The Path to Wisdom

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Passing through the ring of flames we encounter another ring made out of thunderbolts (Vajra). The vajra has the nature of both diamond (which can cut anything but cannot be cut); and the irresistible power of the thunderbolt. Here it symbolizes our unshakeable determination and commitment which is needed to arrive at the center of the mandala.

Next we encounter a circle of lotuses. The lotus signifies purity and renunciation. In Buddhist art and practice the lotus is a symbol of the transcendental - of what has gone beyond the mud of the world, and now basks in the sunlight of Ultimate Reality.

Within this ring of lotuses is the divine mansion itself. It is four-sided, with a gate at each of the four cardinal points. It is beautiful, being adorned with exquisite hangings and precious things.

It is usual to enter a mandala from the east - which is the direction from which the sun rises to light the world anew. For this reason, in a mandala, the bottom is always the eastern direction (and not the south, as on maps).

The deity at the heart of the mandala is a young man, perhaps sixteen years old, though there is a timeless youthfulness about him. He is made up totally of golden-yellow and is sitting cross-legged on a white moon on a lotus throne. His well-proportioned body is adorned with precious jewels and silks. He is handsome and smiling. With his left hand he holds the stalk of a full-blown lotus. On the lotus rests a sacred Buddhist text. With his right hand he effortlessly and gracefully wields a two-edged sword with a vajra handle. Around the tip of the sword dance flames.

Following the path of Dharma (exemplified by the path to the heart of the mandala), we have been brought face to face with Manjushri (Tibetan Jampal), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. This mandala is consecrated to Manjushri. He is the fount from which springs the entire symbolism of the mandala. Each of his aspects provides us with a significant glimpse into the nature of wisdom. For example, he is youthful because wisdom is ever new, ever fresh, and ever spontaneous. He is handsome, because wisdom involves aesthetic appreciation, valuing things for their beauty, and not trying to appropriate and use them. Indeed wisdom is a flower that can never be picked. He is well built because wisdom bestows true strength. He sits in the cross-legged yogic posture because with wisdom comes a serene withdrawal from the care and routine humdrum of the world. We may still act within it, but we no longer have expectations of it; so it no longer disturbs us. With wisdom comes total contentment and self-sufficiency.

Entering a mandala is not an easy process. It is an initiatory experience through which we can establish a new relationship with the depths of our consciousness, and understand more fully the nature of the world. It is a basic principle of Buddhism that whatever you set your heart and mind upon, that you become. So if you repeatedly meditate on this mandala, your mind will increasingly receive wisdom which will enable you to take on the harmonious pattern of the mandala itself.

Each of our thangkas comes framed in silk brocade and veil, ready to be hung in your altar.

Of Related Interest:

Chanting the Names of Manjusri: The Manjusri Nama-Samgiti (Hardcover Book)

The Spirit of Enlightenment (Tibetan Thangka Painting)

Five forms of Manjushri (Tibetan Thangka Painting)

Manjushri (Brass Statue)

Dancing Manjushri (Copper Sculpture Gilded with 24 Karat Gold)

Manjushri (Copper Sculpture)

Manjushri (Sterling Silver Box Pendant)

Manjushri (Sterling Silver Finger Ring)

The Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art (Article)

The Bodhisattva Ideal: Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness (Article)

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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.