The Buddhist God of Rain

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There are several opinions pertaining to the origin of this Bodhisattva. The Mahayana tradition believes that he is the spiritual emanation of Akshobhya, one of the Five Transcendent Buddhas and the head of the vajra family. It is also said that in the Buddhist pantheon he seems to be an adaptation of Shakra or Indra ( the god of rain) of Hindu mythology. From early times Buddhist myths and legends associate Shakra (Indra) with many important events in the life of the Buddha Shakyamuni, for instance, his birth, his renunciation, his descent from the Trayastrimsa heaven etc. In early Buddhist art this association has been prominently displayed; the vajra or thunderbolt is the characteristic ayudha of Shakra (Indra) and this personage in Buddhist context came to be known as Vajrapani, a name also associated with Shakra or Indra. In the course of time he was given a place in the Buddhist pantheon and in the Vajrayana phase he came to occupy a fairly important position among the Buddhist divinities.

The Chinese traveler, Huan Tsang mentions that when the nagas (Serpent gods) appeared before Buddha to hear his teachings, Vajrapani was charged by the Buddha to guard them from the attacks of their mortal enemies, the garudas, and that, in order to deceive and combat the garudas, Vajrapani assumed a form with a head, wings and claws like the garudas themselves. Moreover, there are many more legends related to him.

Vajrapani has been represented in Buddhist Art in different forms, postures and gestures. Here he has been shown in a dark blue complexion and standing in the posture of pratyalidha on a lotus base encircled by seven single lotus petals at the front. His left foot is slightly raised up. He has two hands, the right hand is upraised brandishing a vajra, while the left one holds a vajra-pasha (noose).

His expression is ferocious. He is wearing a five-skull crown and his hair is upswept. The three eyes are open and staring. The mouth is open with an upraised tongue. The moustache has been designed on the sides of the mouth. His eyebrows are like small flames and his beard is made of hook-like shapes. He is wearing many ornaments on his body - necklaces, earrings, armlets, bracelets and anklets. A snake hangs from the neck and shoulders like a scarf. Moreover, he is also wearing a flowing scarf and a tiger-skin skirt.

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "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.