was believed to earn merit (bsod nams), the only thing in the Buddhist view that could give rise to future benefits and happiness. From this has emerged an art unique in its imagery, choice of colours and immediacy of content.

This book introduces the reader to the gem-like iridescence of colours representing the archetypal Buddhist images of good and evil. It has thangkas from renowned collections the world over. Of special interest are the thangkas from the collection of H. H. the Dalai Lama's private chapel (Namgyal Monastery), his apartment above Norbulingka Temple, and his collection donated to the Library of Works and Archives, in Dharamsala, India.

About the Author

Anjan Chakraverty lives in Varanasi. After his post-graduation in creative painting he did his doctoral research on Landscape in Indian Miniature Painting. His book, Indian Miniature Painting, was published in 1996. He divides his time between painting and teaching art history at the faculty of Visual Art. Banaras Hindu University.