The central figure of this handsome black thangka is eleven-headed, thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, a Bodhisattva of compassion. Avalokiteshvara, who has different forms with different names, is the most popular deity in Mahayana Buddhist Pantheon. In this present form, he is also known as Samantamukha or the "All sided one", i.e. the god who looks in every direction to help and save his all devotees. It is said that the thousand arms extend his helping hands toward all beings, and ten of his heads indicate his attainment of the ten Bodhisattva stages, with the eleventh, the head of Amitabha Buddha, indicating his being the incarnation of the universal compassion of all Buddhas. Moreover the ten heads may also stand for his looking after beings throughout the ten direction of space, the eleventh head representing the all-encompassing Buddha wisdom.

Apart from the above explanation about the eleven heads of the Bodhisattva, there are several legends about the meaning and origin of his eleven heads. According to one version the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara had promised his spiritual father Amitabha, the god of eternal lights that he would never give up practicing tender loving compassion and would not reach enlightenment himself until all beings had reached nirvana. He descended into hell, converted the wicked, liberated theme and escorted them to Sukhavati, the paradise of his spiritual father, Amitabha. This way Avalokiteshvara tried for many years to help all living things, when he saw no decrease in their suffering within samsara, the wheel of existence i.e., He discovered that after every conversion and liberation another culprit instantly used to take his place. So he gave up his promise in despair. Immediately his head split into thousand pieces. His spiritual father, the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha then consolidated the thousand pieces into ten heads that he placed above each other and then put his own head on the top. He also told Avalokiteshvara not to renounces his promise and that there was still another way to accomplish his goal. Mahakala, the wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, was then created to fight against the negative forces with compassion, and to destroy obstacles in the path toward righteousness, thereby helping all sentient beings reach enlightenment.

In the present painting he stands frontally on a lotus base. The array of his hands resembles an aura. The eight main arms hold the major symbols and performed the main gestures of the Bodhisattva. His two main hands, held in front of his heart, are in prayer gesture and holding the wish-fulfilling gem. Two of right hands are holding a rosary (?) and a wheel; the third reaches out in the boon-granting gesture. His left hands hold a lotus, a bow and arrow (?), and a vase. His remaining hands are in varada-mudra or in boon-granting gesture. His eleven heads are arranged in five series from below upwards of 3,3,3,1 and 1. The topmost head as mentioned above is that of Amitabha Buddha.

The Bodhisattva is adorned with executively designed crown, necklaces, earrings, armlets, bracelets, and anklets with gems. The skin of an antelope is draped around his chest, referring to his ascetic experience. The various layers of his dhoti have detailed designs in gold and silver.

Avalokiteshvara is surrounded with the figures of his various emanation and other Buddhist deities. On the top of the head of Avalokiteshvara (above the head of Amitabha), Buddha Shakyamuni is seated in bhumisparsha-mudra. He is attended by two of his disciples. A lama is seated on his left and four-armed formed of the Buddha goddess Prajnaparamita is seated on his right. Green Tara is depicted in the middle ground, near the right leg of Avalokiteshvara, and probably Achala is standing near the left leg of the Bodhisattva. All the figures are executively drawn.

The present painting is very much significant as the thangka with a black ground like this one form a special category of contemplative painting. They are a highly mystical and esoteric type, usually reserved for advanced practice. It is used for terrific ritual actions, the radical conquest of evil in all its forms – conquest not by annihilating, but turning even into good.

References:

A.Getty, The Gods Of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

B.Bhattacharyya, The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Calcutta, 1968

M.M. Rhie & R.A.F. Thurman, World of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

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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