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Tibetan Buddhist Deity Vajrayogini Naro Kha Chod (Sarvabuddha Dakini)

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$243.75

$325

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Vajrayogini is a female Buddha and dakini (or a sacred female spirit in the Hinduism and some Buddhist traditions. According to Buddhism, her essence is maharaga which translates to great passion. This means that the passion she carries goes beyond the self and illusion. In turn, these passions are guided to transform into virtues. Per tradition, she is depicted as a young naked female with a third eye that represents her wisdom.

She has deep red skin and flowing hair. Red is representative of her inner fire or spiritual transformation as well as the life force and blood (birth and menstruation) which further reinforces her as a female Buddha icon. In this thangka, she is holding a kartika or a flaying knife which can symbolize as the tool and the drive to cut delusions and obstacles of all living beings. Meanwhile, on her right hand is a skull cap with blood towards which her head is turned seemingly in the act of consuming it. Drinking that blood symbolizes her experience with bliss. This is the mahasukha (in Sanskrit meaning the great bliss). Zoom on her right leg stepping on a red Kalarati and her left leg threads on the back of a blue Bhairava. Meanwhile, her head is crowned with five skulls while her necklace holds together 50 other skulls. The thangka uses a lot of red and orange palettes which worked well with her iconography of dancing in the middle of a fire (symbol for exalted wisdom). She can also be seen dancing the way Dakinis are playful and naked so as to represent the elusive nature of Wisdom in Emptiness.

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Item Code:	TO18
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 14.7 inch X 19.5 inch Size with Brocade 27 inch X 43 inch

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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.

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