The Buddha Shakyamuni with His Chief Disciples Sariputra and Maudgalyayana

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The Buddha is seated in vajraparyankasana on a beautifully rendered lotus flower, emerged from a lake. His right hand displays the earth-touching gesture and the left hand is held in meditation position which is holding a pindapatra. The earth-touching gesture of the Buddha reminds the event of his enlightenment at Bodhgaya. This hand gesture of the Buddha symbolized that he has overcome the temptation of the evil god Mara and of his army in their innumerable aspects. Mara tries to break him even when he has attained enlightenment and tempts him to vanish into nirvana and leave mankind in darkness. The Buddha is serene and motionless. He has passed the raging fury of illusory forms. The Sage is the supremely Enlightenment One, aware of the causes of suffering and of the way to attain liberation from them. He calls the Earth-touching gesture to witness to the supreme Enlightenment he has attained. The Earth Goddess emerges from the ground opened near his seat and says, "It is as you say and I am the eye-witness. Thus the earth-touching gesture of the Buddha signifies the supreme moment of Enlightenment, he sits on a throne which indicates that he has perfected the six paramitas (Transcendences).

In this painting the Buddha Shakyamuni has an oval face and his figure depicts some of the thirty-two characteristic marks (lakshanas) of a Buddha, such as broad shoulders, long arms, long earlobes, circle between the eyebrows, curly hair, protuberance on the top of the head and so on.

There is a jewel on the top of His head. His half closed compassionate eyes, smiling face convey the expression of love and compassion. His robes covered both of his shoulders and are decorated with floral and geometric designs. There is a prabhamandala and mandorla, behind his head and body, respectively. The figure of the Buddha is brilliantly drawn.

Amitabha Buddha, the god of infinite light is seated in Crosse-legged on a throne in the upper center, in clouds. The peaceful offerings are beautifully rendered below the seat of the Buddha. The bottom center depicts lake and the middle ground high peaks and water falls. The painting is suitable for sadhana and esoteric practices.

Select Bibliography

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

H. Kern, Manual of Indian Buddhism, Delhi,1968

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

P. Pal, Art of the Himalayas: Treasures from Nepal and Tibet, New York,1991

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.