The symbolism of the color red shines forth in Buddhist aesthetics in the type of paintings known as red thangkas. A style requiring high technical virtuosity, all elements making up these painting are subsumed in the overall red field characteristic of this special genre. Red is the color of powerful rituals and deeds. It is the color of passion, transmuted to discriminating wisdom. These are especially relevant in especially vigorous meditation rituals requiring equally potent meditative tools.
Dharmachakra in Sanskrit means the 'Wheel of Dharma'. This mudra symbolizes one of the most important moments in the life of Buddha, the occasion when he preached to his companions the first sermon after his Enlightenment in the Deer Park at Sarnath. It thus denotes the setting into motion of the Wheel of the teaching of the Dharma and is believed to transform the delusion of ignorance into wisdom. By displaying the Dharmachakra mudra, he thus helps adepts in bringing about this transition.
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Of Related Interest:
Portraits of the Buddha
Dharmachakra
Mudras in Buddhist and Hindu Practices
Red Thangkas
Black Paintings
Color Symbolism In Buddhist Art
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