The Buddha is surrounded with eight personages. Four more personages are depicted outside the inner square. The remaining area inside the square is filled with stylized designs. There are four gateways in the square. The walls of the square are decorated with floral designs. Over the gates are houses in which are seated protector deities.
The upper center of the building depicts Heruka Yab-Yum. Two divinities are depicted on either side of each gate outside the walls. The square is surrounded with four circles. The outer circle is of the charnel ground, followed by the circle of fire fence, which is florally rendered here. Then there is a circle of auspicious symbols, divinities, and wisdom fire. After this comes a circle of lotus petals. Here the spiritual realm begins and one enters the mandala.
The upper center of the painting is rendered with the figures of Vajrakila Father-Mother. There are two wrathful deities each side of Vajrakila. There is wisdom fire with cloud areole behind Vajrakila Father-Mother. The upper left corner is filled with the figure of Prajnaparamita. She is seated in the courtyard before a shrine and is attended by two deities. The upper right corner is rendered with the figure of Shadakshari Lokeshvara in the courtyard before a shrine and also attended by two deities. Below the figures of Prajnaparamita and Shadakshari Lokeshvara, wathful deities are dancing and below them are Garuda and Dragon, respectively.
At the bottom, two Adepts are depicted under the trees in the left and right corners. The Bottom center is rendered with the figures of Heruka Father-Mother, flanked by ferocious deities.
The thangka is replete with the figures of wrathful and other deities. According to the Sadhanamala Akshobhya is associated with the wrathful deities. Amongst the deities emanating from Akshobhya are Heruka and his Yab-Yum form, Vajrakila, Hevajra and so on. The painting is finely drawn and painted. It is very much suitable for esoteric sadhana and practices.
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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