There are four main schools or traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, each with its own unique teachings, practices, and lineage:
Nyingma: This is the oldest and most traditional school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in the 8th century by Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche. The Nyingma school emphasizes the practice of Dzogchen, a form of meditation that aims to reveal the true nature of the mind and achieve enlightenment.
Kagyu: Founded in the 11th century by the Tibetan master Marpa Lotsawa and his disciple, Milarepa, the Kagyu school places a strong emphasis on the practice of meditation and the use of tantric practices to achieve spiritual realization.
Sakya: Founded in the 11th century by Khon Konchok Gyalpo, the Sakya school emphasizes the use of logic and reason in the study and practice of Buddhism. It is known for its extensive teachings on Buddhist philosophy and its use of ritual and symbolism in spiritual practice.
Gelug: Founded in the 14th century by Je Tsongkhapa, the Gelug school places a strong emphasis on the study and practice of Buddhist philosophy and ethics. It is known for its monastic discipline, emphasis on education, and its use of the tantric practices of Highest Yoga Tantra.
Each of these schools has its own distinct lineage of teachers and teachings, and they all share a common goal of achieving enlightenment through the practice of Buddhist teachings and meditation.
]]>Thangkas have a rich history that spans more than a thousand years. They originated in India, where they were used as teaching aids for Buddhist monks to help them understand complex teachings and meditation practices. Over time, they spread to other parts of Asia, including Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia, where they became an important part of the religious and cultural traditions.
In Tibet, thangkas were used in monasteries and temples as well as in homes as objects of veneration and meditation. They were also used as offerings to the gods and as gifts to religious leaders and scholars. The creation of thangkas became an important form of religious practice, and many Tibetan artists dedicated their lives to mastering the art of thangka painting.
During the 20th century, Tibet underwent significant political and social changes, including the Chinese invasion of Tibet. As a result, many thangkas were lost or destroyed, and the tradition of thangka painting was threatened. However, in recent decades, there has been a revival of interest in thangkas, and many artists and practitioners are working to preserve this important aspect of Tibetan culture and spirituality. Today, thangkas continue to be created and used in Buddhist communities around the world.
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Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097 CE) was a great Tibetan Buddhist master and translator who is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Marpa was born in Lhodrak in southern Tibet and received a traditional education in Buddhism and the Tibetan language.
As a young man, Marpa became deeply interested in the teachings of the Indian master Naropa, who had founded the practice tradition known as the Six Yogas of Naropa. Marpa felt a strong calling to travel to India to study with Naropa and other great masters of the time, and he set out on a journey that would take him more than 20 years.
During his travels, Marpa studied with many great masters, including Naropa's disciple Maitripa, as well as other teachers from various Buddhist traditions. Marpa spent many years in India, studying and practicing intensely, and he eventually became recognized as a great master in his own right.
After many years in India, Marpa returned to Tibet and began teaching the teachings and practices he had learned to his own students. He became known for his emphasis on the practice of meditation and his strict adherence to the teachings of the Indian masters, and his teachings became the basis of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
One of Marpa's most famous disciples was Milarepa, who is considered to be one of the greatest yogis and poets in Tibetan Buddhist history. Marpa and Milarepa had a close and often difficult relationship, with Marpa subjecting Milarepa to many trials and tests before finally passing on the teachings and empowerments he had received from his Indian masters.
Marpa is remembered as a great master who played a key role in the transmission of the teachings and practices of the Indian masters to Tibet. His teachings and the lineage he established continue to be an important part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to this day.
See our Marpa Lotsawa Thangkas
]]>A thangka (also spelled as "thang-ga" or "thanka") is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting or scroll, typically depicting deities, mandalas, or scenes from Buddhist mythology. Thangkas are usually created on cotton or silk and often framed with brocade or silk borders.
Thangkas are considered sacred objects in Tibetan Buddhism and are used in religious ceremonies, meditation practices, and as aids for teaching the dharma (Buddhist teachings). They are believed to have a powerful spiritual presence and are sometimes regarded as visual representations of the Buddha-nature.
The process of creating a thangka involves a combination of spiritual practice, artistic skill, and technical expertise. Thangka painters undergo years of training to develop their skills, learning traditional techniques and iconography, as well as the spiritual aspects of their art. The creation of a thangka can take months or even years to complete, with the artist carefully following prescribed methods for composition, color, and symbolism.
]]>The purpose of the lineage tree is to "symbolize the embodiment of Enlightened awareness in which one goes to refuge externally before realizing the true nature internally."
The main figure in this refuge tree is Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and his consort, Yeshe Tsogyal (#29). Next to each figure, or group of figures, in the thangka there is a number and the names appear in the numeric list below.
Lineage Gurus
1. Samantabhadra
2. Vajrasattva
3. Garab Dorje
4. Sri Singha
5. Jampal Shenyen
6. Guru Rinpoche
7. Vimalamitra
8. Jnanasutra
9. Yeshe Tsogyal
10. Vairocana
11. King Trisong Detsen
12. Longchenpa
13. Jigme Lingpa
14. Zongsar Chentse
15. Jigme Gyalwe Nyuku
16. Adzom Drukpa
17. Mipham Rinpoche
18. Mingyur Namkha Dorje
19. Khenpo Shenga
20. Tenpai Nyima
21. Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje
22. Kunsang Shenpen
23. Patrul Rinpoche
24. Thubten Chokyi Dorje
25. Dilgo Khyentse
26. Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpé Nyima
27. Gyalsé Shenpen Tayé
28. Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas
Shariputra
Maudgalyayana
Ānanda
Rāhula
Aniruddha
Kāśyapa
Subhuti
Kātyāyana
29. Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and his consort, Yeshe Tsogyal
30. Bodhisattvas
Manjushri
Avalokiteshvara
Vajrapani
Maitreya
Kshitigarbha
Akashagarbha
Sarvanivaranavishkambhin
Samantabhadra
Mediational Deities
31. Dechen Gyalmo
32. Chenrezik
33. Buddhas of the Three Times
Kashyapa (Past)
Shakyamuni Buddha (Present)
Maitreya (Future)
Mediational Deities
34. Lion-Faced Dakini
35. Hayagriva
36. Dorje Phurba
37. Palchen Düpa
38. Yangdak Heruka
39. Yama
40. Tachong
Dharma Protectors
41. Dorje Edolma
42. Manima
43. Dorje Lekpa
44. Ekajati
45. Rahula
46. Maning Nakpo
47. Tsering Ma
48. Offering goddesses
See the Nyingma Lineage Refuge Tree Thangka Painting
Sources
Rigpa Wiki - Gönpo Tseten Rinpoche
Longchen Nyingtik Lineage Tree by Gonpo Tseten Rinpoche
The Stupa - Figures
]]>The paintings of the Buddha's life at times portray more of the meaningful events and encounters in his life other than these twelve deeds. At the early Theravada tradition the deeds are divided differently:
These thangka paintings are not meant to be solely illustrations of the events in the life of the historical Buddha, but they are also seen to be a visual representation of different philosophical aspects of Buddhism, especially the gradual progress towards the achievement of spiritual enlightenment.
View interactive thangka explanation
The Buddha's promise to take birth in the human realm and to descent from Tushita heaven
The Bodhisattva Mahasattva gave his last teaching to the countless bodhisattvas in Tushita Pure Land. He made a promise to be reborn again in the human realms to guide human beings to liberation from the ocean of cyclic existence.
Entering the womb of his mother, Mayadevi
In the city of Kapilavastu, on the night Siddhartha was conceived, his mother Queen Maya dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right side. It was the night of the full moon on the fifteenth day of the month of Vesak (fourth month of the lunar calendar).
Taking birth
When Queen Maya knew the time of the birth was near, she left Kapilvastu for her father's kingdom to give birth. However, her son was born on the way, at Lumbini, in a garden while she was holding a branch of a sal tree.
According to legend, Buddha was born from the right side of his mother. Immediately upon his birth, he stood up and took seven steps in each of the four directions, raised his hand and said: "Thus have I come for the wellbeing of the world."
At the time of birth the Hindu gods Indra and Brahma were present. In the painting Indra stands ready, holding a cloth to wrap the baby.
Mastery of learning and athletics
Delighting in the company of royal consorts
After growing up, prince Siddhartha assumed royal duties. He married the beautiful princess Yashodhara at the age of 21 and they had a son together named Rahaula. and had a retinue of many attendant ladies. The painting depicts him in his royal robes at the court while enjoying the company of the royal consorts.
The four encounters
Prince Siddhartha ventured beyond the gates for the first time with his faithful charioteer Channa and they had a series of encounters known as "the four sights". First they encountered an old man, then a sick man, and then a corpse. From these sights the prince began to understand the nature of suffering in the world. The fourth encounter was with an ascetic holy man, who seemed content and at peace with the world.
Leaving his family and the royal palace
After his father the king refused his request to set on a spiritual quest, the prince left the palace in the middle of the night, together with Channa the charioteer, leaving behind his sleeping wife and son.
Renunciation of worldly life
The first thing Prince Gautam did after leaving his father's palace was to severe his long and beautiful hair with his princely blade as a way of showing he is renouncing his previous worldly life.
Practicing austerities for six years
Siddhartha Gautama studied with several teachers, and in each case, he mastered the meditative attainments each of them taught. Yet he found that what he learn from these teachers did not provide a permanent end to suffering, so he continued his spiritual quest.
He next joined a group of five other ascetics and for the next several years, Siddhartha practiced extreme austerities along with his companions. These austerities included prolonged fasting, breath-holding, and exposure to pain. Siddhartha almost starved himself to death in the process, becoming so skinny that when he touched his stomach, he could almost feel his spine.
He then realized that it was not possible to attain enlightenment through asceticism alone.
Striving for enlightenment to the foot of the bodhi tree
After realising that asceticism is the the right path he met a young village girl named Sujata who offered him a bowl of rice pudding (kheer). It was the first food he had accepted in years and it instantly restored his strength. He went to Bodhgaya in Magadha to attain enlightenment. He sat under the Bodhi Tree and vowed not to rise before attaining enlightenment.
Overcoming Mara’s demons
While siddhartha was sitting at the Bodhi Tree, Mara, the demon of death and desire, sent many kinds of hosts, both wrathful and sensual, to defeat and lure him. Yet he remained concentrated an unmoved by all of these demons sent to him.
After defeating Mara's demons, he touched the earth with his right hand and summoned the Earth Goddess to be his witness.
Becoming fully enlightened
The Buddha sat under the tree in solitude. He saw his countless past lives and the beings who have perished in the cycle of endless rebirths. During the third watch of the night he attained full enlightenment.
Turning the wheel of Dharma
After his enlightenment, the buddha kept sitting and contemplating for seven more weeks under the Bodhi Tree. The gods Brahma and Indra beseeched him not to pass into Nirvana but to teach other beings in the world.
He went to Varanasi to "turn the wheel of the Dharma" for the first time at the Deer Park. He ordained the five ascetics as his first disciples, and taught the Four Noble Truths.
Descent from the Trayastrimsa Heaven
Passing into mahaparinirvana
In the center of the Thangka is Mahottara Heruka with his consort. At the upper left of the painting is Ratna Heruka, yellow in color. At the upper right is Padma Heruka, red in color. At the lower center is Buddha Heruka, maroon in color. At the lower right is Karma Heruka, green in color. At the lower left is Vajra Heruka, blue in color. Each of them appear with his female consort.
Mahottara Heruka (also known as Chemchok Heruka ཆེ་མཆོག་ཧེ་རུ་ཀ་) and his consort Krodhishvari (also known as Namshyalma གནམ་ཞལ་མ་)
Buddhaheruka and his consort Buddhakrodhishvari:
Vajraheruka and his consort Vajrarodhishvari:
Ratnaheruka and his consort Ratnarodhishvari:
Padmaheruka and his consort Padmakrodhishvari:
Karmaheruka and his consort Karmakrodhishvari:
Visit the Bardo Shitro Thangkas collection
Sources:
]]>There are two main types of brocades styles: Indian style brocades, also known as Banarasi brocades, and Chinese style brocades.
After you make an order and choose a brocade, we deliver the thangka to a local tailor who skilfully attach the traditional brocade and the thangka together. We then ship the thangka with the framing to you.
Below you can see examples of the different styles of brocades you can choose from:
Chinese Style 1
Chinese Style 2
Chinese Style 3
Chinese Style 4
Chinese Style 5
Indian Style (Banarasi) 1
Indian Style (Banarasi) 2
Indian Style (Banarasi) 3
Indian Style (Banarasi) 4
Indian Style (Banarasi) 5
For more assistance on choosing your brocade please contact us
]]>See interactive thangka with explanations in English and Tibetan.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama about the Wheel of Existence:
"Symbolically [the inner] three circles, moving from the centre outward, show that the three afflictive emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance give rise to virtuous and non-virtuous actions, which in turn give rise to levels of suffering in cyclic existence.
The outer rim symbolizing the twelve links of dependent arising indicates how the sources of suffering - actions and afflictive emotions - produce lives within cyclic existence.
The fierce being holding the wheel symbolizes impermanence.
The moon [at the top] indicates liberation. The Buddha on the left is pointing to the moon, indicating that liberation that causes one to cross the ocean of suffering of cyclic existence should be actualized." [1]
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche described the Wheel of Existence as "a popular painting that you can see in front of almost every Buddhist monastery. In fact, some Buddhist scholars believe that the painting existed prior to Buddha’s statues. This is probably the first ever Buddhist symbol that existed..." [2]
All around the wheel of existence is the red-faced lord of death, the wrathful demon Yama (though sometimes it explained to be is sister, Yami) who symbolizes impermanence as he is ready to swallow the entire wheel at any moment.
At the center of the diagram are three animals the represent the three poisons: pig (ignorance), snake (anger) and a rooster (desire).
The next circle is divided into black and white sides to symbolizes good and bad karma. The white side shows people performing good deeds that generate good karma and therefore moving upwards in the circle, while in the black side people are performing acts with negative effects and they are moving downwards.
The third circle shows the six realms of existence that are further divided into upper and lower realms. The upper realms are of the gods, asuras (anti-gods or demi-gods), and humans. The lower realms are of the animals, ghosts (preta) and hell. Each of the realms symbolize a destructive negative emotion and has its own Buddha or Bodhisattva that teaches there.
The outer circle is composed of Twelve links of dependent origination:
An old blind person searching for his way with a cane
A potter shaping a vase
A monkey swinging
A woman giving birth
Bearers with a corpse
At the upper right corner is the Buddha pointing to Tara (sometimes depicted as a moon), indicating that liberation is possible.
Tara (or the moon) above the wheel represents liberation from the samsaric cycle of existence.
Visit the Wheel Of Life Thangkas collection
Sources: