Mandala of Gautam Buddha

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Mandalas are drawn to strict rules to create perfect balance and harmony. There are many paths to enlightenment and each has its own mandala and its own Buddha to act as a guide. This mandala has the Buddha displaying the Dharmachakra mudra as its central deity. The Dharmachakra mudra symbolizes an important moments in the life of the Buddha, namely the occasion when he preached his first sermon after gaining enlightenment, in the Deer park at Sarnath. It thus denotes the setting into motion of the Wheel of the teaching of the Dharma.

Buddha sits housed inside a square structure with eight gates, opening into the eight directions. Surrounding it are rows of circular bands. The first such band is made up of lotus petals. These are but universal symbols of auspiciousness.

The next row has inscribed in it the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, in a repeated pattern. These symbols are:

1. The lotus
2. The endless knot
3. The golden fishes
4. The parasol
5. The victory banner
6. The golden treasure vase
7. The conch shell
8. The wheel

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment.

Next is ring of fire, represented by a stylized scrollwork. This is the fire that will burn all desires which inhibit our attainment of enlightenment.

All round the mandala are various narrative scenes from the life of Buddha.

All our thangkas come framed in traditional silk brocade, and complete with hanging rods and silken veil.

Of Related Interest:

Article: The Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art

Tibetan Thangka Painting: Black Mandala of Manjushri

Sterling Silver Jewelry: Mandala Double Box Pendant with Filigree

Book: Sacred Mandala of Buddhism

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.