Towards an Aesthetic of Wisdom

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As we find our way along the way to enlightenment, trying to follow the path of wisdom we have heard about, we begin to make out an area ahead which is distinctly lighter. At first it is dim and unclear, but as we approach it becomes brighter. After a while, as we move more confidently and sure-footedly, it becomes a great light like the sun. Increasingly, this light seems to banish our ignorance like the sun dispelling dark clouds.

The light becomes even more golden and brilliant, until finally we can see its source. It is a figure, completely composed of golden-yellow light. It is a young man, perhaps sixteen years old, though there is a timeless youthfulness about him. He is sitting on a blue moon mat on a lotus throne. His well-proportioned body is adorned with precious jewels and colorful silks. He is handsome and smiling. With his right hand he gracefully and effortlessly wields a two-edged sword, around the tip of which can be seen dancing tongues of flame. The sword is there to cut off (and burn) the fetters of ignorance. The left gently grips the stem of which flowers into a pink lotus at his shoulder. This lotus supports a book (of wisdom) and over it stands another flaming sword.

Thus, following the path of Dharma, we have managed to come face to face with Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. Each and every aspect of his glowing countenance reverberates with the radiance of spiritual significance:

a). He is youthful, because wisdom is ever new and ever fresh.

b). He is handsome because wisdom involves aesthetic appreciation.

c). He is well-built because wisdom engenders true strength.

d). His face is smiling an intoxicated smile of self-absorbed bliss because with wisdom comes self-sufficiency and total contentment.

A Buddhist stupa in the upper left corner, modelled on Swayambunath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal, clearly indicates the painting's provenance from the same area.

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

Of Related Interest:

The Path to Wisdom

Manjushri: The Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom

The Union of Wisdom and Art

Discriminating Wisdom

The Patron Deity of Dance, Music and Wisdom

Imaging Wisdom (Seeing and Knowing in the Art of Indian Buddhism)

Buddhist Wisdom: The Mystery of the Self

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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.