This hand painted Buddha Mandala Thangka painting is a fine example of a meditation mandala. A Mandala serves to help focus the mind as one gazes at it. It is a meditative device or Yantra that visually aids a transcendental spiritual journey towards perfection. Starting from the outer circles, one should proceed towards the center. Right at the center rests the Buddha surrounded by Bodhisattvas and other religious symbols and icons pertinent to Buddhism. The various levels and activities in the painting help to reflect on diverse aspects of consciousness ultimately arriving at the serene center of Being.This Buddha thangka painting has been beautifully executed on cotton using mineral colors.
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Thangka or scroll paintings are sacred artifacts used as physical support in Tibetan
Buddhist practices. In Tibetan the word 'than' means flat and the suffix 'ka' stands
for painting.The Thangka is thus a kind of painting done on flat surface but which
can be rolled up when not required for display. It is either painted or embroidered
and is generally hung in monasteries or a family altar and carried by lamas in
ceremonial processions. The pictorial subjects of thangkas include portraits of
Buddhas, stories from the lives of saints and great masters. The material most
commonly used for thangkas is linen cloth or | cotton fabric whereas silk cloth is
reserved for important subjects. Before the ritual of thangka painting begins, the
material is stitched along the edges with flax thread and stretched on a specially
made wooden frame. Then a paste made of animal glue mixed with talcum powder is
spread over its surface to block up the holes in it. When the paste is scraped off
and the cloth gets thoroughly dried, the material is ready for painting. To begin,
the artist works out the sketches of the images with charcoal sticks. The drawing
usually begins with the figure in the center and then goes to the surrounding
deities or landscape.
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