Buddhist icons. Thangka art in Buddhism - creating painting on canvas

30.11.2019

Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!

The topic of our conversation today will be interesting and unusual. We'll talk about the tank. No politics or military actions, friends, just art, namely the art of thangka in Buddhism.

In the article we will tell you what it is, what it is intended for, how it is made, what meaning tanka carries for Buddhist culture, and also tell us about the history of the emergence of such an unusual type of creativity. There are many interesting facts ahead of us.

What is tanka

The concept of “thanka”, or, as it is also called, “thangka”, goes back to the Tibetan language and translated means “scroll”, “letter”, “icon”.

Such various interpretations do not contradict each other: tanka is a painting with a religious motif on fabric, a kind of icon. Made on thin canvas, they are easily rolled into a scroll.

There is an opinion that they were primarily created for Buddhist nomads, who, when moving from place to place, needed to pack their belongings as compactly as possible. Thus, nomadic peoples could perform Buddhist rituals without problems, even with frequent moves.

Thangkas usually depict great teachers, bodhisattvas, and deities. Sometimes the motive for creating an image is scriptures from the field of astrology or medicine, figures symbolizing happiness, well-being, and less often - simply fragments from the lives of ordinary people.

Thangkas have a square or rectangular shape and can be of various sizes: small, just a few square centimeters, or huge, many meters long. The latter are often created by several painters at the same time, and their creation can last not just months, but years.

How it started

There are several views on where the art of thangka originates. Some believe that it allegedly originated in Ancient India, having the name “pata” there. Others attribute it to the so-called “prabha” - visual art originally from Nepal during the heyday of the Pala line - 7-10 centuries AD.

One way or another, both opinions agree on one thing: thangka originated from the practice of monks, during which they applied sacred images to the hem of their clothes.

It is believed that the first thangka painting - as we know it - contained an image of the wheel of samsara.

The tradition of thangka painting was of particular importance in the Tibet region. There was an incredible concentration of skilled tank painters, each of whom had their own style, teaching those who wanted the basics of art.

But with the onset of events that shocked the Tibetans in 1959, when China sent in its troops, many Tibetan monks were forced to go into exile, including tank writers. Today, Buddhist artists in exile live mainly in the northern part of India, in Dharamsala.

In addition, such unusual look painting is widespread in Chinese, Mongolian, Bhutanese, and Buryat areas. Thangka is used in many Buddhist traditions, and especially in the direction.

What is the significance of

Thangka painting is incredibly symbolic. Perhaps, few of the world’s religions can “boast” such a bright and diverse iconography as Buddhism, namely its direction.

Icons depict Teachers, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, mentors, spirits - the pantheon is diverse and strictly hierarchical. Images on canvas are subject to special rules, norms of painting, and laws of teaching. So, for example, each deity has a specific appearance, posture, gestures, facial expressions.

In addition to the Great Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, you can often see the faces of various Buddhas on canvases, for example the Medicine Buddha. In northern India, White or Green Tara, a bodhisattva in female form, is often placed on the canvas.

Green Tara

Tanka is an object for contemplation and meditative practices. It is also used during special Buddhist rites, celebrations, ceremonies, and holidays.

Tanka helps believers improve and discover themselves on the path of spirituality. The creations are hung in shrines, in temples, monasteries, homes, and used in temple and home altars.

How they do it

It’s not for nothing that tanka is called an art: in order to master it, painters need to study for a long time, study iconometry, the basics of painting, and adopt knowledge from more experienced artists. There are special works that contain the rules for teaching iconography. And some secrets are passed down from mouth to mouth through generations.

Making thangka is not an easy task. According to all the rules, it consisted of several stages, which we will discuss in more detail below.

The basis

The basis of a Buddhist icon is fabric: cotton, linen, brocade, hemp, jute. Less commonly used was silk, which could only be found in China for a lot of money.

The materials were woven into a square canvas about 50 centimeters wide. If a larger base was required, the material was sewn to the required size.

Priming

The fabric base was covered on the front side with a primer - a mixture of chalk, lime, soot, red and black clay, and animal skin glue.

More expensive icons were primed on both sides. The primer was carefully polished with shells or animal teeth, taking special care to rub the seams where the two square flaps were sewn together.

Sketch

To begin with, a sketch of the future drawing was drawn with a charcoal pencil or chalk. A little later, special stencils appeared, which were highly valued. There were cases when icon painting stencils were presented as trophies to valiant warriors.

Coloring

The finished sketch was painted with paints of natural origin. For their manufacture, malachite, marble, gypsum, ocher, lapis lazuli, soot, indigo, sandalwood and many other plants along with minerals were used. The already known glue made from animal skins mixed with bile gave the paint greater durability.

In the manufacture of more expensive specimens, silver and gold were used. It is curious that the details of the design, gilding, sputtering, and contours were outlined last. A special ritual was the drawing of eyes, which seemed to “open”, completing the picture.

Sheathing

The final appearance of the tank depended on how it was sheathed. The finished work of art was removed from the frame and then covered with brocade. At the end, the honorary lama blessed the canvas, after which it could be used for its intended purpose.

Today, the complex manual manufacturing process has been partially replaced by simple canvas printing. However, paintings made in accordance with all canonical requirements are much more valuable.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! May beauty and art always accompany you.

Lhasa. Potala.*

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or Diamond Vehicle) is a complex of teachings and meditation techniques that includes the Mahayana traditions, including Vajrayana. This branch of Buddhism originated in the 7th century in Tibet and then spread throughout the Himalayan region.

Tibetan Buddhism practices mainly tantric practices. "Tantra" is a Sanskrit word which means "continuity". Tantra points primarily to the unchanging nature of the mind, an awareness that is beyond all limitations, that is neither born nor dies, that is continuous from beginningless time to final enlightenment.

The scriptures that teach about the unchanging, vajra nature of the mind are called tantras, and the body of knowledge and methods that directly reveal the nature of the mind is considered the third "vehicle" of Buddhism, which is known as Tantrayana or Vajrayana. In Buddhism, the Sanskrit word "vajra" means indestructibility like a diamond and enlightenment like instant blow thunder or flash of lightning. Therefore, the word "Vajrayana" can be literally translated as "Diamond Chariot" or "Thunder Chariot". Vajrayana is sometimes considered the highest stage of Mahayana - the "Great Vehicle" of Buddhism. The Vajrayana path allows one to achieve liberation within one human life.

Currently, Vajrayana is widespread in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal, Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.

Vajrayana is practiced in some schools of Japanese Buddhism (Shingon), and in recent decades in India and Western countries. All four schools of Tibetan Buddhism existing today (Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug and Sakya) belong to the Vajrayana. Vajrayana is a path of transformation of our ordinary mind, based on the motivation and philosophy of the Great Vehicle, but with a special outlook, behavior and methods of practice. The main methods in Vajrayana are visualization of images of deities, or yidams, and in particular, visualization of oneself in the image of a deity to transform one’s “impure” passions, or emotions, into “pure” ones, reading mantras, performing special hand gestures - mudras, and honoring the Teacher. The ultimate goal of practice is to reconnect with the nature of our mind. To practice in Vajrayana, it is necessary to receive instructions from a realized Teacher. The necessary qualities of a practitioner are the motivation of compassion for all beings, understanding of the emptiness of perceived phenomena, and pure vision.

In addition, Tibetan Buddhism inherited a fairly extensive Hindu iconography, as well as numerous deities from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion.

Needless to say, there are a great many different Deities, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition, each of them can appear to us in a variety of manifestations, significantly different from each other visually. Understanding the intricacies of Tibetan iconography is sometimes difficult even for a specialist.

Characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism is the tradition of transmitting teachings, spiritual and secular power within the lines of rebirths (tulkus) of prominent Buddhist figures. In its development, this idea led to the unification of spiritual and secular power in the line of the Dalai Lamas.

Here are the images most often found in the monasteries of Tibet.

Major figures of Tibetan Buddhism

Buddha

Buddha Shakyamuni (Sanskrit: गौतमबुद्धः सिद्धार्थ शाक्यमुनि, 563 BC - 483 BC. , literally “The Awakened Sage of the Shakya (Sakya) clan” is a spiritual teacher, the legendary founder of Buddhism.

Given at birth the name Siddhattha Gotama (Pali) / Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit) (“descendant of Gotama, successful in achieving goals”), he later became known as the Buddha (literally “Awakened One”) and even the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha). He is also called: Tathāgata (“one who thus came”), Bhagavan (“lord”), Sugata (Right Walker), Jina (Winner), Lokajyeshtha (World Honored One).

Siddhartha Gautama is a key figure in Buddhism and is its founder. Stories about his life, his sayings, dialogues with his disciples and monastic precepts were summarized by his followers after his death and formed the basis of the Buddhist canon - the Tripitaka. Buddha is also a character in many dharmic religions, in particular Bon (late Bon) and Hinduism. In the Middle Ages, in the later Indian Puranas (for example, in the Bhagavata Purana), he was included among the avatars of Vishnu instead of Balarama.

Most often depicted in the lotus position, sitting on a lotus throne, above the head, like all Buddhas and saints, a halo, meaning enlightened nature, hair, as a rule, of blue color, tied into a cone on the crown of the head, a begging bowl in hand, the right hand touching the ground. Often depicted surrounded by two students.

Supernatural Qualities of Buddha

The texts recounting the life and deeds of the Buddha constantly mention that he could communicate with gods, demons and spirits. They came to him, accompanied him and talked with him. Buddha himself ascended to the world of the celestials and read his sermons there, and the gods, in turn, repeatedly visited his cell on earth.

In addition to ordinary vision, the Buddha had a special eye of wisdom in his forehead and the ability to see everything. According to tradition, this eye gave the Buddha the ability to see the past, present and future; the eightfold (or middle) path; the intentions and actions of all creatures living in all worlds of the Universe. This quality is referred to as the six-factor knowledge of the Buddha.

In turn, the Buddha's omniscience is divided into 14 types: knowledge of the four truths (the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, liberation from suffering and the path leading to liberation from suffering), the ability to achieve great compassion, knowledge of the constant variability of existence, knowledge of the double miracle and other types knowledge.

Buddha could descend underground, ascend to heaven, fly through the air, evoke fiery mysteries, and take on any form. On his body there were 32 large and 80 small marks characteristic of the Buddha, including moles endowed with magical properties.

Buddha achieved enlightenment at the age of 35. He preached throughout northeast India for 45 years. When he was 80 years old, he told his cousin Ananda that he would soon leave. This is described in detail in Parinibbana - Suttan. Of the five hundred monks, despite the fact that there were many arhats among them, only Anuruddha was able to understand the state of the Buddha. Even Ananda, who achieved the ability to see the worlds of the gods, perceived it incorrectly. The Buddha repeated several times that the Awakened One, if he wants, can remain in this world for more than a kalpa. If Ananda had asked the Buddha to stay, he would have stayed. But Anada said that everything was fine in the community and the Awakened One could leave this world. A few weeks later, the Buddha accepted a donation of poor quality food. According to one version, these were poisonous mushrooms. He said that "only the Awakened One can accept this donation." After a short time, he lay down on his right side in a grove of sal trees, accepted the last student as a monk, and went to Parinirvana. His last words were:

Everything created is subject to the law of destruction
Achieve your goals through non-promiscuity.

Shakyamuni Buddha's birthday is national holiday Republic of Kalmykia.

Buddha of the past, incarnated on earth before Shakyamuni Buddha. According to legend, he spent 100,000 years on earth. Often depicted together with the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya) and the Buddha of our time (Shakyamuni). Hands are most often depicted as a protective mudra.

Amitābha or Amitā Buddha (Sanskrit: अमिताभा, Amitābha IAST, “limitless light”) is the most revered figure in the Pure Land school of Buddhism. He is believed to have many worthy qualities: he explains the universal law of existence in the Western Paradise and takes under his protection all who sincerely appeal to him, regardless of their origin, position or virtues.

One of the Dhyani Buddhas, or Buddha of Infinite Light, is known as Amida Buddha in Far Eastern Buddhism. The Panchen Lama of Tibet (second in command after the Dalai Lamas) appears as the earthly incarnation of Amitabha. Depicted in red, in the lotus position on a lotus throne, hands in the mudra of classical meditation, holding a begging bowl. The Pure Land cult of this Buddha is known under the name Sukhovati or Western Paradise. Sukhavati is the paradise of Buddha Amitabha. (Tib. de va chen)

Sukhavati is a magical land-kshetra created by Dhyani Buddha Amitabha. Once upon a time, Amitabha was a bodhisattva and made a vow, having achieved Buddhahood, to create his own country, which would be called Sukhavati - Happy Country.

It is located immeasurably far from our world, and only those born in the lotus live in it - bodhisattvas top level. They live there for an infinitely long time, enjoying peace and boundless happiness among the fertile land, life-giving waters, surrounding the wonderful palaces of the inhabitants of Sukhavati, built from gold, silver, and precious stones. Doesn't happen in Sukhavati natural Disasters, and its inhabitants are not afraid of the inhabitants of other areas of samsara - predatory animals, warlike asuras or deadly pretas. Besides Sukhavati, located in the western direction of the Buddhist universe, there are other worlds created by the spiritual power of other dhyani buddhas.

Bodhisattva Amitayus (Tib. tse dpag med) is an image of the deity of long life, called “Tse pag med” in Tibetan, and invoked in practices and rituals of life extension.

Buddha of Endless Life, a special form of Amitabha. Bodhisattva Amitayus is located in the Western part of the Mandala and represents the Padma (Lotus) family. He sits on a peacock throne; in hands folded in a meditation pose he holds a vase with the nectar of long life. A believer who constantly recites the Amitayus mantra can gain long life, prosperity and well-being, and also avoid sudden death.

Manla - Buddha of Medicine, (Tib. smanbla)

The full name of the Medicine Buddha is Bhaishajyaguru Vaiduryaprabha, Healing Teacher of Lapis Lazuli Radiance Manla. Like Buddha Shakyamuni and Amitabha, he wears the robes of a monk and sits on a lotus throne. His left hand is in the mudra of meditation, holding a monastic alms vessel (patra) filled with nectar and fruits. The right hand rests on the knee with an open palm, in the mudra of bestowing blessings and holding the stem of myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), a plant known as the king of all medicines due to its effectiveness in treating mental and physical diseases.

Most distinctive feature Medicine Buddha's color is deep blue lapis lazuli. This gem has been highly revered by Asian and European cultures for more than six thousand years and, until recently, its value rivaled and sometimes exceeded that of a diamond. An aura of mystery surrounds this gem, perhaps because the main mines are located in the remote Badakshan region of northeastern Afghanistan.

Healing Master of Lapis Lazuli Light Manla is one of the most revered Buddhas of the Buddhist pantheon. The sutras in which he appears compare his Pure Land (abode) to Amitabha's western paradise, and rebirth there is considered as high as rebirth in the Buddhist paradise of Sukhavati. Reciting Manla's mantra, or even simply repeating his holy name, is believed to be sufficient to liberate one from the three low births, protect one from the dangers of the sea, and remove the danger of untimely death.

Dhyani Buddha

Akshobya Amoghasiddhi

There are 5 Dhyani Buddhas in total, each with its own color and different position hands (mudras), in addition, the image of each of the Buddhas has special attributes. Dhyani of Buddha - Vairochana (Nampar Namtse), Akshobhya (Mikyeba or Matrukpa), Ratnasambhava (Rinchen Jungne), Amogasiddhi (Donye Drupa), Amitabha.

Shakyamuni is the Buddha of our historical period. To understand his image we must realize what "Buddha" is.

Buddha is both a human being and a divine being, whether in male or female form, who has "awakened" from the ignorance of sleep and purified all negativity, and is also the one who has "expanded" his limitless power and compassion.

Buddha is a form of being that has reached the highest perfection. He is perfect wisdom (experiencing the true nature of reality) and perfect compassion (embodiing the desire for the good of all).

Buddhahood goes beyond suffering and death, and includes the perfect ability to experience and transmit happiness to all living beings.

He is often depicted sitting in a European pose on a raised platform similar to a chair or armchair. Sometimes he is depicted on a white horse. Sometimes he is depicted sitting in the traditional Buddha pose, with his legs crossed, or in lalitasana (a pose where one leg hangs down, sometimes resting on a smaller lotus, and the other lies as in the usual position of a Buddha).

Maitreya is decorated with decorations. If there is a crown on his head, then it is crowned with a small stupa (chaitya, chorten; a structure symbolizing the Universe in Buddhism). His body is golden yellow in color and he wears monastic robes. Hands folded in dharmachakra mudra (gesture of expounding Buddhist law). There is a form of Maitreya with three faces and four arms. One of his left hands holds a nagkesvara (saffron) flower, the position of one of his right hands is varada mudra (the gesture of giving a boon), the other two hands are folded at the chest in dharmachakra mudra, or in other gestures.

Maitreya is recognized by all sects of Buddhism. His name is often mentioned in commentaries in Buddhist literature.

It is believed that Arya Asanga listened directly to and wrote down the five treatises of Maitreya. As a result of long ascetic practice, Asanga was cleared of mental obscurations, and Maitreya appeared to him.

Another point of view also deserves attention: Maitreya Buddha is a bodhisattva, he can incarnate where he is most needed, the emanations of a Buddha can reside simultaneously in different worlds.

Bodhisattvas

Voted to achieve Bodhi (Enlightenment) and be reborn again and again until all living beings are saved. Thus, Bodhisattvas, unlike Buddhas, do not finally go to Nirvana after achieving enlightenment.

Bodhisattva of Compassion. Avalokiteshvara (Tib.: Chenrezi) means “compassionate gaze” or “Lord looking from above.” He shows infinite love and compassion for all living beings. Once the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was one of the disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, and the Buddha predicted that Avalokiteshvara would play important role in the history of Tibet. In ancient times, the Tibetans were a warlike people, distinguished by extreme ferocity, and no one dared to influence them, with the exception of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He said he would try to “bring light to this whole bloodthirsty country.” It so happened that Avalokiteshvara chose the Tibetans, and not vice versa. Later, Chenrezig was recognized as the divine patron of the Land of Snow, and the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas began to be considered his emanations. Avalokiteshvara is the spiritual son of the Buddha Amitabha, and the figure of Amitabha is often depicted on thangkas above his head.

Avalokiteshara can manifest himself in 108 forms: as a Buddha, in monastic clothes, with a “third eye” and ushnisha; wrathful manifestation - White Mahakala; red tantric form with four arms; a form with a dark red body in conjunction with a rose-red humour, etc.

The most common form is with four arms. Chenrezig's body is white, his two main hands are folded in front of his chest in a gesture of request, supplication, this demonstrates his desire to help all beings transcend suffering. Between his hands he holds a transparent wish-fulfilling jewel, this means goodwill towards all types of beings: asuras, humans, animals, spirits, inhabitants of hell. In the upper right hand there is a crystal mala rosary with 108 beads (a reminder of the Chenrezig mantra). In the left hand, at shoulder level, there is a blue utpala flower (a symbol of purity of motivation). An antelope skin is thrown over the left shoulder (as a reminder of its qualities: the antelope shows special love for children and is very hardy).

The hair is pulled back into a bun, part of the hair falls onto the shoulders. The Bodhisattva is dressed in silk robes and decorated with five types of jewelry. He sits in the lotus position on the lunar disk, below the lunar disk is the solar disk, below is a lotus, usually of a natural shape.

There are many variants of images of Avalokiteshvara, the most popular is the four-armed form (Tonje Chenpo), where he is depicted sitting on a lunar disk resting on a lotus flower, the body of the Bodhisattva is white, in his hands he holds a rosary and a lotus flower, a symbol of compassion. Another popular form is the thousand-armed Bodhisattva (Chaktong Jentong) with eleven heads.

Manjushri - Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom, is a symbol of the Mind of all Buddhas. The body is most often yellow, with a crown on the head. To save sentient beings, he manifests himself in five peaceful and wrathful forms. In his right hand, Manjushri holds the sword of Wisdom, which cuts through ignorance, and in his left hand, a lotus stem on which rests the Prajnaparamita Sutra - the Sutra of Transcendental Wisdom. Ancient manuscripts describe the residence of Manjushri, which is located on the five peaks of Wutai Shan, northwest of Beijing. Since ancient times, thousands of Buddhists have made pilgrimages to the foot of these peaks. It is believed that a believer who worships Manjushri gains deep intelligence, good memory and eloquence.

In the lower left corner of the tank is Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of the infinite compassion of all Buddhas. His first two hands are clasped together at his heart in a gesture imploring all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to care for and protect all living beings and protect them from suffering. In them he holds the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel - a symbol of Bodhichitta. In his other right hand, Avalokiteshvara holds a rosary made of crystal and symbolizing his ability to liberate all beings from Samsara through the practice of reciting the six-syllable mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. In his left hand he holds the stem of a blue utpal lotus, symbolizing his impeccable and compassionate motivation. The fully bloomed utpala flower and two buds show that the compassionate wisdom of Avalokiteshvara permeates the past, present and future. A wild deer skin is draped over Avalokiteshvara's left shoulder, representing the kind and gentle nature of the compassionate Bodhisattva and his ability to subdue delusion.

On the right is Vajrapani, the Bodhisattva of Great Power. Body color is dark blue, holds a golden vajra in his right hand, stands on a lotus and a solar disk in the fire of wisdom. This triad - Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Vajrapani symbolizes the Compassion, Wisdom and Power of all Enlightened Ones. Above the entire group, in the deep blue sky, is Shakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of our time. To his left is Je Tsonghawa, the founder of the Gelug-pa school. On the right is His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV.

Green Tara (Tib. sgrol ljang ma)

Green Tara is the most effective and active manifestation of all Taras. The green color of her body indicates that she belongs to the family (genesis) of the Amogasiddhi Buddha, the transcendental Buddha who occupies the northern side of the Mandala.

She sits on a lotus, solar and lunar discs in an elegant pose. Her right leg comes down from the seat, thereby symbolizing Tara's readiness to instantly come to the rescue. The left leg is bent and in a state of rest (skrit. lalitasana). With a graceful movement of her hands she holds blue lotus flowers (skrit. utpala).

It is believed that Green Tara appeared from the teardrop of the right eye of Bodhisattva Aryabala. The color of her body symbolizes activity and instant fulfillment of any request of the believer.

Bodhisattva in female incarnation, a special female manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, which according to legend arose from his tears. Symbolizes Purity and Abundance and is considered a special protector of Tibet, very popular among the population, since Tibetans believe that Tara fulfills wishes. White Tara represents day, green Tara represents night.

The name "Tara" means "Savior". It is said that her compassion for all living beings, her desire to save everyone from the torment of Samsara, is stronger than a mother’s love for her own children.

Just as Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of the Great Wisdom of all Enlightened Ones (Buddhas), and Avalokiteshvara is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, so Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the magical activity of all Buddhas past, present and future.

White Tara has seven eyes - one on each palm and feet, and three on her face, which symbolizes her omniscience of suffering in the entire Universe.

Just like Green Tara, White Tara's mudra (gesture) signifies the granting of salvation, and the lotus flower she holds in her left hand is a symbol of the Three Jewels.

Protector Deities

Special forms of beings sworn to protect the Dharma. These can be both angry manifestations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and demon beings (Dharmapala and Iydams), converted by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasabhava) and also taking the vow of protectors of the Teaching.

Chokyeng (Four Protector Deities)

They are responsible for the 4 cardinal directions and are often depicted at the entrance to Tibetan monasteries.

Vajrabhairava or simply - Bhairava, literally - "Terrifying"), also known as Yamantaka (Skt. Yamāntaka; Tib. gshin rje gshed, lit. "Crusher of the Lord of Death", "Destroyer of the Ruler of Death", "Destroyer of Yama") - acts as the wrathful manifestation of the bodhisattva Manjushri. Yamantaka is also a yidam and dharmapala in Vajrayana Buddhism.

In the root Bhairava Tantra, Manjushri takes the form of Yamantaka to defeat Yama. Since Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom, we can understand the allegory of the killing of Yama as the victory of wisdom over death, as the achievement of Liberation, breaking the chain of reincarnations.

The name of the yidam Vajrabhairava suggests that early Buddhist practices borrowed some features of Shaivism. The very name Bhairava ("Terrible") is one of the names of Shiva (who is often called Mahabhairava - "Great Terrible"), a hypostasis in which he appears as a god of frenzied madness, dressed in the bloody skin of an elephant, leading a wild dance of monstrous spirits. Shiva's companion is a bull, his attribute (sometimes a hypostasis) is a naked lingam (phallus), his weapon is a trident, his necklaces are made of human skulls or heads.

Another name of Vajrabhairava is Yamantaka ("Overcoming Yama"), Yamari ("Enemy of Yama"), is considered to be a manifestation of the wrathful aspect of the bodhisattva Manjushri, which he accepted in order to defeat the raging king of the underworld. At the philosophical level, this victory is understood as the triumph of the diamond wisdom of the highest reality over evil, ignorance, suffering and death.

The Yamantaka cult is closely connected with Tsongkhapa, and since they are both emanations of the bodhisattva Manjushri, the entire Gelukpa school is under the patronage of the Yamantaka yidam.

Tibetans call Mahakala “Great Black Protector” or “Great Black Compassion”; he is both an idam and a dharmapala. The Mahakala Tantra dedicated to him, brought to Tibet in the 11th century by the translator Rinchen Sangpo, was written, according to legend, by the great yogi Shavaripa, who invoked the god during his meditation in a South Indian cemetery.

Mahakala in his basic, six-armed form is one of the main patrons of Tibet. There are seventy-five forms of this deity in total. The six-armed one, also called Jnana Mahakala, is especially powerful in defeating enemies. The practice of Mahakala pursues two goals: the highest - achieving Enlightenment, as well as eliminating obstacles, increasing strength and knowledge, and fulfilling desires.

Hayagriva (Sanskrit: हयग्रीव, literally “horse neck”; i.e. Hayagriva) is a character in Hindu mythology (in modern Hinduism usually as an incarnation of Vishnu) and the Buddhist figurative system (as the “wrathful protector deity of the Teaching,” dharmapala), also found in ancient Jainism. In archaic statues of Hinduism is represented with human body and a horse's head, in Buddhism a small horse's head (or three heads) are depicted above the human face(s).

Hayagriva became a popular image in Buddhism (in Tibet and Mongolia under the name Damdin, in Japan as Bato-kannon). He appears many times in Tibetan Buddhism: in connection with the figures of Padmasambhava, the 5th Dalai Lama, and as the main deity of the Sera Monastery.

The origins of the image are associated with the ancient Aryan cult of the horse (cf. the cult of the horse in the Ashvamedha sacrifice). It was apparently later reinterpreted during the codification of the Vedas and the development of Vaishnavism and Buddhism. Among the Tibetans and Mongols, the image of Hayagriva is also associated with such a blessing as the multiplication of herds of horses.

Considered to be the wrathful manifestation of Buddha Amitabha. Often depicted in red.

Vajrapani (Sanskrit vajra - “thunderbolt” or “diamond”, and pāṇi - “in the hand”; that is, “holding the vajra”) is a bodhisattva in Buddhism. He is the protector of Buddha and a symbol of his power. Widely found in Buddhist iconography as one of the three guardian deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the virtues of the Buddha: Manjushri is the manifestation of the wisdom of all Buddhas, Avalokiteshvara is the manifestation of the compassion of all Buddhas, Vajrapani is the manifestation of the power of all Buddhas, just as Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of the Great Wisdom of all Enlightened Ones; Avalokitesvara is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, and Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the magical activity of all Buddhas past, present and future. For the practitioner, Vajrapani is the wrathful idam (meditation deity) who symbolizes victory over all negativity.

Palden Lhamo is the primary protector in Tibetan Buddhism and the only female deity among the group of Eight Dharma Protectors (skrit: Dharmapalas). The female embodiment of Mahakala. She is especially influential in the Gelugpa school, for whose followers Lhamo is the special protector of Lhasa and the Dalai Lama. Her reflection appears on a lake known as Lhamo Latso, located one hundred and fifty kilometers southeast of Lhasa. This lake is famous for predicting the future reflected on its surface. Palden Lhamo (Sk. Shri Devi) is the Tibetan concept of a terrifying black Indian goddess. Legends unite her with both Tara and Saraswati. On the mule's rump hangs a ball of magical threads made from a weapon twisted into a ball. Here is also the eye that appeared when Lhamo pulled out the spear that her husband, the king of the cannibals, threw at her when she left Ceylon. The deities accompanying Lhamo are the Crocodile-headed Dakini (Skt. Makaravaktra) leading the mule, and the Lion-headed Dakini (Skr. Simhavaktra) behind her.

Chakrasamvara or Korlo Demchog / "Khor-lo bDe-mchog, lit. "Circle of Supreme Bliss") - the deity of meditation, the main yidam in the Chakrasamvara Tantra. The patron deity of one of the highest tantras of Buddhism, the Chakrasamvara Tantra. The Chakrasamvara Tantra was preached Buddha Shakyamuni in the land of Dakinis. In India, this teaching was revived thanks to the yogi Luyipa, who, in a state of samadhi, received instructions on Chakrasamvara from the dakini Vajravaraha. The Chakrasamvara tradition has been preserved to this day. The main focus of the Chakrasamvara Tantra is the generation of four types of bliss (associated with the main chakras). in the subtle body of a person). This is characteristic of maternal tantras, which include Chakrasamvara Tantra. It is easily practiced by people with artistic inclinations. Chakrasamvara has two main forms: with two or with twelve hands. In both cases it is depicted in conjunction with the spiritual. wife of Vajravaraha (Tib. Dorje Pagmo). Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss. Samvara's body is blue. He wears a tiger skin wrapped around his waist and an elephant skin. His four faces (in twelve-armed form) are yellow, blue, green and red. On it are bone decorations, a tiger with five skulls (a symbol of the five enlightened families), and a garland of 51 human heads. Vajravarahi is depicted in red color and has one face and two arms. Hugging her husband, she holds a kapala and degug in her hands.

Historical characters

Guru Padmasambhava, is the first main teacher of the tantric tradition in Tibet. Shakyamuni Buddha promised to be reborn in the form of Guru Padmasambhava to spread the Vajrayana teachings in this world. The Buddha predicted the actions of Padmasambhava nineteen times in the sutras and tantras. Exactly as prophesied, Guru Padmasambhava was miraculously born in a lotus flower in northwestern India, in the land of Uddiyana, eight years after the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, approximately 500 BC.

Guru Padmasambhava appeared in the lotus as an eight-year-old boy. King Indrabhuti came to see him and asked him five questions: "Where did you come from? Who is your father? Who is your mother? What do you eat? What do you do?" Guru Padmasambhava replied, "I have emerged from the unborn state, dharmadhatu. My father's name is Samantabhadra and my mother's name is Samantabhadri. My food is dualistic thoughts and my work is labor for the benefit of all living beings." When the king heard these answers, he became very happy and asked Guru Padmasambhava to go with him to the palace and live there as his son. Guru Padmasambhava went to the palace and lived there for many years. After leaving the palace, he fulfilled the prophecy of Buddha Vajrasattva: he traveled to various places in India, lived in cemeteries and carried out various shapes meditation. He was already enlightened, but he did these practices to demonstrate that meditation leads to enlightenment.

Guru Padmasambhava occupies a special place among Tibetan Buddhist schools, most of which trace their transmissions and blessings directly from him. He is the embodiment of all enlightened beings. Of course, all Buddhas work for the benefit of sentient beings, but because Guru Padmasambhava made the Vajrayana teachings available to us, he is considered a special Buddha of our era.

Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), founder of the Gelug school (Tib. dGe-lugs-pa or dGe-ldan-pa), which also became widespread in Mongolia and Buryatia (XVI-XVII centuries).

In 1403 in the Radeng Monastery (Tib. Rwa-sgreng), which belonged to the Kadampa school, Tsongkhapa compiled two fundamental texts of the “new Kadampa” (as the Gelukpa school is called in the Tibetan tradition): “Lam-rim cheng-mo” (“Great Steps of the Path”) and "Ngag-rim" ("Stages of Mantra").

In 1409 Tsongkhapa established the "great service" (Tib. smon-lam chen-mo, Sanskrit mahвpraтidhana) in Lhasa, and also decorated the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the main temple of Lhasa - Jo-khang (Tib. Jo-khang) with gold and turquoise.

The fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso (lived 1617-1682) is the most famous Dalai Lama in the history of reincarnations, also nicknamed the “Great Fifth”. Under his rule, a centralized theocratic form of government was established. He also became famous for his numerous religious treatises in the Gelug and Nyingma traditions.

The future Dalai Lama was born in Tibet in the Chinwar Tagtse area of Thargyey district (Central Tibet) on the 23rd day of the 9th lunar month of 1617. In 1642, the Dalai Lama was placed on the throne of Shigatse. The ruler of the Oirat Khoshout tribe, Gushi Khan, announced that he would grant him supreme power over Tibet, which marked the founding of a new (after the Sakya school) Tibetan theocracy. Lhasa was declared the capital, as well as the seat of government, where construction of the Potala Palace began in 1645. In 1643, the 5th Dalai Lama received diplomatic recognition from Nepal and Sikkim as the political head of the Tibetan state. From childhood, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, was calm and serious, and then showed himself to be courageous and decisive. A man of few words, he was always persuasive. As a Gelug, he supported prominent lamas of other traditions, for which he was subject to considerable criticism. He ignored her because he preferred to be familiar with the beliefs and teachings of his rivals rather than remain ignorant of them... He was compassionate towards his subjects and could be ruthless in suppressing rebellions. In his work on issues of secular and spiritual life, he notes that there is no need to sympathize with a person who should be executed for his crimes.

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Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso figures prominently in the Nyingmapa lineage, and Dudjom Rinpoche wrote about him in his famous History of the Nyingma School, placing him among other important tertons. This reference is related to his revelations of the pure vision of Gyachen Nyernga, which means the Twenty-Five Sealed Teachings.

Those times were characterized by religious and political conflicts between Tibetan religious traditions. Khoshout Khan Gushi, the patron of the Gelug tradition, crushed the opposition in Kham, Shigatse and other regions. Some of the monasteries were reorganized into Gelug monasteries, several monasteries were destroyed. In particular, the monastery of the late Taranatha was destroyed. Khan Gushi transferred all power in Tibet to the V Dalai Lama. In 1645, construction of the Potala Palace began in Lhasa. In 1652, at the invitation of the Shunzhi Emperor, the Dalai Lama arrived in Beijing at the Yellow Palace, specially built for him. The Emperor bestowed upon him the title of "Penetrating, thunder-scepter-bearing, ocean-like lama", receiving in return the title of "Heavenly God, Manjushri, the Supreme, the Great Lord."

The prophecies of several revelations of pure vision speak of the Fifth Dalai Lama as the embodiment of the enlightened activity of King Trisong Detsen.

He felt a deep connection with the Nyingma tradition and Guru Padmasambhava, and among his most important teachers were such great Nyingma masters as Tsurchen Choying Rangdrol, Khenton Paljor Lhundrup, Terdag Lingpa and Minling Terchen Jyurme Dorje.

He departed from this world in his sixty-sixth year (1682) at the Potala residence while meditating on Kurukulla, the deity associated with the powers of mastery and subjugation. This was seen as an auspicious sign and an indication of the strength of his enlightened activities in the future.

However, his death was hidden in political purposes for 15 years as his prime minister, who found a double to replace him.

[Son"-tsen Gam-po]) was the thirty-third king of the Chogyal Dynasty (Tib. chos rgyal = Skt. dharmarāja - "King of Dharma"), and he was the first of the three great Dharmarajas, kings who spread Buddhism in Tibet. also called Tride Songtsen and Tri Songtsen (Tib. khri lde srong btsan, khri srong btsan). According to Budon Rinchendub, the life of Songtsen Gampo was 617-698 AD. The first Buddhist temples were built under him. The famous temple of Lhasa - Rasa was built. Trulnang This temple was later renamed Jokhang (Tib. jo khang - “Temple of Jowo”).

On thangkas, Songtsen Gampo is depicted as a king sitting on a throne. In his hands he is often depicted with the Wheel of the Law and a lotus flower, on his head is an orange or gold turban, on top of which is depicted the head of Buddha Amitabha. Usually, two wives are depicted next to him: on the left side - Wencheng, on the right side - Bhrikuti.

The grandson of Songtsen Gampo, the next Tibetan monarch, patron of Buddhism, under him the first Samye monastery was built. He was the thirty-seventh king of the Chogyal dynasty. Time of his life: 742-810. King Trisong Detsen was the second great Dharmaraja of Tibet after Songtsen Gampo. With the assistance of this king, Buddhism spread widely in the Land of Snows. Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra and many other Buddhist teachers from India to Tibet(*). During his reign, the first Tibetans took monastic vows, pandits and Lotsawas(**) translated many Buddhist texts, and numerous centers for spiritual practice were established.

* It is said that during his reign, Trisong Detsen invited one hundred and eight Buddhist teachers to Tibet.

** Lotsav (Tib. lo tsa ba - translator) Tibetans called translators who translated Buddhist texts into Tibetan. They worked closely with the Indian pandits. Buddhist scholars were called pandits

Tibetan yogi and mystic of the 11th century (1052-1135). Teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, famous yogi practitioner, poet, author of many songs and ballads that are still popular in Tibet, one of the founders of the Kagyu school. His teacher was Marpa the translator. From the age of forty-five, he settled in the Drakar Taso (White Rock Horse Tooth) cave and also became a traveling teacher. Milarepa mastered numerous meditation practices and yogic practices, which he passed on to his students.

*The history of the Potala, the palace of the Dalai Lamas, dates back to the 7th century, when King Songtsen Gampo ordered the construction of a palace in the center of Lhasa, on Red Mountain. The name of the palace itself comes from Sanskrit, and means “Mystical Mountain”. Later, the Fifth Dalai Lama, who united the scattered feudal principalities into single state, for which he was popularly nicknamed “The Great,” rebuilt and enlarged the palace. The Potala is located at 3,700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, with a total area of more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls there are in the Potala. Their number is "several over a thousand," and there are very few people who have been able to get around them all. The Potala Palace is included in the "Book world heritage UN".

The medieval Buddhist icon - "thangka" or "hiruk" - owes its origin to the religion that arose in India in the 5th century BC. Having first spread among the peoples of the countries of South, Southeast Asia and Far East, in the first centuries of our era, Buddhism penetrated into Central Asia. At the beginning of the 13th century, the rulers of the nomadic Mongols, Genghis Khan and his successors, became acquainted with it, and from the beginning of the 16th century, the intensive introduction to this religion of the broad masses of the Mongols, Buryats and Kalmyks began.

A significant role in this process belonged to the Buddhist icon, which translated the most complex metaphysical constructions into the language of an image that was understandable to both a monk who had accepted the highest rank of initiation and a commoner. In addition, until the beginning of the 20th century, there was an ancient tradition of oral history that explained this or that image. When to Buddhist monasteries Religious holidays Pilgrims gathered from all over the country; in front of them, on the walls of houses, fences, specially constructed structures, or on the steep slopes of mountains and hills, images of saints and Buddhas drawn on fabric, surrounded by scenes from their lives, were stretched out.

The monks spent many hours explaining and showing images of deities and scenes from their lives, gathering large crowds of people around them. These monks were recognized by the images of the sun and moon mounted on their headdresses, and by the arrow pointer that they held in their hands during the story. The favorite heroes of such stories were Buddha Shakyamuni, the famous Buddhist preacher Padmasambhava, and the famous mystic poet Milarepa.

Following the instructions of the great Indian preacher Atisha (982-1064), Buddhists paid special attention to the psychophysical features of the perception of their teaching. It was assumed that his awareness took place on two levels. The first covered only a small part of the clergy involved in developing the theory and practice of Buddhism. For them, a representative temple icon was created, which was poorly understood by most believers. It served as a visual illustration of such sections of the theory of Buddhism as cosmology, the doctrine of continuity, and was used to transfer secret sections of Buddhist knowledge “from the mouth of the teacher to the ear of the student,” as well as during meditation. The second level assumed knowledge of Buddhism, accessible to the broad masses who accepted Buddhism, as well as to those who were just becoming familiar with this teaching.

ICONS IN THE TEMPLE

Representative icons were usually large in size. To create them, artists-lamas who had vocational training and a certain fame. The execution and consecration of such icons took place according to a strict ritual; their placement in the interior of the temple was clearly prescribed. On the sides of the entrance there were two compositions: to the left of the entrance - a mandala along with a calendar, to the right - the composition “Wheel of Samsara”, which was figuratively the fundamentals of the teachings of Buddhism - reward for accomplished deeds.

In the center of the northern wall, opposite the entrance and in long flat display cabinets along the eastern and western walls of the temple, sculptured images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas were placed. The icons were suspended from the ceiling along the eastern, northern and western walls, hanging on long cords above the central space of the temple, like a kind of canopy. Some of them are located in special icon cases in the altar part, between the sculptural images. Finally, they completely occupy the northern wall of the special superstructure of the second floor, the so-called “gonkhon”, forming a kind of icon row.

They depict Buddhas, bodhisattvas, guardians of Buddhist teachings, scenes from the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, a series of fifteen miracles performed by him in Sravasti, popular jatakas (stories about past reincarnations of Buddha Shakyamuni). They served as an edifying story, a figurative presentation of the history of Buddhism.

In the main part of the temple, located near the northern wall - the "seat of Buddha Shakyamuni" - hung icons representing characters associated with the temple's patron and his surroundings. Their design resembles an iconostasis. Sometimes special pavilions are erected for them, for example, in the debate garden. These light pavilions consist of a central part and two smaller side ones, separated from the central one by small columns. Sculptures or paintings of Shakyamuni Buddha surrounded by the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Manchushri are located here.

Icons can play the role of sacred attachments inside large and small statues, and be laid in the foundation of suburgans (stupas) and other memorial structures. They are ordered as dedicatory gifts in gratitude for recovery from an illness, the birth of a child, or the successful completion of difficult journey and so on. They can serve to correct character or improve previous karma, then they are ordered in the monastery, according to the instructions of the mentor lama.

The pictorial image of the deity, as a temporary reflection of the eternal essence, recorded during the act of self-discovery, was used for meditation. Moreover, the meditator took such a pose, repeated such mudra gestures and took into his hands such objects that were similar to the object of his contemplation represented on the icon, thus tuning his psyche in a certain way. During meditation, he must imagine that his body in relation to the divine “patron” is the same as the reflection in the mirror: neither the same nor different, while contemplating not only the image of the deity, but also the signs, letters that are an expression of his essence .

There were personal icons, which were incomparably more numerous than representative ones and which were intended primarily for contact with the deity. With all its content, such an icon sought to establish a spiritual connection with the person praying, to respond to his appeal. There were many legends about self-revealed images on rocks, walls of monasteries and temples. There was an idea of independent feelings of the image. It was believed that the older it is, the more power it has. Well-being, family multiplication, livestock offspring - everything in this world depended on the favor of the deities. They received in folk Buddhism very real earthly places of their habitat. For example, the Bodhisattva Manchushri is located in the Wutai Mountains in northern China, and Tara's residence was on the island of Putuo opposite the seaside city of Ningpo.

Among personal icons, preference is given to those plots and characters that had an impact on specific deeds and events. This explains the spread of images of Tara, whose cult absorbed the veneration of the ancient deity of the earth and the Buddhist idea of her as the embodiment of a moral symbol of mercy and compassion. The image of the White Old Man - the giver of fertility - has become equally popular.

The inscriptions on the icons - short, usually monosyllabic - served as a kind of hint on how to perceive this or that image. On the front side of the icon the inscriptions are very brief. Filled with a thin golden line, they are placed on a free area of the background or “hidden” - inscribed in the petals of the lotus on which the character is standing or sitting. The inscriptions can practically only be read from a very close distance. They are completely lost when the scroll is hung in the interior of the temple. Such inscriptions were intended to clarify the name of the main character and his entourage. There were inscriptions of a different kind. They were applied to paper labels or pieces of silk sewn to the top bar of the icon; they indicated the order of location of the image in the interior of the temple. These inscriptions were very brief and consisted of only two words: “second from the left”, “third from the right” and so on.

According to their functional purpose, icons were divided into two groups. The first included “one-day images” created during contemplation over the course of one day, executed in the tradition of passing on teachings from teacher to student. These “meditative” images were often performed on a black background and were called “black letter” - “nagtan”, or written on a red background: “red letter” - “martan”. In this case, the image itself was applied by the artist as a contour line with white or gold paint.

Another group of icons were made to order, for any occasion: the birth of a child, an anniversary, the death of a loved one, the beginning or end of an important undertaking. They were never bought or sold, but were passed from hand to hand in order to acquire “good merit” for the future best birth, both the customer and the performer. When ordering any image, a person usually tried to “improve” himself: improve his health, improve his spiritual qualities. Thus, an angry, easily excitable person was offered the image of a “calm” deity; a sick person should always have with him the image of the Buddha of Healing or the Buddha of Endless Life, Amitayus.

The themes of thangkas were varied. They were divided into several groups. The first includes images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. There were three categories in the depiction of Buddhas. The first is the Buddhas of the past, the present period and the future. They were supposed to wear monastic dress, symbolizing the complete comprehension of discipline, meditation and wisdom in a state of deep self-absorption.

The second category of images is yidams - personal deities presented in calm or angry guises, male or female. The wrathful yidams were depicted in the rapid movement of a ritual dance, decorated with crowns of skulls, garlands and necklaces of the severed heads of demons, trampling on corpses. Their clothing is made up of animal skins, still dripping with fresh blood. Such clothes are a symbol of fearlessness and strength of its owner. The calm yidams were depicted in the guise of royal beings: in noble poses, wearing crowns of jewels, decorated with necklaces and bracelets, dressed in royal clothes. The third category of images - dharmakaya buddhas - revealed the Buddhist understanding of “absolute reality”.

The next group consisted of images of dharmapalas - “defenders of the teaching.” They appeared in the images of mighty heroes, often dressed in military armor and armed with swords, spears and other weapons. A separate subject group consisted of symbolic images of the Buddhist Universe - the “Wheels of Genesis”. The same subject group included images of offerings to the five senses and the mind, which existed in two interpretations: an angry one, when these offerings were depicted in the form of a heart, eyes, entrails, and a calm one - in the form of fruits, incense, and musical instruments. Other compositions were also known: eight emblems of happiness, three jewels in the form of multi-colored pearls, symbolizing the Buddha, his teaching and the monastic community.

The last group may include ritual diagrams - yantras, presented in the form of concentric circles, squares, the fields of which are filled with spell texts. They were folded in a certain way in the form of a rhombus, square, circle, putting some small object inside - grain, thread, grain of metal or medicinal plant. The symbolism of the yantra was determined by its connection with a specific deity, who granted the owner of the yantra his protection from a specific danger.

To be continued.

Tibetan Buddhism practices mainly tantric practices. Tantra is a Sanskrit word that means continuity. Tantra points primarily to the unchanging nature of the mind, an awareness that is beyond all limitations, that is neither born nor dies, that is continuous from beginningless time to final enlightenment.

The scriptures that teach about the unchanging, vajra nature of the mind are called tantras, and the body of knowledge and methods that directly reveal the nature of the mind is considered the third “vehicle” of Buddhism, which is known as Tantrayana or Vajrayana. In Buddhism, the Sanskrit word vajra means indestructibility like a diamond and enlightenment like a momentary clap of thunder or a flash of lightning. Therefore, the word "Vajrayana" can be literally translated as "Diamond Chariot" or "Thunder Chariot". Vajrayana is sometimes considered the highest stage of Mahayana - the “Great Vehicle” of Buddhism. The Vajrayana path allows one to achieve liberation within one human life.

Currently, Vajrayana is widespread in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal, Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.

In addition, Tibetan Buddhism inherited a fairly extensive Hindu iconography, as well as numerous deities from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion.

Here are the images most often found in the monasteries of Tibet.

Major figures of Tibetan Buddhism

Buddha

Buddha Shakyamuni (Skt. , literally “Awakened sage from the Shakya (Sakya) clan” - spiritual teacher, legendary founder of Buddhism.

Most often depicted in the lotus position, sitting on a lotus throne, above the head, like all Buddhas and saints, a halo, meaning enlightened nature, hair, usually blue, tied into a bump on the crown, holding a begging bowl, right hand touches the ground. Often depicted surrounded by two students.

Supernatural Qualities of Buddha

Everything created is subject to the law of destruction
Achieve your goals through non-promiscuity.

The birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni is a national holiday of the Republic of Kalmykia.

It is located immeasurably far from our world, and only those born in the lotus live in it - bodhisattvas of the highest level. They live there indefinitely, enjoying peace and boundless happiness among the fertile land, life-giving waters, surrounding the wonderful palaces of the inhabitants of Sukhavati, built from gold, silver, and precious stones. There are no natural disasters in Sukhavati, and its inhabitants are not afraid of the inhabitants of other areas of samsara - predatory animals, warlike asuras or deadly pretas. Besides Sukhavati, located in the western direction of the Buddhist universe, there are other worlds created by the spiritual power of other dhyani buddhas.

Bodhisattva Amitayus (Tib. tse dpag med) is an image of the deity of long life, called “Tse pag med” in Tibetan, and invoked in practices and rituals of life extension.

Manla - Buddha of Medicine, (Tib. smanbla)

The most distinctive feature of the Medicine Buddha is its color, a deep blue lapis lazuli. This gemstone has been highly revered by Asian and European cultures for more than six thousand years and, until recently, its value rivaled and sometimes exceeded that of a diamond. An aura of mystery surrounds this gem, perhaps because the main mines are located in the remote Badakshan region of northeastern Afghanistan.

Healing Master of Lapis Lazuli Radiance Manla is one of the most revered Buddhas of the Buddhist pantheon. The sutras in which he appears compare his Pure Land (abode) to Amitabha's western paradise, and rebirth there is considered as high as rebirth in the Buddhist paradise of Sukhavati. Reciting Manla's mantra, or even simply repeating his holy name, is believed to be sufficient to liberate one from the three low births, protect one from the dangers of the sea, and remove the danger of untimely death.

Dhyani Buddha

Akshobya Amoghasiddhi

Ratnasambhava Vairochana

There are 5 Dhyani Buddhas in total, each with its own color and different hand position (mudra), in addition, the image of each of the Buddhas has special attributes. Dhyani of Buddha - Vairochana (Nampar Namtse), Akshobhya (Mikyeba or Mathrukpa), Ratnasambhava (Rinchen Jungne), Amogasiddhi (Donye Drupa), Amitabha.

Shakyamuni is the Buddha of our historical period. To understand his image we must realize what “Buddha” is.

The Buddha is both a human being and a divine being, whether in male or female form, who has "awakened" from the ignorance of sleep and purified all negativity, and is also the one who has "extended" his limitless power and compassion.

Buddha is a form of being that has reached the highest perfection. He is perfect wisdom (experiencing the true nature of reality) and perfect compassion (embodiing the desire for the good of all).

Buddhahood goes beyond suffering and death, and includes the perfect ability to experience and transmit happiness to all living beings.

Maitreya is decorated with decorations. If there is a crown on his head, then it is crowned with a small stupa (chaitya, chorten; a structure symbolizing the Universe in Buddhism). His body is golden yellow in color and he wears monastic robes. Hands folded in dharmachakra mudra (gesture of expounding Buddhist law). There is a form of Maitreya with three faces and four arms. One of his left hands holds a nagkesvara (saffron) flower, the position of one of his right hands is varada mudra (a gesture of giving a boon), the other two hands are folded at the chest in dharmachakra mudra, or in other gestures.

Maitreya is recognized by all sects of Buddhism. His name is often mentioned in commentaries in Buddhist literature.

Another point of view also deserves attention: Maitreya Buddha is a bodhisattva, he can incarnate where he is most needed, the emanations of a Buddha can simultaneously reside in different worlds.

Bodhisattvas

Voted to achieve Bodhi (Enlightenment) and be reborn again and again until all living beings are saved. Thus, Bodhisattvas, unlike Buddhas, do not finally go to Nirvana after achieving enlightenment.

Bodhisattva of Compassion. Avalokiteshvara (Tib.: Chenrezi) means “compassionate gaze” or “Lord looking from above.” He shows infinite love and compassion for all living beings. The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was once one of the disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, and the Buddha predicted that Avalokiteshvara would play an important role in the history of Tibet. In ancient times, the Tibetans were a warlike people, distinguished by extreme ferocity, and no one dared to influence them, with the exception of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He said he would try to “bring light to this whole bloodthirsty country.” It so happened that Avalokiteshvara chose the Tibetans, and not vice versa. Later, Chenrezig was recognized as the divine patron of the Land of Snow, and the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas began to be considered his emanations. Avalokiteshvara is the spiritual son of the Buddha Amitabha, and the figure of Amitabha is often depicted on thangkas above his head.

Avalokiteshara can manifest himself in 108 forms: as a Buddha, in monastic clothes, with a “third eye” and ushnisha; wrathful manifestation – White Mahakala; red tantric form with four arms; a form with a dark red body in conjunction with a rose-red humour, etc.

In the lower left corner of the tank is depicted Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of the infinite compassion of all Buddhas. His first two hands are clasped together at his heart in a gesture imploring all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to care for and protect all living beings and protect them from suffering. In them he holds the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel - a symbol of Bodhichitta. In his other right hand, Avalokiteshvara holds a rosary made of crystal and symbolizing his ability to liberate all beings from Samsara through the practice of reciting the six-syllable mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. In his left hand he holds the stem of a blue utpal lotus, symbolizing his impeccable and compassionate motivation. The fully bloomed utpala flower and two buds show that the compassionate wisdom of Avalokiteshvara permeates the past, present and future. A wild deer skin is draped over Avalokiteshvara's left shoulder, representing the kind and gentle nature of the compassionate Bodhisattva and his ability to subdue delusion.

Green Tara (Tib. sgrol ljang ma)

It is believed that Green Tara appeared from the teardrop of the right eye of Bodhisattva Aryabala. The color of her body symbolizes activity and instant fulfillment of any request of the believer.

The name "Tara" means "Savior". It is said that her compassion for all living beings, her desire to save everyone from the torment of Samsara, is stronger than a mother’s love for her own children.

White Tara has seven eyes - one on each palm and feet, and three on her face, which symbolizes her omniscience of suffering in the entire Universe.

Just like Green Tara, White Tara's mudra (gesture) signifies the granting of salvation, and the lotus flower she holds in her left hand is a symbol of the Three Jewels.

Protector Deities

Chokyeng (Four Protector Deities)

They are responsible for the 4 cardinal directions and are often depicted at the entrance to Tibetan monasteries.

The name of the yidam Vajrabhairava suggests that early Buddhist practices borrowed some features of Shaivism. The very name Bhairava (“Terrible”) is one of the names of Shiva (who is often called Mahabhairava - “Great Terrible”), a hypostasis in which he appears as a god of frenzied madness, dressed in the bloody skin of an elephant, leading a wild dance of monstrous spirits. Shiva's companion is a bull, his attribute (sometimes a hypostasis) is a naked lingam (phallus), his weapon is a trident, his necklaces are made of human skulls or heads.

Another name of Vajrabhairava is Yamantaka (“Overcoming Yama”), Yamari (“Enemy of Yama”), is considered to be a manifestation of the wrathful aspect of the bodhisattva Manjushri, which he accepted in order to defeat the raging king of the underworld. At the philosophical level, this victory is understood as the triumph of the diamond wisdom of the highest reality over evil, ignorance, suffering and death.

The Yamantaka cult is closely connected with Tsongkhapa, and since they are both emanations of the bodhisattva Manjushri, the entire Gelukpa school is under the patronage of the Yamantaka yidam.

Hayagriva (Sanskrit: हयग्रीव, literally “horse neck”; i.e. Hayagriva) is a character in Hindu mythology (in modern Hinduism usually as an incarnation of Vishnu) and the Buddhist figurative system (as the “wrathful protector deity of the Teaching,” dharmapala), also found in ancient Jainism. In archaic Hindu statues it is represented with a human body and a horse's head, in Buddhism a small horse head (or three heads) is depicted above a human face(s).

Considered to be the wrathful manifestation of Buddha Amitabha. Often depicted in red.

Chakrasamvara or Korlo Demchog / Khor-lo bDe-mchog, lit. “Circle of Supreme Bliss”) is the deity of meditation, the main yidam in the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Deity, patron of one of the highest tantras of Buddhism, the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Chakrasamvara Tantra was preached by Buddha Shakyamuni in the land of Dakinis. In India, this teaching was revived thanks to the yogi Luyipa, who, in a state of samadhi, received instructions on Chakrasamvara from the dakini Vajravaraha. The tradition of Chakrasamvara has survived to this day. The main focus of the Chakrasamvara Tantra is on generating four types of bliss (associated with the main chakras in the subtle body of a person). This is typical for mother tantras, which include the Chakrasamvara Tantra. It is easily practiced by people with artistic inclinations. Chakrasamvara has two main forms: with two or with twelve arms. In both cases he is depicted in union with the spiritual consort of Vajravaraha (Tib. Dorje Pagmo). Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss. Samvara's body is blue. He wears a tiger skin wrapped around his waist and an elephant skin. His four faces (in twelve-armed form) are yellow, blue, green and red. On it are bone decorations, a tiger with five skulls (a symbol of the five enlightened families), and a garland of 51 human heads. Vajravarahi is depicted in red color and has one face and two arms. Hugging her husband, she holds a kapala and degug in her hands.

Historical characters

Guru Padmasambhava appeared in the lotus as an eight-year-old boy. King Indrabhuti came to see him and asked him five questions: “Where did you come from? Who is your father? Who is your mother? What do you eat? What are you doing?" Guru Padmasambhava replied, “I have emerged from the unborn state, dharmadhatu. My father's name is Samantabhadra and my mother's name is Samantabhadri. My food is dualistic thoughts, and my work is labor for the benefit of all living beings.” When the king heard these answers, he became very happy and asked Guru Padmasambhava to go with him to the palace and live there as his son. Guru Padmasambhava went to the palace and lived there for many years. After leaving the palace, he fulfilled the prophecy of Buddha Vajrasattva: he traveled to various places in India, lived in cemeteries and performed various forms of meditation. He was already enlightened, but he did these practices to demonstrate that meditation leads to enlightenment.

Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), founder of the Gelug school (Tib. dGe-lugs-pa or dGe-ldan-pa), which also became widespread in Mongolia and Buryatia (XVI-XVII centuries).

In 1409 Tsongkhapa established the “great service” (Tib. smon-lam chen-mo, Sanskrit mahвpraтidhana) in Lhasa, and also decorated the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the main temple of Lhasa - Jo-khang (Tib. Jo-khang) with gold and turquoise.

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The prophecies of several revelations of pure vision speak of the Fifth Dalai Lama as the embodiment of the enlightened activity of King Trisong Detsen.

However, his death was concealed for political purposes for 15 years by his prime minister, who found a double to replace him.

[Son'-tsen Gam-po]) was the thirty-third king of the Chogyal dynasty (Tib. chos rgyal = Skt. dharmarāja - "King of Dharma"), and he was the first of the three great Dharmaraja kings who spread Buddhism in Tibet. He was also called Tride Songtsen and Tri Songtsen (Tib. khri lde srong btsan, khri srong btsan). According to Budon Rinchendub, Songtsen Gampo's lifetime was 617–698 AD. Under him, the first Buddhist temples were built. The famous temple of Lhasa, Rasa Trulnang, was built. This temple was later renamed Jokhang (Tib. jo khang - “Temple of Jowo”).

On thangkas, Songtsen Gampo is depicted as a king sitting on a throne. In his hands is often depicted the Wheel of the Law and a lotus flower, on his head is an orange or gold turban, on top of which is depicted the head of Buddha Amitabha. Usually, two wives are depicted next to him: on the left side - Wencheng, on the right side - Bhrikuti.

The grandson of Songtsen Gampo, the next Tibetan monarch, patron of Buddhism, under him the first Samye monastery was built. He was the thirty-seventh king of the Chogyal dynasty. Time of his life: 742–810. King Trisong Detsen was the second great Dharmaraja of Tibet after Songtsen Gampo. With the assistance of this king, Buddhism spread widely in the Land of Snows. Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra and many other Buddhist teachers from India to Tibet(*). During his reign, the first Tibetans took monastic vows, pandits and Lotsawas(**) translated many Buddhist texts, and numerous centers for spiritual practice were established.

* It is said that during his reign, Trisong Detsen invited one hundred and eight Buddhist teachers to Tibet.

** Lotsawa (Tib. lo tsa ba - translator) Tibetans called translators who translated Buddhist texts into Tibetan. They worked closely with the Indian pandits. Buddhist scholars were called pandits

*The history of the Potala, the palace of the Dalai Lamas, dates back to the 7th century, when King Songtsen Gampo ordered the construction of a palace in the center of Lhasa, on Red Mountain. The name of the palace itself comes from Sanskrit, and means “Mystical Mountain”. Later, the Fifth Dalai Lama, who united the scattered feudal principalities into a single state, for which he was popularly nicknamed “The Great,” rebuilt and enlarged the palace. The Potala is located at 3,700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, with a total area of more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls there are in the Potala. Their number is “several over a thousand,” and there are very few people who have been able to get around them all. The Potala Palace is included in the UN World Heritage Book.

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With the fall of the Yuan Empire, the most difficult, dark period in Mongolian history began, marked by endless unrest, wars, the political and economic decline of the country, and innumerable public disasters. The previously created cities, with their architecture, monuments of culture and art, mostly perished, and Mongolia again turned into a deserted, abandoned steppe. It was at this time that Buddhism became widespread in it for the third time, promising peace and happiness in this and subsequent rebirth.

That was the time of submission to Islam of the once highly developed countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, destruction and burial underground of numerous previously thriving Buddhist temples and monasteries. But the yellow faith (Lamaism), which had gained a foothold in Tibet, gained free access to Mongolia. It was a combination of Sutrantika and Tantrism, formed through the reform of Buddhism widespread in India by the Amdos Lama Tsongkhapa in relation to the conditions of Tibet.

There were great changes in religious cults and rituals, especially in Buddhist iconography, which continue to be followed to this day. The iconography widespread in Mogolia should be attributed to the late Tibetan school.

For a long time, Mongolian artists knew well the ancient Indian science of art, the technology of creativity, the canons of human depiction, moreover, the manuals created by Ishbalzhir, Agvaantseren and others served as an important means for improving the skills of artists. In iconography, an important place is occupied by the science of proportions, the traditions of which go back to the ancient Indian works of Pratimalakshana, Chitralakshana, and are especially guided by the treatises of Kalachakra and Samvara. In iconography, there are about nine types of modules based on the measurements of palms and fingers (anguls). Of these numerous measures, the Mongols, when reproducing images of Buddhas in a state of complete peace and bodhisattvas, turned to the slender system of dashatala - 10 palms, and dharmapalas and sakhius - to the more unsightly wide measure of ashtatala - 6-8 palms. The human body is reproduced using 9 vertical, 12 horizontal and six diagonal lines; the face is formed by four horizontal lines: the crown, the edge of the hair, the tip of the nose, the chin, to which are joined two diagonals of the right and left cheeks, two more from the tips of the right and left ear, a total of six diagonals. With the correct arrangement of the lines, this will be the size of ten palms or 120 fingers, which coincides with the European classical proportion of the image of a person, identified by the great Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer. Although Mongolian artists were theoretically based on Indian shastras and teachings, in their practical activities they were guided by central and eastern Tibetan iconography developed in the 14th century.

There were ready-made woodcut manuals “Collection of 300 Burkhans”, which included the canon of the main tantric deities, as well as “500 Burkhans”, published in Urga around 1811 with the participation of artists Agvasharav, Luvsanzhamva, Luvsandash, Luvsanchoydog, Luvsantseveg and board carvers - Tserendash, Choirov, Choinzhur etc.

The first Khalkhas Zhebzundamba G. Dzanzabar (1635 - 1723) was a multilaterally educated, exceptionally gifted and talented person; It was not for nothing that he was the initiator and founder of the Mongolian school of Buddhist art.

Turning to the theme of buddhas in a state of rest and bodhittattvas, he sought to create an image of a deified person focused with all his soul on the subject of contemplation, impeccably proportional in appearance. Examples in this regard are the wonderful, artistically perfect creations of Dzanzabar, in which 32 and 80 signs of divine beauty, his Vajratara, Dhyana Buddhas, etc. were embodied. The pantheon of tantric deities depicted by Mongolian icon painters is unusually rich. It did not include specific real images of any person, but was an abstract, surreal “book” image of the dharma, intended for visual assimilation of the essence of the teaching, therefore the artist in composition, arrangement of figures and movements, attributes, strictly obeyed the established solid canon, without having the right to arbitrarily or creatively change it. However, the Mongolian school founded by Dzanzabar, creatively understanding the canon as a means of expressing and transmitting human beauty, is distinguished by the fact that it created a deeply thought-out human image. Especially, looking at his White Tara and Green Tara with their amazing proportional relationships of all parts of the body, with soft plasticity, you can’t help but feel with what power of talent and the magic of an artistic gift the frozen religious canon of images is revived, as a result of which the goddesses appear in the guise of simple earthly Mongolian women , with the tenderness and affection of those who benefit all beings.

No matter how hyperbolic and expressive the angry dharmapalas are depicted, then in the images of heroes with bared teeth and protruding fangs, belching flames, or in the form of many-headed terrible cannibal monsters with ugly faces, arms and legs stretched out in different directions; however, due to the correct coordinated proportions, images appear before us that inspire the reliability of such creatures. When reproducing high-ranking lamas, their teachers, their lives, it appeared quite freely creative originality and the skill of the artists. The real masterpieces of portrait art are the paintings associated with the name of Dzanzabar: “Self-Portrait”, “Portrait of the Mother”, as well as the First and Fifth Zhebzundamba, probably belonging to the brush of the famous Urgun artist of the mid-19th century Agvaansharav.

The authors of portraits, whose works are amazing in their elegance of design and combination of materially pure, sonorous colors, having completely exhausted all the possibilities of flat painting, even moved on to a number of attempts at relief images.