Mandala of Paramasukha Chakrasamvara in Yab Yum

$495
Item Code: TS75
Specifications:
Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions Size of Painted Surface 24.0" X 24.5"
Size with Brocade 36.0" X47.0"
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
This multi-color handsome thangka depicts the mandala of blue-colored Paramasukha Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi in yab yum. In Buddhist Tantra, a mandala is a sacred diagram of the universe. It encompasses an area in which divine forces are present. Geometrically it is subdivided into squares and circles, in which are painted deities or symbols. In the center of the mandala lives the major deity. It also aids the devotees in meditation when he or she seeks to focus on divinities and to gain access to divine forces.

A mandala can be drawn on the ground with meticulously sifted colored sand. After the conclusion of the rite the mandala is removed. In course of time, mandala lost its original function as temporary aid at initiation rites, and merged with the thangka. The literally meaning of thangka is an object that can be rolled up. Thus the painted mandala became an everyday object of veneration, meditation, and ritual, and after the completion of the prayer, sadhana, or ritual rites, one can keep them in the proper place by rolling it.

Paramasukha Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi Father-Mother are depicted in the center of the mandala. He stands in alidha posture of outstretched legs on moon disk on the prostrate figures and embracing his consort Vajravarahi. He has four ferocious heads and twelve arms. Among his four faces, front is blue, his right face is orange, while his left faces are red and green colors, respectively His principal hands are in vajrahumkara-mudra, carries the vajra and vajra-tipped bell, and embrace his consort His upper two hands hold the skin of an elephant. In the remaining hands he holds the trident, cranium-cup full of blood, severed head, vajra-tipped khatvanga, and two arms are in threatening gesture. His twelve arms represent the overcoming of the twelve folded chain of causation (nidana) . His hair is upswept in knots with decoration on it. He wears Heruka ornaments consisting of earrings, necklace and bracelets; scarves and a tiger-skin skirt; a skull crown with jewel; a crescent on the top right of the head, and garland of a fresh human heads.

His red colored prajna (consort) has one face and two arms. She is naked because she has set free from the illusions that hide the essence of things. Her left leg is along with his, while her right leg is wrapped around his waist. Her expression is also ferocious. She holds a vajra-marked chopper in her left hand and her right hand is behind his neck. She is adorned with bone ornaments – skull crown, earrings, armlets, bracelet, bone girdle, and garland of human skulls. There is wisdom fire aureole behind them. The figures are surrounded with eight Dakinis holding skull cup and khatvanga, out side the inner circle. The four corners of the square depicts skull cup. The walls of the square are decorated with lotus petals and stylized design. There are four gates in the square in cardinal direction and in which live Dakinis. According to Tibetan convention, east is in front, and south, west, and north follow in the clockwise direction. The eastern gateway is protected by owl-faced dakini Ulukasya, in blue color, pig faced dakini Sukarasya in yellow color, is protecting southern gate, red colored dog-faced dakini Shvanasya, is protecting western gate, and crow-faced dakni Kakasya in green color is protecting the northern gate. Over the gates are houses with decorations. There is a perhaps Dharma wheel in the upper center of the houses, flanked by two deers. Either side of the each gateway is depicted vases with auspicious symbols.

The square is surrounded by four circles. The outer circle is of wisdom fire or fire fence, which is stylistically rendered here. In Tantric Buddhism fire symbolizes knowledge and without knowledge(prajna) there is no possibility of arriving at supreme understanding. Here fire also means that believers who enter the mandala are purified, as it were, and at their passage through the purging fire, their ego and all their illusions will burn away. Then is a circle of vajra or dorje; it designates sunya or void, which cannot be cut or destroyed, but it destroyed all evils. A circle, depicting wrathful guardians, Naga Kanya, stupas, dakinis etc, follows this circle. Then there is the circle of lotus petals. Here the spiritual realm begins and one enters the mandala of Paramasukha Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi father mother.

Four corners, out side the circles, are filled with the figures of four Dakinis in green, blue, red and white colors. They are holding vajra-tipped Chopper, Skull-cup and Khatvanga. They are looking ferocious and wearing skull crown, long garland of human skull and tiger-skin skirt. Auspicious Tibetan Buddhist symbols are also depicted in this area.

Chakrasamvara has a very important place in Buddhist pantheon and he represents the Buddha’s mind of compassion, while Vajravarahi, ‘Adamantine Sow’ symbolizes the nature of omniscient wisdom of a Buddha. Following his meditational path will lead the practitioner to the bliss of supreme enlightenment.

There is a legend that the Buddha emanated the mandala-palace and adopted this archetype deity form to teach the tantra to Shiva and Parvati on top of Mount Kailash at the headwaters of the Ganga in southern Tibet. According to another legend, Shiva took the form of Buddhist deity Chakrasamvara and he brought his teachings to Tibet. It is also said that both Shiva and Chakrasamvara are supposed to dwell on the Mount of Kailash, a place of pilgrimage both for Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. The brocade is woven with stylized lotus flowers and vishva vajra.This thangka is brilliant drawn and painted.

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma, whose Doctorate thesis is on “Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D.)”.

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

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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