MANDALA THANGKA FROM POTALA TIBET!! #4TIBETAN BUDDHIST

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

This thangka is not mounted in brocade, but I am now able to provide brocade mountings for my thangkas at very 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!

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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 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.  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!   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.

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.

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