The Vision of Selflessness

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Ishvara means lord, and Avalokita is translated as 'the one who looks down.' So Avalokiteshvara is the Lord of the Dharma who looks down with infinite compassion on any being in a state of suffering. His sphere of concern is universal.

It was particularly in the land of Snows, Tibet, that devotion to Avalokiteshvara reached its height. There he is known as Chenrezig, and is regarded as patron and guardian of the whole of the Tibetan people. Indeed thousands of Tibetans carried him in their hearts when they went into exile. In fact they did more than this, for the Dalai Lamas, the secular and spiritual heads of Tibet, are considered to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara. The tremendous devotion shown by Tibetans to the Dalai Lama is not simply on account of his human qualities and leadership. A Tibetan, upon meeting His Holiness, feels himself to be in the presence of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

There are three principal forms of Avalokiteshvara -

1) As Padampani or "Lotus in Hand.' This is a very ancient form, often depicted standing, holding a lotus in the right hand.

2). As Eleven-Headed, Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara

3). Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara (the present image)

The Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara is white in color. His first two hands are pressed together at his heart supplicating all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to look after sentient beings and protect them from suffering. These hands hold a wish-fulfilling jewel.

His other right hand holds a crystal rosary symbolizing his ability to liberate beings from samsara, and reminding the practitioner to recite his six-syllable mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM. In his left hand he holds the stem of an utpala flower symbolizing his stainless and selfless compassion. The utpala's three blossoms suggest that Avalokiteshvara embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.

Over his left shoulder is draped the skin of a wild deer, representing his ability to subdue the untamed delusions. A traditional commentary explains:

"This particular deer is said to live upon mountains in the margins between the snow and rock. It has incomparable physical strength, but is extremely compassionate by nature. One of the hunters' tactics is to enter its territory and pretend to fight among themselves with swords. Seeing this, the deer becomes impatient with compassion and emerges to mediate between them, which provides the hunters the opportunity to kill it. Merely touching its skin with one's feet calms the mind and endows it with bliss."

As was the custom with ancient Indian royalty, Avalokiteshvara is dressed in silken robes and adorned with various jeweled ornaments, such as bracelets, necklaces and the like, symbolizing his mastery of the perfections of generosity, morality and so forth. In the manner of a prince he wears his black hair long, some of it piled high on his head and the rest flowing down to his shoulders. This indicates that just as a prince is the son of and heir to a royal king, this Bodhisattva is the spiritual son and heir to the king-like Buddhas.

Free Shipping. Delivered by to all international destinations within 3 to 5 days, fully insured.

Of Related Interest:

The Bodhisattva Ideal: Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness

Om Mani Padme Hum Pendant

Om Mani Padme Hum Bracelet

Om Mani Padme Hum Ring

Padampani Avalokiteshvara

Eleven Headed Thousand Armed Avalokiteshwara

Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara Sterling Silver Pendant

Copper Sculpture of Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara

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.