Buddha Seated on the Six-Ornament Throne of Enlightenment

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The throne of the Buddha indicates that he has perfected the six-paramitas (transcendences). These six paramitas are represented by six animals – the Garuda at the top is the first paramita of charity (dana) . The two young nagas stand for moral excellence (Shila-paramita) . The two makara is symbol of forbearance (kshanti-paramita) . The two dwarfs on goats represent endurance (virya-paramita) . The two elephants stand for meditationa (dhyana-paramita) . The two lions on elephants are the highest perfection of wisdom (prajna-paramita) .

The Buddha has an oval face and his figure depicts some of the thirty-two characteristic marks (lakshanas) of a Buddha, such as broad shoulders, long arms, long earlobes, urna between the eyebrows, ushnisha (protuberance on the skull) and so on. There is a jewel on the top of his head. The complexion of body is golden yellow. The Buddha is wearing monk's robe, covering both the shoulders with bare breast. He is flanked by his two chief disciples Shariputra and Maudgalyayana.

On the top, Green Amoghasiddhi Buddha is seated in the left corner in clouds. His left hand lies open on his lap and the right exhibits the abhaya-mudra. He is believed to be unfailingly successful and to have the power of infallible magic. Amitayus Buddha is seated in the centre. He is the Buddha of eternal life. He is holding the ambrosia vase his special emblem. His complexion is red. White Vairochana is seated in the right corner in clouds. His both the hands are in preaching gesture. Vairochana is regarded as the first Dhyani Buddha by the Nepalese Buddhists. He is the lord of the Buddha clan and occupies the centre in many popular tantras and the eastern direction in the advanced unexcelled yoga tantra.

The bottom centre depicts auspicious peaceful offerings with Dharmachakra on a lotus leaf that sprang up in a beautiful lake. Auspicious symbols are also shown in the lake. The ground and foreground are filled with green landscape with trees and natural vegetation etc. The painting is very much suitable for sadhana and practices.

Select Bibliography

Alice Getty, Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

Barbara Lipton & Nima D. Ragnubs, Treasures of Tibetan Art, New York, 1996

Ben Meulenbeld, Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangka, Holland, 2001

H. Kern, Manual of Indian Buddhism, Delhi, 1968

Lokesh Chandra, Transcendental Art of Tibet, Delhi, 1996

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.)".

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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.