The origin of the ryokai mandala lies in traditional Japanese art. It is a twin mandala composition that comprises the garbha or taizokai mandala and the vajradhatu mandala. The thangka that you see on this page is an original, handpainted ryokai mandala: to the left of the viewer is taizokai mandala, while to the right is the vajradhatu mandala.
The taizokai mandala is immediately recognisable from the fact that it is visually divided into twelve panels. In the first panel is the Taizokai Dainichi Nyorai at the centre, surrounded by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the vajradhatu mandala, there are nine Buddhas namely Jojin-e, Samaya-e, Misai-e, Kuyo-e, Shiin-e, Ichiin-e, Rishu-e, Gozanze-e, and Gozanze Samaya-e.
Order and precision are of paramount importance in the authentic ryokai mandala. By many scholarly standards, such a complex composition is the pinnacle of thangka art; and, as such, is a must-buy for your home or office if you are a traditional Buddhist art-lover or a collector of quality thangkas.
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