Chenrezi (Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara)

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Chenrezi is the patron deity of Tibet. All the Dali Lamas, the Karmpas, Gesar of Ling, and many other lamas and kings are considered manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. It is said that Avalokiteshvara appeared on earth in two ways – coming into existence from a ray of white light from the left eye of Amitabha, and being born as a young man of sixteen from a lotus bud. There are 108 forms of Avalokiteshvara, each with his own mantra. He is also extremely popular in China and Korea, where he generally considered female and is known as Kuan Yin, in Japan he is known as Kannon.

He is seated here in vajraparyankasana on moon disk on a lotus flower. His complexion is white, symbolizes purity. He has a smiling countenance, as he is filled with compassion for all beings. He looks down with tranquility, as Chenrezi feels equal compassion for all. He has four hands, the main hands are held in front of the heart, holding whish-granting gem, which stands for the spirit of enlightenment that consists of love and wisdom. His right hand holds a rosary, which symbolizes that he draws forth beings from phenomenal existence. His left hand holds a beautiful full-blown lotus flower, a sign that he serves living beings but is free from attachment. A gold compassion antelope skin is over his left shoulder, with antelope's head on his left breast, which indicates his compassion for all human beings.

His hair is partly upswept in knots with decoration on it and partly falls on his shoulders. He is extremely richly adorned which indicates that while pure he has not abandoned pleasant things. He wears a five-leaved crown with jewels and flowers, finely crafted gold hoop earrings, necklaces, armlets, bracelets and anklets. His green and turquoise silk scarf with decoration in gold covers both the shoulders. His multi-colored lower garments are exquisitely decorated in gold.

The background is filled with blue sky and clouds. The lower middle ground and foreground depicts mountainous landscape with green field and blue lakes. The centre portrays auspicious offerings. The painting is very much suitable for meditation and ritual of Chenrezi. The elaborate border of silk brocade is replete with the figures of stylized dragons and lotuses etc.

Select Bibliography

A. Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

B. Bhattacharyya, The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Calcutta, 1968

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

Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

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.)".

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

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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.