"Nehan Zu" Buddha's Mahaparinirvana in Japanese Idiom (Brocadeless Thangka)

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The central figure of the painting is the Buddha himself, whose heavenly presence is marked by his huge body- representing the enormity of Buddhahood. Treatment of the grieving figures is tremendously fine, lending each one of them a distinct personality. Ananda has fainted, deeply struck by the pain of losing his master. Some of the followers are crying inconsolably, animals can be seen facing the sky and howling in grief, while those who are aware of the truth about the impermanence of life carry a composure on their faces. Two celestial beings, depicted with red skin tone appear especially distraught.

In the sky, a full moon glows in all its beauty, hinting that it is the hour just before dawn. On the right side of the painting, the Buddha’s mother Mahamaya can be seen descending from the heavens along with her attendants, covering her face with her hands as she weeps. The coming down of Maya’s soul is a quintessentially Japanese addition to the Mahaparinirvana images, where her entourage is headed by Anaritsusonja. Sal trees that flank the Buddha and his assembly bloom out of season as a homage to the great departure.

Mahaparinirvana paintings have a long tradition of serving as the main image in Buddhist shrines and are an important element of the celebration of Buddha’s nirvana or Nehan de, which falls on the 15^th day of the second month of the Lunar calendar. The style of this Thangka is undoubtedly Japanese- the Yamato-e style of the Kamakura period to be more precise. This style was inspired by Chinese art and used its methods- naturalistic representation of animals, use of bright colours, dividing the space with the help of features such as clouds and river, and a bird’s eye view, abundantly.

A magnificent representation of the profound philosophy of Buddhism- “Nothing lasts forever”, this Thangka is no less than a masterpiece.

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.