Tibetan Buddhist Deity Bhaishajyaguru (The Medicine Buddha)

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The Medicine Buddha is believed to be a transformation of Shakyamuni Buddha, who manifested himself as the Medicine Buddha in order to give the medicine teaching to the fourfold assembly of Hindu Gods, Sages, Bodhisattvas, Arhats and Adepts etc. On the other hand it is also said that Medicine Buddha had attained perfect enlightenment many eons previously. He vowed that his Buddhaverse would be a world of healing, and that throughout Buddhaverse, wherever beings suffer from sickness and injury, he would eternally manifest to bring them his healing knowledge. According to Chinese travelers, Hsuan-tsang and I-tsing his paradise in the east is called "pure world created in lapis lazuli."

He is shown here seated in vajraparyankasana on a moon disk on lotus flower on a throne that is held by two snow lions. Graceful leaves and flowers curl around his mandorla. He holds the myrobalan (arura) plant in the right hand and the left hand has a pot of medicines. He is draped in traditional monk's robes. Offering to the five senses within a mirror are in front of him. His expression is calm and serene, and he does not wear a crown over the head. The image of Bhaishajyaguru has been shown against a mountainous landscape.

The Bhaishajyaguru dharani emphasizes the healing value of creating an image of the Medicine Buddha as well as chanting the text. It is said that Tibetan physicians take initiations to practice the sadhanas of Medicine Buddha. Healing the body is very important to Tibetans since a healthy mind, necessary to develop spiritual qualities, can best exist in a healthy body.

Tibetan Medicine is mainly based on both the ancient Indian Ayurvedic and Homeopathic materia medica. The foundation of good health is the equilibrium of the elements of the body, while disequilibrium results in illness. The physician concentrates on restoring the balance within the body and mind. The Tibetan doctor must study and memorize many complex medical texts and thangkas, learning to diagnose the patient through pulse taking and urine analysis, learning herbal pharmacology, and other treatments, studying psychology, and apprenticing many years before he or she can practice.

Thus the present painting of Medicine Buddha is very much suitable for sadhana by laities, physicians, sadhaka and also for suffering beings.

Select Bibliography

A. Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

Ben Meulenbeld, Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangka, Holland, 2001

L.A. Waddell, Buddhism & Lamaism of Tibet, 1895, Delhi, 1979 (reprint) Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

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.)".

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.