Guru Padmasambhava as Shakyasimha

$225
Item Code: TJ62
Specifications:
Black Meditational Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Painting - with 24 carat gold
Dimensions 13.5" x 18.5"
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
This is a rare black painting of Padmasambhava as the Buddha Shakyasimha. Padmasambhava has eight names, one for each of eight important actions, performed during his lifetime. Among them one is the Buddha Shakyasimha.

The central figure, Padmasambhava as Shakyasimha, is seated in vajraparyankasana on a lotus base. His right hand is in bhumisparsha-mudra and left hand is in meditation position and holding a bowl. Below the lotus seat is a scorpion, his striking symbol. The scorpion is generally held in the left hand of his fierce form. On the top, Vairochana Buddha is seated, above the head of Padmasambhava, on a lotus seat in rainbow light. The Buddha Shakyamuni is perhaps seated on lotus throne on the upper left corner, while the Buddha Amoghadarshana, on the upper right corner, in clouds. Akshobhya Buddha is seated on a lotus base in bottom left corner, while Amitabha Buddha in the left.

Padmasambhava was a great yogi, originally from Oddiyana, an ancient country in what is today northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was invited to Tibet by one of the most famous Buddhist scholars of the time, Shantarakshita, and the Tibetan king Trisong Detsen, to help in the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. In collaboration with them, he founded the Samye monastery in Tibet. He 'tamed' many local deities and initiated Tantric Buddhist teachings in Tibet. He was thus rightly regarded as a major spiritual ancestor of all Tibetan Buddhists in general and the father of Nyingma sect in particular.

Padmasambhava actually condensed the dark and destructive energies of the 'outer' demons, and emotional obstacles of the Tibetan people, priest and ruling elite, into the bright light of Dharma. In the same way as the Buddha Shakyamuni turned the weapons of Mara into a rain of flowers. Padmasambhava was able to transform the negative energies of Tibet into Dharma activities. Thus, at the same time as Padmasambhava conquers the outer demonic forces, he also conquers the inner negativities.

He transmitted the essence of his teachings to twenty-five disciples. As each symbolically offered body, speech, and mind to the Guru, he/she perfected a particular meditative realization. Through their efforts flows the lineage of Padmasambhava to the present time. King Trisong Detsen arranged contests of skills between Buddhists and Bonpos, in which the disciples vanquished the Bonpos.

The thangka is skillfully painted. The middle ground is filled with high peaks, waterfalls, and cranes etc., and the foreground with auspicious offerings, insects, animals, rocks, lakes, flower, and natural vegetation etc.

References:

Alice Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

L.A. Waddell, Buddhism & Lamaism of Tibet, New Delhi, 1979 (reprint)

M.M. Rhie & R. A. F. Thurman, The Sacred Art Of Tibet, London, 1996

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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