Padmasambhava as Guru Vajradhara Father-Mother (The Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava)

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Padmasambhava was actually renowned for his knowledge of dharani (mystical sentences) and of their efficacious application; he was warmly welcomed in Tibet. He remained fifty years in the country, founding monasteries and teaching the Tantra-Yogacharya doctrine. He is said to have subdues all the malignant gods of Tibet, sparing only those that converted to Buddhism and promised to be defenders (Dharmapala) of the doctrine. Padmasambhava, in his turn, enrolled them in the Mahayana Pantheon and to saw to it that they were properly worshipped. He claimed to have received from the dakini the books from which he acquired his miraculous powers.

In course of time Padmasambhava was deified and incarnated into eight forms, one for each of eight important actions he performed during his lifetime. The eight manifestations of Padmasambhava are as follows:

1. Vajradhara of Urgayana (Oddiyana)

2. King Padmaraja

3. King Loden Chogsay

4. Suryaprabha

5. Rdor-je-gro-lod (Vajradamodara)

6. Guru Drakpo

7. The monk Indrasena

8. The Buddha Shakyasimha

In the present painting Padmasambhava has manifested as Guru Vajradhara Father-Mother. He incarnates himself in the five mystical families of Mahavajradhara for spreading the lofty and secret teachings of esoteric mantra. Vajrapani appeared to the realizations in the cave of Kosha-chandra in Nepal. From the heart of the Guru a sheaf of light descends to bless, to enlighten. Thence he was called as Guru Vajradhara or Guru Vajradhara of Urgayana (Oddiyana). Here he is seated in crossed-legged with his consort in Yab-yum. The complexion of his body is blue. His right hand holds a vajra and also embracing his consort; the left hand holds a vajra-ghanta. He is adorned with the costumes, crown and ornaments of a Bodhisattva. The complexion of his consort is white. Her legs are wrapped around her consort in embrace. Her right hand is around the neck of the Guru and the left holds a cranium. She also wears a crown, and many ornaments, a scarf and dhoti.

A Nyingma lama, wearing Padmasambhava's hat, is seated in the upper center in a rainbow light in the clouds. There is a cave just below the upper right corner; a seat of a lama on the door of the cave, and a lama is flying over the cave in rainbow light. This perhaps depicts the supernatural powers of the lama. Below the cave a siddha is seated with a cranium and before him is a female devotee, facing the Guru with offerings. At the lower left corner a Nyingma lama is seated on a cushion and before him is a naked yogini (?). The lower right corner is filled with the figures of a siddha . The background of the painting depicts beautiful mountainous landscape, rocks, caves, buildings, lakes and animals etc. The composition and color-combination is very impressive.

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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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.