Journey to Nirvana

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The basic pattern of a mandala is a palace, envisioned not as a solid, but rather as made up of crystallized light, a jewel-like light that radiates through the composition. The palace is generally placed centrally and shaped as a square, a symbol of symmetry. Each of the four walls of the palace has a large ornamental gate decorated with vases, canopies, garlands, and victory banners.

A journey through a mandala symbolically recreates the journey to enlightenment or Nirvana. The meditator enters by the eastern gate and by encountering the sacred being residing at the heart of the mandala, transforms the five human delusions enumerated in the Buddhist scriptures to positive attributes. Indeed a mandala is identified by the central deity, and it is the power of this entity that the mandala is said to be invested with.

Here at the nucleus of the mandala resides the five-pronged Vishvavajra. Each of its five prongs transforms the following human delusions which obscure our true natures, into their respective positive attributes:

1). The delusion of ignorance becomes the wisdom of reality

2). The delusion of pride becomes the wisdom of sameness

3). The delusion of attachment becomes the wisdom of discernment

4). The delusion of jealousy becomes the wisdom of accomplishment

5). The delusion of anger becomes the mirror like wisdom

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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.