There is neither a painting in the mind
Nor a mind in the painting:
And yet, where else can one find a painting
Than in the mind?
Avatamsaka Sutra
"Preserving the Sacred Arts is always part of the preservation of Dharma"
~ Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche ~
This is an amazing little thangka that has 5 mandalas within its borders! Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5!!! They are extremely detailed for the size. Each mandala is a little different from the others. There is also an ornate border with dragons. It is signed at the bottom right corner, but I can't make out the name in Tibetan. The colors are pretty accurate, except that the blue surrounding the mandalas is not as bright in person.
Long and narrow!! Measures about 5 & 5/8 inches by 24 & 5/8 inches, not counting the outer purple borders.
This thangka is not mounted in brocade, but I am now able to provide brocade mountings for my thangkas at extremely reasonable prices. The finest quality Varanasi brocade is available. It may take a while to get the mounting done (hopefully not), but it will be good practice in patience!
Check out my other items!
Mandala (Sanskrit mandala "circle", "completion") is of Hindu origin and is also used in most Dharmic religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, to refer to various tangible objects. In Vajrayana they have been developed into sandpainting. In practice, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern which represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective.
A mandala, especially its center, can be used during meditation as an object for focusing attention. The symmetrical geometric shapes tend to draw the attention towards their center. Psychiatrist Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a representation of the unconscious self,", and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality.
A kyil khor (Tibetan for mandala) in tantric Buddhism usually depicts a landscape of the Buddha land or the enlightened vision of a Buddha: "a microcosm representing various divine powers at work in the universe." Such mandalas consist of an outer circular mandala and an inner square (or sometimes circular) mandala with an ornately decorated mandala palace placed at the center. Any part of the inner mandala can be occupied by Buddhist glyphs and symbols as well as images of its associated deities, which "symbolise different stages in the process of the realisation of the truth." Mandalas are commonly used by tantric Buddhists as an aid to meditation. More specifically, a Buddhist mandala is envisaged as a "sacred space," a Pure Buddha Realm and also as an abode of fully realised beings or deities. It is regarded as a place separated and protected from the ever-changing and impure outer world of Samsara. It is thus seen as a Buddhafield or a place of Nirvana and peace. In many tantric mandalas, this aspect of separation and protection from the outer samsaric world is depicted by "the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle." The ring of vajras forms a connected fence-like arrangement running around the perimeter of the outer mandala circle. The mandala is also "a support for the meditating person," something to be repeatedly contemplated, to the point of saturation, such that the image of the mandala becomes fully internalised in even the minutest detail and which can then be summoned and contemplated at will as a clear and vivid visualised image. With every mandala comes what Tucci calls "its associated liturgy...contained in texts known as tantras," instructing practitioners on how the mandala should be drawn, built and visualised and indicating the mantras to be recited during its ritual use.
I strive to provide the best quality thangkas for the price on eBay. They are all original paintings done with mineral pigments and pure gold paint on canvas. You won't find any imitation Chinese thangkas here! Please compare the detailed photos of my thangkas to other thangkas available on eBay to determine the quality. The photos in each listing are of the very same thangka that I am selling. Don't bother to compare them to the extremely low quality glut of fake "antique" or "old" "Tibetan" thangkas from China that have flooded the market in the last few years. There IS no comparison with these fakes.
I want to make clear that in no way, shape or form do I represent myself as an expert on Tibetan iconography or thangka painting. I am just a beginner in understanding this profound art form. If there is any kind of problem, let me know. I will never knowingly misrepresent anything I am selling. There is always the chance that I may have been fooled myself, but will try to correct the situation if that ever happens. Please contact me if you think I have been misled. I also don't try to exaggerate the colors or contrast in my photos to make them more appealing. I believe in karma and that honesty is always the best policy and will do business by these principles.
A word or two about the terrible thangkas done in sweatshops in China. If you look at about 90% (or more) of the thangkas for sale on Ebay, they are being sold from China and all look very similar. By similar, I mean the proportions are all wrong, there is no fine detail work at all and they are mostly iconographically as incorrect as it is possible to be. A lot of them seem to be of deities that don’t exist! Ebay doesn’t seem at all interested in shutting down this flood of fakes, because they are making very good money on them. Not only has China's brutal regime been systematically eliminating Tibet's culture and religion in Tibet, they are ruining the art of thangka painting where it is barely hanging on in exile in Nepal and India and a very few artists in Tibet.
Some people have thought that my thangkas are so detailed that they must be prints. I do not sell prints of thangkas. If I do start doing so they will clearly be identified as such! The best way to determine if it is an original painting is to hold it up to a bright light or the sun. You will clearly see different thicknesses of paint and some brush strokes.
Also 1 or 2 people have thought that the paintings are on paper. They are all on cotton canvas, but they are treated with a layer of gesso (like plaster of paris or gypsum) and rubbed smooth. Some of them are so smooth you cannot see the individual fibers. To prove to yourself that the painting is on canvas, try ripping the corner of the border area and you will see threads.
I will be glad to combine shipping and insurance on multiple items.
Satisfaction guaranteed, but I can't control the U.S. or foreign Postal Services, or make you read the item description carefully. If there is any problem, let me know and we will work it out.
I would appreciate it if you would read my “Me” page. There is information there on how to help the Tibetan cause.
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+ Thank you for doing what you do. BEAUTIFUL. A++++++You are blessed.
+ Beautiful thangka Had brocade done after buying fabulous job A++++++ Thanks!!!!
+ Seller is a delight to work with! Friendly, informative communications! AAA+++!
+ Fine detail,wonderful colors, perfect composition-Awesome! Fast ship! Thank you!
+ Absolute delight to deal with. The thangka is breathtaking, brocade perfect. Thx
+ Simply amazing! Very happy, very alive Thangka! Accolades for seller wrjay!
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When both the subject that examines
And the object that has been examined
Have completely vanished into emptiness,
Looking toward the nature of that sheer emptiness
Without distraction is called “the view.”
When you are thus looking at the empty nature of mind,
Although there is no object being examined
And there is no subject who examines,
Do not confuse this empty nature
With some amorphous state of mind
Devoid of any qualities whatsoever.
from: The Life of Shabkar
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