* * * * * * * * * * *
Articles index:
An Introduction to Tibetan Thangka Painting
Female Deities In Tibetan Buddhism
Green Tara and the Twenty-one Taras
Wrathful Deities of the Tibetan Buddhist Pantheon
* * * * * * * * * * *
Thangka images originated from visions of living deities which were seen by mystics deep in meditation and during their daily lives in the remotest wild places of Tibet. The tradition of art in Tibet associated with Esoteric Buddhism began around the 7th century A.D. in the form of portraiture painted on monks' outer garments, and idea introduced from India, and has been influenced by many surrounding cultures especially the Chinese silk painting of the Han Dynasty. The methods and traditions of Thangka painting have been passed from teacher to student for many centuries. There was a noticeable renaissance in both style and skill between the 13th and15th centuries A.D. with the influx of Nepalese artists into Tibet and in particular due to the work of the artist Menla Dondrub, whose style and measurements are still widely used today. There is a particularly strong influence from Indian royal portrait painting - this is clearly shown in the painting of royal dress and jewels on many of the deities in an attempt to portray their status.
In Tibet there have been many artists willing to devote their lives to the development and refinement of the techniques involved in Thangka painting, from the use of natural mineral pigments and fine gold powder to the efficient methods of preparing the canvas as well as the fine silk brocade which is used to frame the paintings. The art form has become very widespread in recent times and now includes the use of new materials and colours developed in the West.
There are three recognised paths of buddhism, which have their associated practices; these are the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, meaning the "small", "great", and "lightning-bolt" paths respectively. Practitioners of the Vajrayana path use the painted images to help them to visualise in meditation the perfection of the physical world through association with aspects of the enlightened self, which are represented by the deities of Tantric buddhism. Although used for such religious practice, the images have seen a renewed popularity and their inherent harmony and balanced form convey a sense of meaning directly to the centre of one's being. The mandala paintings are also used in ritual settings for divination and the "Wheel of Life" painting, which is probably the oldest image in Buddhism, has been widely used as a teaching aid for Dharma students because it contains symbolism and scenes that show all of the fundamental teachings of the Buddha. The wrathful deities are important in that they represent protection for the practitioner and encourage the willingness to face all of the darkest experiences of human existence in order to develop true strength of mind and spiritual power.
* * * * * * * * * * *
- The word "Thangka", referring to a traditional Tibetan buddhist painting, means literally a "recorded message" because it contains a wealth of symbolism relating to the buddhist path. The images are seen as living manifestations of deities and spiritual energies and they can therefore transmit the consciousness of a deity directly through forms and colours, as well as their symbolic content. Through inner Tantric practice associated with certain deities, inner energies can be awakened, balanced and integrated in the practitioner. Thangkas are often commissioned and/or gifted for the purpose of asking for spiritual help and protection for oneself or others.
The canvas is prepared in a special way to allow the painting to be rolled like a scroll without damage to the painted surface, making it easier to transport safely. Pure gold is often used to decorate the paintings and is commonly regarded as an offering to the deity. The pure gold can be polished to create a magical effect on the finished artwork.
The Thangka paintings can be framed in different ways:
1. Traditional silk brocade material, in red, yellow and blue (representing a rainbow) is sewn to a standard pattern in proportion to the size of the painting. There is often a yellow silk cover for the Thangka and occasionally a "door", which is a square of material sewn to the lower panel of the brocade frame, and there are two red ribbons which hang down each side of the painting to convey the blessing of the deity. Sticks are sewn into the top and bottom edges for strength and the lower stick often has decorative metal weights (called "Thang-Tok") at each end to hold the Thangka flat when it is displayed.
2. A simpler version of the brocade frame may consist of a single piece of coloured or decorative material sewn around the painting and has sticks sewn in at the top and bottom (with decorative weights) to form a scroll as above.
3. Wooden frames (with or without glass) are also used, which look especially good with the Mandala paintings.
* * * * * * * * * * *
There are many female deities in the Buddhist pantheon, as well as the innumerable male figures, ranging from 'mother' figures to offering goddesses and historical figures. They fall into seven main groups, which are:
1. Mother figures - including Green Tara 'The Incomparable Saviour' who embodies the perfect qualities of all the buddhas, removes hindrances and acts swiftly to help all sentient beings. She is often depicted with the assembly of 21 Taras, who are emanations of her own being acting in specific circumstances to free beings from suffering, Green Tara grants freedom from the Eight Great Fears. Also in this group are Prajnaparamita the 'mother of all buddhas'; White Tara is often depicted with Ushnisha Vijaya and Namgyalma forming a 'healing trinity' of long-life goddesses.
2. Deities like Tara are invoked to promote long life, wisdom, awareness and compassion.
3. Female Buddhas - such as Kurukulla (the 'enticer'), Ushnisha Sitapatatra and Marichi.
4. Consorts of male deities (Yums) - such as Vajrayogini, the white Samantabhadri, and Vishvamata.
5. Vajradakinis - such as Troma Nakpo Sukhasiddhi and Vajravarahi the 'diamond sow' (the pig or sow represents ignorance in Buddhism and she appears in a dancing posture with the severed head of a sow, symbolising the end of ego-led existence or samsara).
6. Female Protectors - such as Palden Lhamo, Tsering.ma etc.
7. Historical Figures - such as Laksmi Bhiksuni, Ghantapa and Dompipa.
There are also several different groups of Offering Goddesses, often depicted in paintings holding precious objects or items of sensory delight. Each figure that appears in the art and practice of Tibetan Buddhism has a specific quality and can be seen as the fulfillment of an aspect of human consciousness. All schools of Buddhism acknowledge the existence of magical powers or siddhis and although they are not the goal of Buddhist practice the experience of them helps the practitioner to form an understanding of the potential for human enlightenment. Often the siddhi of clairvoyance forms an integral part of the story of a deity - many times a figure appears in a vision in answer to a specific or urgent need and as a result helps an individual to broaden their perception of reality. I have chosen to paint the goddess Vajrayogini and since she is the subject of widespread practice I will describe in detail some of the symbolism and background of the image:
Vajrayogini (Tibetan Dorje Naljorma, meaning "sky-dancer of Naropa") is the queen of the Dakini paradise and most notably appeared in a vision to the 11th century mahasiddha Naropa as an old hag (perhaps reflecting his over-scholarly attitude and neglect of the life-giving new inspiration which the dakinis represent). More commonly Vajrayogini appears as a sixteen-year-old maiden. In the painting, she stands atop a lotus flower (symbol of a correct moral code) and interlocking red triangles, which represent the creation of the universe (these are visualised as a three-dimensional tunnel extending from the centre of the Earth to infinite space). On this symbol are painted four "bliss" swirls, representing the four stages of energy movement up and down in the human body as part of the specific "inner heat" yoga practice. Vajrayogini stands upon an image of herself, symbolising transcendence of form, and an image of the Hindu god Kalarati, who presides over the realm of desire. She brandishes a ritual knife to cut away attachment to the physical world and a skull-cup filled with blood symbolising blissful, clear consciousness. On her shoulder lies a staff representing her male consort Chakrasamvara. Her body, which itself represents the sixth perfection of wisdom, is brilliant red. Red is the colour of passionate emotion and life force, which are transformed by her blissful dance in the emptiness of space. She is naked, showing her freedom from ordinary appearances, except for bone ornaments (her crown, belt, apron, necklace and bracelets symbolising the other five perfections: patience, generosity, discipline, effort and meditative concentration). Around her neck hangs a garland of 50 human skulls (symbolising pure speech and the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet) which are bleached dry by the "inner heat" generated by the yoga practice associated with her; this practice has spread to many parts of the world and is one of the more popular Buddhist practices. In India some ascetics go through a five-year retreat in search of a vision of Vajrayogini, in which they remain in a cave reciting the mantra, after which if they fail they will start the retreat again. Painted in front of the deity is a skull-cup containing the human sense organs with flames coming from them, this symbolises how the limitations of our attachment to physical desires can be transformed by understanding the emptiness of all phenomena.
There are eight other forms of the goddess in Tibetan Buddhist art and practice; these include one dancing, one jumping and others with various body colours and numbers of arms. Overall Vajrayogini symbolises the transformation of base human emotion as passion into compassion for all beings through the understanding of the inseparability of bliss and emptiness.
REFERENCES:
Weber, A. & Landaw, J. - "Images of Enlightenment", Tibetan Art in Practice. (Snow Lion) [pp.139 - 144]
Vessantara - "Meeting the Buddhas". (Windhorse Publications) [pp.264, 265, 279 - 282]
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Gods and demi-gods with their crowns bow down to your lotus feet;
Liberator from all problems, Mother Tara - homage to You!"
From 'Homage to the Venerable Arya Tara', by Atisha (982-1054 AD)
The Goddess Tara
Tara, meaning "Saviouress" or "Star", is the principal goddess in Tibetan Buddhism. In the form of Green Tara, also known as Arya Tara, Cittamani Tara and "Mother of All the Buddhas", she has been the object of devotional practice for over fourteen centuries. Green Tara embodies the quality of active compassion and she has the ability to act without hesitation to help all beings in need, the way a mother would act to help her child. She is said to have first appeared at the same time as White Tara in a vision to a group of Tibetan people, which included Atisha Dipamkara Shrijana, who worked much of his lifetime to spread the teachings of buddhism in Tibet.
According to tradition Avalokiteshvara, the buddha of compassion, made a vow to help all sentient beings and to put others before himself - when he found himself unable, even with great effort, to relieve very much of the suffering in the world, he began to cry; in the vision he appeared seated on a lotus flower, which grew from a lake, and where his tears fell into the water two lotus flowers grew - one revealed the goddess White Tara and the other revealed Green Tara. The goddesses would act to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings as embodiments of his compassion.
Cittamani Tara's green colour associates her with nature, the nurturing power of the Earth and spiritual growth. Her body appears as if made of green light and she holds the stem of an Utpala flower with a bud, a half-open flower and a fully open flower, symbolising her ability to know past, present and future. Her right hand is in the Mudra (hand gesture) of granting refuge and she is invoked in Buddhist ritual practice for the purposes of protection and for removing obstacles to happiness. The practice of the twenty-one Taras is popular in all schools of buddhism and is particularly used to ask for a blessing when undertaking a new venture such as moving to a new house, starting a new business or at the birth of a child. The practice involves meditation, visualisation and prayer through the repetition of mantra and poetic verses. A ritual such as this helps people to remember their connectedness to all beings in all of their worldly activities so that they do not act selfishly or without compassion for others and in a way which benefits themselves.
The goddess Tara, the "Swift Liberator", is primarily associated with answering the need for help when in danger - for this reason she is also known as the One Who Rescues from the Eight Great Fears, traditionally listed as the fear of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, imprisonment, water and demons; with her compassionate nature she overcomes enemies without causing them harm - although in some translations of Tibetan texts Tara has been said to slaughter elephants and trample lions and robbers under her feet (translation by Beyer), this does not fit with the usual understanding of the goddess as purely compassionate. The wrathful aspects and behaviour referred to in such verses are more likely to represent Tara's power to destroy strong inner "demons", which have formed from an incorrect perception of the world and have become entrenched so that one cannot dissociate oneself from acting wrongly - the animals can therefore be seen in symbolic form as mental attitudes that can become dangerous if allowed to prevail. With such an understanding in mind, the Eight Fears are often interpreted to be these inner obstacles to enlightenment in the form of pride, ignorance, anger, envy, wrong views, avarice, attachment and doubt. In the East there are innumerable stories of Tara's swift response to people in need; there are also many accounts of the appearance of a Mother figure in different cultures around the world, for example in the Christian tradition with visions of the Virgin Mary and even in indigenous Africa there are accounts of the appearance of a nurturing Green Lady with a body made of green light, for example in a recent account in the book "Of Water and the Spirit" by Malidoma Some.
The practice associated with a buddhist deity usually consists of three stages, which can be seen as a process of spiritual realisation - firstly by making prayers and offerings to the deity as an external figure to be invoked for our help, secondly by developing the attributes of the deity in oneself (i.e. developing an attitude of non-violence and compassion for others' suffering), thirdly by becoming the deity (i.e. becoming inseparable from the consciousness of universal compassion). The depiction of Tara in twenty-one forms implies that she is able to manifest in a form that suits the need of any particular situation, similar to other deities that have a variety of forms for the same reason. There are more forms of Tara, more detailed systems of artistic representation, devotional verses and practices than for other deities because of her beauty and the universal appeal of her qualities. The painting of so many forms is a way of showing that Tara's embodiment of compassion and ability to act in the world is unlimited.
The Historical Lineages of the Twenty-one Taras
There are three primary lineages of the twenty-one Taras, in chronological order: Suryagupta, Nagarjuna/ Atisha and Longchen Rapjampa. The Suryagupta system dates from around 850 AD and shows the twenty-one Taras in a great variety of forms with different colours, bodies with many arms, holding different implements, with various faces and in a variety of postures. The system attributed to Nagarjuna and Atisha is less complex with the distinguishing features limited to colour, facial expression and each goddess holding a different colour of flask in the right hand. The later Nyingma tradition, attributed to Longchen Rapjampa (1308-1363) depicts them in the same form but in many different colours, holding individual emblems on top of the lotus flower in the right hand. The founders of these different lineages have been responsible for amalgamating differences in doctrine and practice to a great extent, much like in the process of standardisation of language and writing implemented by certain individuals throughout history.
The twenty-one Taras have very specific roles, which comprise a variety of qualities and abilities to counteract negative influences that afflict human beings in physical, emotional and spiritual ways. There are some differences between the three main traditions with the two later systems having more in common; according to the Atisha system the names and main attributes of the twenty-one goddesses are as follows:
1. Nyur.ma Pa.mo, The Swift Heroine, subdues interfering influences and returns the power of those with harmful intentions.
2. Yang.chen.ma, as Saraswati, bestows the perfect wisdom that frees all beings from suffering.
3. Soe.nam Chog.ter.ma, The Giver of Supreme Virtue, embodies the six perfections - generosity, discipline, forbearance, joyous enthusiasm, meditative concentration and wisdom.
4. Nam.Gyal.ma, The All-victorious, protects and grants long life.
5. Rig.je.ma, The Giver of Intelligence, rescues lost souls.
6. Jig.je.ma, The Terrifier, subdues evil spirits and cures the diseases that they cause.
7. Shen.gyi.mi Tub.ma, The Invincible, destroys all negative influences from others.
8. Shen.le Nam.par Gyal.ma, The Conqueror of Others, slays all enemies and their influences.
9. Seng.deng.nag Dol.ma, Saviour of the Scented Forest, who with her light saves all beings from the myriad sufferings of life.
10. Jig.ten Sum.le Gyal.ma, The Conqueror of the Three Worldly Realms, fulfils all wishes.
11. Nor.ter.ma, The Giver of Wealth, rescues the impoverished.
12. Tashi.doen Je.ma, The Auspicious, brings the power of Amitabha to save sentient beings.
13. Da.pung.som Ze.ma, The Destroyer of Opposing Forces, uses fire to destroy all evil beings.
14. Tro.nyer.chen, The Wrathful, makes all sentient beings peaceful.
15. Rab.shi.ma, The Very Peaceful One, pacifies all evil actions and their consequences.
16. Bar.wae.od.chen.ma, The Blazing Light, rescues beings from cyclic existence.
17. Pag.mae.noen.ma, The Subduer of Countless Harmful Forces, stamps her foot to awaken all beings in the three worldly realms.
18. Ma.ja.ma, The Peahen Riding One, has the ability to transmute poisons.
19. Mi.pam Gyal.ma, The Invincible Queen, bestows unshakeable confidence.
20. Ri.toe.ma, The Mountain-dwelling Mendicant, dispels ignorance, disputes and frightening dreams.
21. Oed.zer Chen.ma, The Rays of Light, destroys all evil spirits and can raise the dead to life.
REFERENCES: 'In Praise of Tara' by Martin Willson (Wisdom Publications) [pp.118-9,pp. 224-5, p.293]
'Images of Enlightenment, Tibetan Art in Practice' by Weber, A. & Landaw, J.(Snow Lion) [pp.83-88]
'Meeting the Buddhas' by Vessantara (Windhorse Publications) [pp.171-182]
* * * * * * * * * * *
The mandala is a circular design representing the three-dimensional temple or heavenly abode of a Buddhist deity, visualised in its entirety as part of the practice associated with its central figure or deity. The word mandala comes from the Sanskrit word Mandir, meaning a temple. The Tibetan term is Khil Khor, meaning both "centre" and "round".
The mandala is used in initiation ceremonies of the highest (Anuttara) tantric yoga practice, as a means of divination and occasionally in everyday meditation.
It is seen as a map for transforming the mind through practice and depicts the totally balanced state of mind and body. There are five types of mandalas: paintings, woodblock prints, temple structures, sand mandalas and simple self-initiation pictures. The sand mandala is created at special ceremonies by a team of monks using narrow tubes called chang bu filled with coloured sand on a large chalk drawing. This is done on a raised platform, usually about six feet square, and can take several weeks to complete.
The paintings are inscribed on the reverse with three Tibetan syllables Om, Ah and Hung, representing the pure aspects of body, speech and mind.
The fire around the outside of the painting and the lotus petals represent the protection of the deity's wisdom and the purity of a true moral code.
The green area, called the Vajra ground, represents a natural environment or area of grass outside the temple where stand ornamental gold pots, some with banners, and eight pots with trees containing the Eight Precious Offerings, the Seven Royal Symbols with the Great Treasure Vase, symbolising effort, subtlety, equanimity, order of affairs, balance of mind, memory, wisdom and joy.
In the upper part of the Vajra ground are two bodyguards in each direction in the respective colour and mudra (hand gesture) of each of the buddha families and two heavenly attendants in clouds who sprinkle divine nectar on the initiate as he or she passes into the temple through the gate of each direction.
On the gate and at each corner of the temple are umbrellas symbolising the protection of true knowledge. The central square depicts the walls of the temple with a row of lotus petals symbolising the moral code of right living, a row of guardian monsters called Kirtimukha and eight flying dakinis which represent the pleasures of incense, music, light, dance, perfume, grace, flowers and garlands.
The Mandala of Akshobya:
The four directional gates are shown in white, green, red and yellow (with green in the north on the right side of the mandala) and each corresponds to the buddha family of that direction. The colours are also associated with emotional states in the mind of the practitioner. A divination, in which a small stick or feather is dropped on to a mandala, by the Lama (Buddhist priest) leading a ceremony, gives the initiate guidance to focus on a certain aspect of their mind that is to be ritually transformed.
There is a narrow band of five coloured lines, which represents a rainbow of light, visualised to purify the Buddhist practitioner before entering the centre of the temple. At the centre of the mandala is an eight-petalled lotus flower with the eight Tashis or "good luck symbols", also symbolising the eightfold path of Buddhist morality.
Inside the circle of petals is painted the overlighting deity whose abode the mandala portrays - in this case Akshobya, who is the blue buddha of infinite consciousness and the element of space, also known as Mitrugpa, the "Unshakable One" or "Unmoving Diamond Buddha". He holds a vajra (or "diamond sceptre") symbolising knowledge of both conventional and ultimate reality and acts to transform ignorance into all-pervading awareness.
Peter Newman, 16/11/2002
* * * * * * * * * * *
Many of the wrathful deities in Tibetan tantric Buddhism are more obscure than the commonly seen peaceful figures of the buddhas, bodhisattvas and the female deities. Nevertheless they form an important part of Buddhist practice and are linked with the need to understand the subconscious mind and to integrate and transform the deeper emotions, which arise within human experience. The wrathful figures are many and diverse; they are sometimes depicted in paintings using the Tsal Tang (gold on a dark red background) and Nak Tang (gold on a black background) techniques as well as in the usual Chutson Tang (multicoloured paintings). Many of the wrathful deities are in fact wrathful forms of well-known peaceful deities and others exist in their own right, there also exist 'semi-wrathful' deities. The figures have in common a form which often awakens deep-seated fears, as they contain images which are associated with death and violent physical suffering, with the purpose for the Buddhist practitioner of examining the innermost nature of the human mind and realising the true perception of reality.
Knowing these facts it is therefore not surprising that the images are often kept hidden and revealed only in a ritual space and for those people ready to engage in deep self-transformation. These "dark" figures exist to help us realise that the difficult or frightening experiences, that we are inclined to avoid, are a valuable part of existence because they provide us with the opportunities to grow beyond our perceived limitations.
Dharmapalas - the Wrathful Deities, protectors of the Dharma (teachings): The depiction of the Dharmapalas in their typical alidha posture (standing warrior-like with stocky, muscular bodies, roaring mouths, flaming faces and bulging eyes) has developed over many centuries and includes strong influences from the Indian Bhairava iconography and Chinese images of guardians and demons. The most well-known is the wrathful form of Vajrapani, the Protector of the Tantras, who is dark blue in colour; this colour is said to have come from his drinking poison and also represents the "truth body" or permanent aspect of the mind. Vajrapani holds a thunderbolt or "diamond sceptre" with which he is said to have smashed a giant boulder that was thrown at the Buddha in jealousy. Vajrapani embodies the power of having a clear view of reality, which can turn around a chaotic, painful experience through enlightened positive action into benefits for oneself and others. He demonstrates the mastery of all negative forces and the combination of wisdom and compassion resulting in the ability to choose the right path of action for any situation without hesitation.
Some of the deities have multiple pairs of arms holding various weapons, which have symbolic significance regarding protection of the Buddhist practitioner and the removal of obstacles for those on the spiritual path. Another of the more prominent wrathful figures is Mahakala, the "Great Black One" who is the wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara the buddha of compassion, and who also appears in various coloured forms with two, four or six arms. The form usually seen is the six-armed black or dark-blue form, which embodies the power of compassion in destroying ignorant states of mind. Another is the Black Manjusri, who is the embodiment of wisdom, appearing to show the realisation of the emptiness of all phenomena, through ruthless removal of the wrong view of reality.
Perhaps the most striking image in the whole of the Buddhist pantheon is the truly fearsome-looking Yamantaka (the "Destroyer of Death"), also a form of Manjusri, who appears in the form of a huge, blue being with the head of a buffalo, with thirty-four arms and sixteen legs. Yamantaka (Tib: Dorje Jig.ye) encourages us to open ourselves to the experience of suffering in order to release our minds from fear and grasping; his naked body and erect phallus symbolise respectively the abandonment of self-image and a constant state of bliss. With his nine faces showing the nine categories of scriptures, he stands triumphantly on eight animals and eight birds, which represent his attainment of the eight accomplishments and eight uncommon accomplishments, these are the abilities to transcend all physical limitations in order to apply the direct knowledge of Ultimate Truth.
The story of his first appearance begins with a yogi entering a cave to practice meditation. The yogi transcended his body and was communicating with beings in the Otherworld, when suddenly a group of poachers carried a buffalo into the cave to cut it up. When they saw the yogi sitting there as a possible witness to their crime, they cut off his head. He then came back into his body to find himself headless and felt around on the ground only to find the buffalo's head which he then put on to his body. He then became enraged and rampaged through the villages with a butcher's knife, in a search for his missing head. The villagers prayed to Manjusri to save them and he soon came in the form of Yamantaka, also with a buffalo's head, to subdue the out-of-control yogi. The yogi was then empowered to harness his anger as a means for liberation and he became a protector known as Dharmaraja, "King of the Dharma", who protects practitioners from both inner and outer opposition forces and binds them to the realisation of the true nature of reality.
Of all of the female wrathful deities the image of Sri Devi (Tib: Palden Lhamo) is the most memorable. She is the wrathful aspect of Green Tara, the goddess of active compassion, and her name means "Auspicious Goddess Mother", also known as the "Supreme Conqueror of Enemies". She is dark blue with a terrifying face and she rides a yellow mule over a sea of blood, symbolising her ability to protect a practitioner from the sea of life's miseries and disasters. The painting is fascinating, especially because it uses some symbols which are not seen in other paintings, for example the five magical weapons she carries: A bag of diseases, a book of curses, dice showing the power of divination, balls of thread to trap evil spirits and a cross-stick to record her slain demonic enemies. She also carries an umbrella of peacock feathers representing divine pride and she wears the ornaments of both peaceful and wrathful deities, with the Heruka belt and dharma wheel at her heart showing her universal spiritual attainment. She is depicted flanked by both the wrathful dakini queens of the sea and of the earth showing her power and influence over all realms and she has a vast retinue of queens and goddesses. The practice associated with this goddess is of particular relevance to the Dalai Lama, who travels with a painting of her and for whom she is a special protectress. She is invoked to bring peace during tantric rituals, embodying the powers to pacify the hindering forces, which keep us bound in mundane existence. To summarize, the wrathful deities in Tibetan Buddhism are best seen as archetypes invoked to enable the removal of obstacles to enlightenment.
REFERENCES:
Singer & Denwood - "Tibetan Art, towards a definition of style", Laurence King. [p.204]
Vessantara - "Meeting the Buddhas", Windhorse Publications. [pp.160-3, 293 -308]
Landaw, J. & Weber, A. - "Images of Enlightenment", Snow Lion. [pp.124-5, 148]
Li Jicheng - "The Realm of Tibetan Buddhism" Foreign Languages Press, Beijing [pp.156-8]
* * * * * * * * * * *
The Wheel of Life (Tib: Sipai Khorlo), or "Wheel of Existence", is possibly the oldest of all the images painted in Tibetan Buddhism, it is said to have originated when King Bimbisara of Magadha asked the Buddha what he might give to a neighbouring king after receiving a precious gift. The Buddha explained how to draw the Wheel of Life and it was then given in return. The image had such a profound effect that it soon became widely known throughout the kingdom. The image was then used as an aid to meditation and teaching for travelling monks as they visited scattered villages to spread the Buddha's teachings, a practice which is still in use today. The image is a detailed representation of the ways in which suffering and dissatisfaction occur in the world as a result of states of mind and perceptions, which are based on ignorance of the true nature of reality. The Wheel shows both our internal and external conditions and the situations arising from our desires in which we are caught in a cycle of physical and mental suffering. The way to gain liberation from this cycle exists in our ability to understand the causes of suffering through practising wisdom and compassion, symbolised respectively in the painting by the sun above the hand of the Buddha and by the moon to which he is pointing. This combined with the realisation and acceptance of the transitory nature of all phenomena will lead us to embody the essentially pure state of our own mind.
Aspects and symbolism of the painting:
Yama, the "Lord of Death", who presides over all realms, holds the Wheel of Life - his presence is a constant reminder that all things in the world are impermanent. Around the outside of the wheel are twelve pictures, showing the twelve Interdependent Links - a cycle of thoughts and actions, which keep us trapped in a narrow, restrictive view of the world - these are states of mind which are based on the mis-perception that our identity and reality are fixed, leading to our trying to reach for certain experiences and to reject others. Within this outer circle are depicted six realms of existence: the realms of gods, demi-gods, animals, humans, "hungry ghosts" and the hell realm.
The painting shows the many ways in which beings in each realm suffer and can affect their future by acting out of ignorance. The gods live in a perfect physical world or "Pure Land" full of sensory delights, in which there is no physical suffering until the last seven days of their lives. In this world they live only for themselves and then suffer enormously as each of their luxuries and comforts are lost and they are haunted by the fearful vision of being reborn in the lower realms. The demi-gods live in a pleasant world, but suffer due to their hierarchical society and their envy of the gods with whom they can be seen constantly fighting.
The human realm shows the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death as well as the ways in which the pleasures we find in our lives soon pass away and we are often affected by mental suffering of many kinds. In the lower three realms are the "hungry ghosts", never satisfied with what they have and finding that every effort to satisfy their desire, hunger or thirst only causes further pain and misery. Then there is the animal realm, where animals suffer due to their need to search for and compete for food, the constant fear of being killed by another and at the hands of humans exploiting them in many different ways.
Lastly there is the hell realm, where a being's past deeds are measured and the physical sufferings are excruciating and diverse, coupled with the huge mental suffering of feeling that the experience of pain will never end. All of the experiences of beings within the six realms exist in the human mind, therefore it is said that a human lifetime gives one the best opportunity to gain enlightenment. At the centre of the painting is shown the bardo, the realm that exists between lifetimes. This is where the mind of a being, which survives death, awaits rebirth into one of the six realms depending on the effects of imprints left by actions in previous lives. This idea, when first taught by Shakyamuni, challenged the Hindu belief that once a certain level of spiritual (and therefore societal) attainment had been reached one could not move back "down the ladder" to a lifetime of greater suffering.
The Buddha taught that one's present actions and attitudes would have a direct effect on future experience in this life or the next. If we die out of control of our consciousness we cannot control our rebirth and so will be forced to repeat the cycle of suffering again. Around the inner circle can be seen the souls of the six different beings moving towards their next incarnation and at the centre are three animals, which represent the three root delusions - a pig (ignorance), a pigeon (desirous attachment) and a snake (anger). The pigeon and snake appear from the mouth of the pig, showing that attachment and hatred both stem from ignorance of the true state of reality. At the bottom of the painting are written stanzas of Buddha Shakyamuni's teaching stating that, in summary, through moral discipline, concentration and wisdom all suffering can be eliminated. By the realisation of ignorance as the cause of all suffering a true practitioner can overcome the Lord of Death as easily 'as an elephant destroys a grass hut'. Modern depictions of the painting occasionally include aspects from the modern world, for example, in the six realms of existence there might be images of modern civilisation alongside traditional Tibetan motifs; this helps to demonstrate the relevance of Buddhist philosophy to the people of today. The Wheel of Life therefore contains symbolism reflecting the essence of the Buddha's teaching and, once understood, acts as a clear guide for anyone wishing to follow the Buddhist path.
REFERENCES:
Singer & Denwood - "Tibetan Art, towards a definition of style". (Laurence King) [p.265]
Weber, A. & Landaw, J. - "Images of Enlightenment, Tibetan Art in Practice". (Snow Lion) [pp.9,18,29-36,128]
Vessantara - "Meeting the Buddhas". (Windhorse Publications) [p.44]
* * * * * * * * * * *
All articles © Zotec 2002-2009