Tibetan Buddhist Shakyamuni Buddha and the Thirty Five Buddhas of Confession

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The group of Thirty-five Buddhas of Confession was very important in the initial stages of Tibetan Buddhist practices. The Buddha Shakyamuni is always depicted in the centre of such a group, as he himself is 35th among the Buddhas of Confession. The celebrated Buddhist teacher Tson-kha-pa has detailed the iconography of the Buddhas of Confession in his works. In the Shikshasamuchchaya the 35th Buddhas of Confession represent the synthesis of space by the insertion of intermediate points: 4 direction, 4 intermediate direction, 24 intermediate points, centre, zenith and nadir = 35. The Thirty-five Buddhas of Confession are invoked in the so-called confession of sins. They, together with "the thousand Buddhas", may be considered as concrete representations of the titles of the historical human Buddha.

The image of Shakyamuni is brilliantly drawn in the present thangka. His right hand is in mystic mudra, while his left hand is holding the fold of his garment. His figure depicts some of the thirty-two characteristic marks (lakashanas) of a Buddha, such as broad shoulders, long arms, urna (circle) between the eyebrows, ushnisha (protuberance) on the top of head, and so on. His robes, whose patches are bordered, covered both the shoulders. He is attended by devas, disciples and devotees. A wrathful deity is shown just below the throne of Shakyamuni against wisdom fire aureole. The bottom centre is filled with the figure of a Buddha. While the bottom corners depict the figures of great Adepts. Nyingma lamas are seated in clouds on the top centre and corners. Each side of the middle ground also depicts the images of a lama and a yogi. Moreover the background and foreground of the painting is filled with the images of clouds, lakes, and trees etc. in mountainous landscape. The composition and drawing of the painting is accurate and excellent.

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D)."

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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.