The Pilot of the Ferry Boat That is Life

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She is seated in lalitasana on a lotus in a lake. Her right leg is pendant on a smaller lotus and the left is folded into her lap. The right hand is in the varada-mudra of presenting a boon with a lotus flower and the left is in the attitude of protection with a lotus flower. She has a young face and her body is slim and slender. Her hair is partly upswept in knots with decorations and partly falls on her shoulder. Her eyes are open and there is a small circle between the eyebrows. Her petal shaped lips are painted red. Her neck has three folds and her earlobes are elongated. She is adorned with exquisitely designed ornaments: earrings, necklace with pendants, armlets, bracelets, anklets, and waistband. She wears a top as upper garment, flowing scarf and dhoti. There is a mandorla and halo behind her body and head, respectively. The former is encircled with flowers and leaves. Amitabha Buddha sits on a lotus seat in the clouds, above her head. The foreground is filled with high peaks, waterfalls, lakes, rocks and natural vegetation.

The term 'Tara' refers to the intuitive vision or darshana, that is, human beings may know the nature of the ultimate Truth or Reality through darshana which may be granted by the grace of Mother Tara. The term 'Tara' also refers to 'pilotship' of the ferryboat of life. Mother Tara ferries across all her devoted children through the stormy oceans of mundane existence. Moreover the name Tara is a most powerful mystical name. It is believed that if human beings utter the name of Tara audibly or inaudibly with sincerity of purpose they may obtain mystical insight and spontaneously acquire the ability for visualizing all mundane problems in their right perspective.

The cult of Tara was introduced into Tibet in the 7th century A.D., and it was greatly propagated in the 11th century A.D. by the Buddhist Acharya Dipankara Atisa who dedicated a hymn to her.

This painting is suitable for both sadhana and museum collection.

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.