The Female Buddha Vajravarahi

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Vajravarahi is named for the sow's head that emerges from the right side of head or from the top of her head. The sow or pig is a common Buddhist symbol of delusion; and her having such a face symbolizes that wisdom's conquest of delusion does not merely suppress or destroy a part of the self. Wisdom tames the delusion of egotism and transmutes its energy into compassion and great bliss. The sow's face shows that nothing has been wasted.

Vajravarahi is the essence of five kinds of knowledge, and is the embodiment of sahaja pleasure. She can walk on water, a supernatural ability demonstrating her understanding of emptiness. This wrathful Buddha takes the notion of demonic divine in new direction. Where the female Dangerous and Enlightened Protectors in the exhibition demonstrate that the female can be horrifying, this fierce Vajravarahi shows that the terrifying can be feminine. She is the "supreme Dakini of all Buddhas". Moreover as the purifying inner heat of the navel chakra, Vajravarahi embodies the ultimate experiences and realization of supreme bliss and emptiness – the essence of the completion-stage practices. She controls the ago and cravings of sadhakas. There are many forms of Vajrayogini according to her postures, colour and attributes, she carries in her hands. She appears both as an independent female Buddha and a consort of shamvara or Chakrasamvara.

Here she dances in ardhaparyankasana on the back of a corpse on a lotus flower. Her complexion is red and expression is angry. Her hair is upswept and three staring eyes are wrathful. Her mouth is open, showing her teeth. Her upraised right hand holds a vajra-chopper, while the left hand, a skull bowl. In the bend of the left elbow appears a khatvanga staff, symbolizing her non-dual union with Chakrasamvara. She wears elephant hide and human skin as upper garments; a tiger skin as lower garment or skirt. She is also adorned with a crown of skulls, necklace, earrings, armlets, bracelets, waist-band, anklets, a long garland of severed human heads and a long silk scarf.

There is wisdom fire aureole behind her. Amitabha Buddha is seated on top centre with rainbow light in clouds. The middle ground and foreground are rendered with clouds, high peaks, covered with snow, waterfall, lakes and rocks etc.

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma. His Doctorate thesis being: "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.