The Sword and the Book

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As a protective symbol of the Buddhist doctrine, the sword represents the victory of enlightenment over the attack of the hosts of Mara, as the hindering forces of ignorance. The Bodhicharyavatara states, "As the blade of the sword does not cut itself, neither does the mind know itself." As a symbol of wisdom the sword cuts through the veils of ignorance, severing the knots of illusion that bind beings to delusion and obscure the absolute truth.

Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, holds aloft in his right hand the flaming blue sword of awareness that 'cuts through the net of misunderstanding'. He is said to abide at the Chinese five-peaked mountain of Wu Tai Shan, which geomantically symbolizes the Five Buddha wisdom protuberances (ushnisha) on Manjushri's head. In Nepal, Manjushri is credited with having created the Kathmandu valley, by cutting through the surrounding mountains at Chobar Gorge with his sword, thereby draining, the lake which filled the valley. According to legend the 'self-created' hill of Swayambhu, which emerged as the waters receded, is the site from where Nagarjuna received the Prajnaparamita Sutra from the guardianship of the nagas.

The flaming sword of Manjushri is sealed with a vajra handle and represents discriminating wisdom. Its sharp double edge represents the indivisibility of relative and absolute truth; its fine point, the perfection of wisdom; and its fiery flames, the blazing of the fire of wisdom.

In his left hand Manjushri holds the stem of a blue utpala flower at the level of his heart, which blossoms near his ear. Royally seated atop this flower is a book, which contains the 100,000 stanzas which make up the Prajnaparamita Sutra. More generally it represents wisdom, science and scholarship, as also divine revelation.

The combination of the book with a sword in the iconography of Manjushri is both unique and intriguing. One is associated with violence and the other with enlightened knowledge. But it is this very compositeness which contains the essence of Manjushri's teachings. The book is there for doing away with our ignorance. But what about the ignorance which comes with knowledge? The pride that accompanies our perception of ourselves as supremely knowledgeable? It is these fetters of pride that the sword of Manjushri ruthlessly chops off.

Manjushri is visualized a sweet boy of sixteen. Here he is shown with an elongated, sensuous and graceful body, seated on a lotus pedestal. The influence of Chinese aesthetics is discernable in the craggy rocks making up the foreground.

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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.