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Medicine Buddha Thangka | Sangye Menla | Bhaishajyaguru

Medicine Buddha

Medicine Buddha

Medicine Buddha is fully enlightened being which means having ability to emanate different forms for the benefits of living beings. Medicine Buddha is the healing Buddha who is believed to heal physical, mental and emotional ailments. The healing mantra practice is effective when the person suffering is engaged in the process. It is even powerful when group practices together for their loved ones or who needs healing. He holds a bowl of Amrit- the nectar of immorality and his colour of skin is Lapis Lazuli Blue.He is able to cure sickness of birth and death. His body is like lapislazuli.He resides in the eastern world of purified lapislazuli. He is assisted by two bodhisattvas called suryaprabha and candraprabha to transform and teach living beings in that land. His right hand held a branch of the myrobalan in varadamudra gesture which signifies the medicine which heals all the sickness and his left hand is in the la holding a pindapatra (alms bowl) which symbolizes that he takes all the diseases and sickness of the suffering beings unto himself.

Medicine Buddha Mantra

Medicine Buddha Mantra is extremely powerful for healing of physical illnesses and purification of negative karma. For healing, the patient recites the long mantra 108 times over a glass of water. In this, the water is believed to be blessed by the power of the mantra and the blessing of the Medicine Buddha himself. The patient then drinks water and this process is repeated each day until cured.

Buddha Sutras Mantras Sanskrit

namo bhagavate bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabhā-rājāya | tathāgatāya-arhate samyak-saṁbuddhāya | tad-yathā oṁ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā* ||

This mantra is based on the Sūtra of the Original Vows of Seven Medicine Buddhas (Chinese Canon, Text 451).

Medicine Buddha Thangka

Medicine Buddha Thangka is traditionally hand painted on cotton canvas using stone color. It is used for meditation and meditating in front of the Medicine Buddha thangka can help to relieve a physical and mental stress, improve healing powers, and help to overcome spiritual sickness, attachment, hatred and ignorance.

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Mandala

Mantra Mandala

Mandala is taken as sacred space and also as an abode of fully realized beings or deities. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions sacred art often takes a mandalas form. The basic form of mandalas is square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Spiritual and ritual significance. A circle which is device for the Tantric meditation. Round mandala thangka painting is wonderful piece of art. A representation of the unconscious, self mandala enables one to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality. Mandala is regarded as a place separated and protected from the ever changing and impure outer world of samsara. A place of nirvana and peace.

Mandala literally means a circle which is a device for the Tantric meditation and meditative art. The figure deals with a visible aid that pulls within the human consciousness. That is the reason mandalas are so effective in meditation. Mantra Mandala is surrounded by Tibetan universal peace Mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Om Mane Padme hum means jewels in the lotus with different petals containing good luck, peace, power, and protection. Om Mani Padme Hum is the most well-known/chanted mantra in Buddhism with the power to bless the heart and the mind of the practitioner with the six syllables.

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Kalachakra Mandala

Kalachakra is a Sanskrit word which suggests wheels of time (Kalchakra Mandala). Kalachakra is one among of the tantric teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. The Kalachakra figure is the foremost famous thangka paintings that is treasured for the symbolic parts creating the visual illustration of vital teachings of traditional Tibetan Buddhism. Various type of mistaken interpretations have circulated among folks that portray the Kalachakra pattern merely as a piece of art . The Kalachakra tantra is considered the foremost advanced follow of Vajrayana tradition.

The Kalachakra tradition oscillate around the notion of time and cycles. From the cycles of the planets, to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the phenomenon of working with the most subtle energies within ones body on the path to enlightenment.

Mantra Mandala

Do you want to know about Mandala?

Om is the sound or “vibration” of the universe. This sound is the most important of all in the context of chanting and mantras, it destroy attachments to ego and establish generosity.
Ma detach jealousy and establishes ethics.
Ni detach desire and establishes patience.
Pad detach prejudice and establishes perseverance.
Me detach possessiveness and establishes concentration.
Hum detach hatred and establishes wisdom.

It is a visual aid for concentration and introversive meditation leading to the attainment of insights and to activate forces culminating in “Siddhi” supernatural forces. The Mandala is the graphic representation of this process. It is not only theoretical but practical also as an operational scheme involving a clear plan for practical realization of the process within oneself. It thus becomes an instrument (Yantra). Mantra’s mandalas are words or phrases that are chanted out loud or internally as objects of meditation. Often these mantras square measure related to specific Buddhist figures whose qualities are often cultivated by the repetition of the relevant mantra. Mantras and Mandalas are two sides of one coin. Mantras are sacred texts and mandalas are sacred pictures.

There are many types and varieties of mandalas depending on the nature of the central deity. The most classic pattern of mandalas is of the Dhyani Buddha. This pattern appears in the oldest tantric. The mandala represents “palace of Purity” a magic sphere cleansed of spiritual obstacles and impurities. The square of the ‘sacred palace’ proper is enclosed in multiple circles of flame, vajar, eight cemeteries (appear only in wrathful deities) lotus, then the inner square to reach of the deity of the Mandala. Mandalas are a spiritual guidance tool for focusing attention, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the assumption is that by entering the mandala and proceeding towards its center, you are guided through the cosmic process of remodeling the universe from one of suffering into one among joy and happiness. A mandala may be a spiritual and ritual symbol in Asian cultures. It is often understood in two different ways: externally as a visible representation of the universe or internally as a guide for several practices that take place in many Asian traditions, including meditation.

Are you interested in history of Mandalas?

Siddhartha Gautama, the founding father of Buddhism, was born within the region now referred to as Nepal. Though there is no confirmed date of his birth, historians believe it to be around 560 B.C. It is understood that Gautama left his kingdom after becoming conscious of human suffering, where he sought to achieve enlightenment through meditation and thoughtful action. He began to evangelize his philosophy across parts of India, where he gained devout followers and eventually established the first sangha, Buddhist community of monks.
As these Buddhist monks travelled the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West, they brought Buddhism to other lands. They carried mandalas with them and brought the practice of painting these spiritual compositions to other parts of Asia, appearing in regions like Tibet, China, and Japan by the 4th century. Though rooted in Buddhism, mandalas soon became present in Hinduism and other religious practices. Painters of the spiritual craft were often pious laymen, who were commissioned by a patron. They worked seated on the ground with a painting propped in their laps or ahead of their crossed legs.

Different types of Mandalas?

There are many types of mandalas found in different cultures and used for a multitude of purposes, both artistically and spiritually. Below are three main sorts of mandalas and how they are used.

Sand Mandala

Sand Mandala are used by Buddhist monks as a traditional and religious element. These intricate designs use a spread of symbols made up of colored sand that represent the impermanence of human life.

Teaching Mandala

Teaching mandalas are symbolic, and every shape, line, and color represent a special aspect of a philosophical or religious system. The student creates his or her own mandala based on principles of design and construction, projecting a visual symbolization of everything they have learned. Teaching mandalas functions colorful, mental maps for their creators

Healing Mandala

Healing mandalas are more intuitive than teaching mandalas, and that they are made for the aim of meditation. Healing mandalas are intended to deliver wisdom, evoke feelings of calm, and channel focus and concentration.

Do you want to know how Mandalas Are Used?

The traditional Tibetan mandala, found in Buddhism, depicts the enlightened state of Buddha through sand art. Patterns are formed on the bottom using metal and a little tube to precise the exact texture and organization of the grains. Mandalas are used for a spread of spiritual traditions, meditation, and modern contexts. It is destroyed to align with the Buddhist belief that nothing is permanent. Creating this can take weeks, and shortly after it’s complete.
As it relates to modern context, mandalas are utilized in a spread of the way. Often, mandalas are positioned round the studio and sometimes even drawn during meditation periods. Similarly, mandala art is employed in healing circles, a practice that derives from Native Americans. In yoga, mandalas represent an equivalent ancient ideal; signifying a sacred space to lock in external influences. The circles are often related to the restoration of the body, mind, and heart.
Mandalas have also been found in dream catchers to protect the individual sleeping. A popular item in Western cultures, you can easily identify the shape and patterns of a mandala within most dream catchers.
A spiritual symbol in Asian art, mandalas have since become a popular, meditative element for a variety of different cultures. In Hindu and Buddhist cultures in particular, mandalas and thangkas serve as a representation of the universe and a guide on the path to enlightenment. We have since seen the geometric design appear in yoga studios, dream catchers, healing circles, and other meditative practices. The habit of creating and collecting mandalas is a transformative practice that is intended to restore inner peace and wisdom within.

Cosmos Mandala

Cosmic mandalas are the sophisticated dance of the moon, sun, and other planets around Mount Meru. There are various thangka paintings that feature mount Meru (also called Sumeru) with different designs. It is depicted with geometric shapes that are symbols of the various metaphysical state of the mind consistent with traditional Lamaism. The mountain is observed from the sky and seems like a little point decorated with an om symbol within the center of the mandala.

Buddha Mandala

Round Mandala

Mandala is taken as sacred space and also as an abode of fully realized beings or deities. In Buddhist and Hindu traditions sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of mandalas is square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Spiritual and ritual significance. A circle that is a device for Tantric meditation. Round mandala thanka painting is a wonderful piece of art. A representation of the unconscious, self mandala enables one to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality. Mandala is regarded as a place separated and protected from the ever-changing and impure outer world of samsara. A place of nirvana and peace.

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Tibetan Buddhism

buddha statue

Beginning in the 600s, Buddhism was brought to Tibet from India and China. Throughout the decades that followed, Buddhism became Tibet’s dominant cultural form, influencing not only religion but also politics, the arts, and other facets of life. Tibetan Buddhism subsequently extended to Mongolia and Nepal, as well as China, where it was supported by the imperial court, particularly during the Yuan (1260–1368) and Qing (1368–1644) regimes.

Tibetan Buddhism inherited many of late Indian Buddhism’s traditions, including a significant emphasis on monasticism (Tibet previously had the world’s largest Buddhist monasteries), a sophisticated scholastic philosophy, and elaborate forms of tantric practice. At the same time, Tibet continued its legacy of powerful popular cults, absorbing a wide range of indigenous deities into the Buddhist pantheon, which was already growing.

The tulku (incarnate lama) is a Tibetan Buddhist institution: Tibetan Buddhists believe that compassionate teachers are reborn many times, each time being identified as children and given the position and status of their previous rebirths. There have been numerous such lamas in Tibet, the most well-known of whom being the Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama became king of Tibet in 1642, and the famous Potala Palace in Lhasa, the country’s capital, was completed during his reign.

Tibet was conquered by China in 1951, and the current Dalai Lama (Fourteenth) went into exile in India in 1959, kicking off the Tibetan diaspora. Tibetan Buddhism has caught the interest of people all over the world ever since time.

Vajrayana Buddhism

Vajrayana Buddhism, as practiced in Tibet, offers a wide range of unique practices, meditations, and ceremonies to achieve the aims of growing compassion and achieving ultimate liberation for all living beings. Vajrayana is based on Buddha Shakyamuni’s esoteric ideas, which were entrusted to a restricted group of students. It combines yogic techniques including meditation, mantra, and ritual to help people change their minds and bodies. To understand and engage in these procedures, as well as to employ holy objects such as the vajra and ghanta (bell), sacred images (such as those in the museum collection), and hand and body movements (mudra), initiates and empowerments are required.

There are four lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. All may be traced back to Buddha Shakyamuni through an unbroken tradition of enlightened teachers and students that continues to this day. Lineage distinguishes them far more than any significant distinction in theory or practice. Gelukpa, Sakyapa, Nyingmapa, and Kagyupa are the four lineages.

Tibetan Buddhism extended to the West in the second half of the twentieth century, especially after the Chinese Communists subjugated Tibet, forcing many Tibetans, including highly esteemed “reincarnated lamas,” or tulkus, to flee their homeland. Tibetan religious communities in the West include both refugee communities and groups made up primarily of Westerners sympathetic to the Tibetan heritage.

Tibetan Buddhism is a religion in exile, having been driven from its country when China seized Tibet. It was formerly considered that one out of every six Tibetan men was a Buddhist monk. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing Chinese rule of Tibet in 1959, is the most well-known face of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism mixes Mahayana Buddhism’s core teachings with Tantric and Shamanic practices, as well as elements from an old Tibetan religion known as Bon. Although Tibetan Buddhism is frequently confused with Vajrayana Buddhism, the two are not synonymous; Vajrayana is taught alongside the other vehicles in Tibetan Buddhism.

History

By the end of the eighth century CE, Buddhism had established itself as a prominent force in Tibet. It was brought to Tibet on the invitation of Trisong Detsen, the Tibetan king, who invited two Buddhist masters to Tibet and had key Buddhist books translated into Tibetan.Shantarakshita, the abbot of Nalanda in India, was the first to arrive and build the first monastery in Tibet. Padmasambhava accompanied him, bringing his wisdom and might to bear on the “spiritual” forces that were halting construction on the new monastery.

Buddhism had established itself as a prominent force in Tibet by end of the eighth century. It was brought to Tibet at the invitation of Trisong Detsen, the Tibetan king, who invited two Buddhist masters to Tibet and had key Buddhist books translated into Tibetan. Shantarakshita, the abbot of Nalanda in India, was the first to arrive and build the first monastery in Tibet. Padmasambhava accompanied him, bringing his wisdom and might to bear on the “spiritual” forces that were halting construction on the new monastery.

Special features of Tibetan Buddhism

  • the status of the teacher or “Lama”
  • preoccupation with the relationship between life and death
  • important role of rituals and initiations
  • rich visual symbolism
  • elements of earlier Tibetan faiths
  • mantras and meditation practice

Tibetan Buddhism’s distinctive qualities include:

  • the teacher’s or “Lama’s” rank
  • obsession with the relationship between life and death
  • the importance of ceremonies and initiations
  • rich visual symbolism
  • aspects of earlier Tibetan faiths
  • mantras and meditation practice

Rituals and spiritual practices such as the use of mantras and yogic methods are common in Tibetan Buddhist practice. Tibetan Buddhism places a strong emphasis on supernatural entities. There are many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and gods and spirits from ancient Tibetan religions are also revered. Both benevolent godlike creatures and wrathful deities are depicted as Bodhisattvas. Tibetan Buddhism has developed a rich visual legacy as a result of this philosophical background, and paintings and other images are employed as aids to understanding at all levels of society. Tibetan Buddhism makes extensive use of visual aids to comprehension: pictures, constructions of various kinds, and public prayer wheels and flags serve as constant reminders of the spiritual domain in the physical world. Tibetan Buddhism has a considerable following in both monastic and lay communities.

The lay version places a significant focus on overtly religious acts rather than the inner spiritual life: temple rituals are common, pilgrimages are popular – frequently including multiple prostrations – and prayers are repeated repeatedly using personal or public prayer wheels and flags. Funerals are very important occasions, and there are many festivals. The lay people sustain the monasteries physically while relying on the monks to organize the rites.

The ideas of life, death, reincarnation, and existence in Tibetan Buddhism are profound and rational. Most of these ideas come from Buddhism’s rich meditation and contemplative culture. A piece of previous knowledge, as well as an open mind, are required to fully appreciate the elements of Tibetan Buddhism.

Video Documentary

  1. Tibetan Buddhism
  2. Top Five Major Beliefs in Tibetan Buddhism
  3. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
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Basundhara | Vasudhara

basundhara

Vasudhara (Basundhara) name means “stream of gems” in Sanskrit. It means Buddhist bodhisattva of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Vasudhara (Basundhara), goddess of abundance is the consort of Kuber (Jambala), the god of wealth. She is popular in many Buddhist countries and is a subject in Buddhist legends and art. Originally an Indian bodhisattva, her popularity has spread to southern Buddhist countries.

She has a high popularity in Nepal. She is a central figure in Newar Buddhism and has a strong follower among the Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu Valley .In Lahul and Spiti, she is named Shiskar Apa. She is related to Hindu great goddess Lakshmi, and her Sanskrit name Vasundhara indicates she is the source of the eight “bountiful Vasus.” Consistent with the epic Mahabharat, she is the bounty that is the waters of the river Ganges—the goddess, Ganga which origin from the snows of the Himalayas. Similar to Green Tara posture, she is represented sitting on a lotus pedestal. She has six arms which she holds within the lower left hand her characteristic symbol, the treasure vase. The above hands holds another distinguishing attribute, the ears of corn (Tib. ‘Brui sne ma). The third left hand holds a book, the Prajnaparamita sutra.

The lower right hand is in the varada mudra of charity; the one above holds three precious wish-fulfilling jewels, while the upper hand makes a mudra of salutation. The right leg is pendent, and the foot is unsupported resting upon a vase. She has three faces Brown in right, reddish in left and yellow in the center. Sincere worshipping of the Goddess Basundhara will reward one with wealth, good fortune and wisdom.

Power of Vasundhara Thangka Painting

Vasundhara is one of the important and popular feminine deities in Nepalese Buddhist society. Keeping the Vasundhara Thangka in a home is to honor this deity. She is believed to be the bestowed of wealth and prosperity similar to Laxmi Devi in Hinduism. It is said that if you’ve got thangka of this devotee in your office or home you’ll accumulate seven sorts of prosperity i.e. wealth, quality, offspring, long life, happiness, praise, and wisdom.

Mantra of Vasundhara

Her short mantra is Om Vasudhare svaha.

  1. Wikipedia
  2. Wisdom Library
  3. Himalayan Art
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Wheel of Life | Bhavacakra

Riduk - wheel of life

Wheel of life is known as Bhavachakra in Sanskrit language. Wheel of life represents the very reasons for the suffering of our mortal form, through both horrific and sublime imagery and it can be seen painted on the walls of many Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in all Himalayan regions. Wheel of Life (Riduk) is the traditional representation of the samsaric cycle of existence. It is a complex symbolic representation of samsara in the form of a circle, found primarily in Tibetan Buddhist art. Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment. Other Names of Wheel Of life can be seen as Wheel of Bhavacakra, Wheel of existence, Wheel of becoming, Wheel of rebirth, Wheel of samsara, Wheel of suffering, Wheel of transformation.

Essentially it is a metaphysical diagram made up of four concentric circles, held with a firm grip by Yama, the Lord of Death. Above the wheel the sky with clouds or stars is symbol of freedom from cyclic existence or Samsara, and the Buddha pointing at it indicates that liberation is possible. In the center of the wheel there are three animals’ symbols of the “Three Poisons”: ignorance (the pig), attachment (the bird) and anger (the snake). The snake and bird are shown as coming out of the mouth of the pig, indicating that anger and attachment arise from ignorance. At the same time the snake and the bird grasp the tail of the pig, indicating that they both promote even greater ignorance. Next to the central circle is the second layer divided in two-half circles, one light colored while the other is usually dark. These images represent the wheel of Karma, the law of cause and effect. The darker portion shows individuals experiencing the results of negative actions. The light half circle, instead, indicates people experiencing the results of positive actions and attaining spiritual ascension.

The Wheel of Life is pictured as being command by the jaws, hands, and feet of a fearsome figure who turns the wheel. This intricate design is believed to have been drawn first by Buddha himself.  It portrays the endless life circle of human beings.  The exact identity of the figure varies. A common selection for the figure is Yama, the god of death or Kala the lord of time. This figure is additionally referred to as the “Face of Glory” or Kirtimukha. The outer rim of the wheel is divided into twelve sections and given such names as the Twelve Interdependent Causes and Effects or the Twelve Links of causality.

The six main segments of the wheel depict the six worlds of existence.  In the upper half are the relatively happier realms of the gods (in the center), the asuras or demigods and human beings.  In the lower half are the more wretched realms of the animals, the hungry ghosts and souls tortured in hell.  The in the outer rim of the wheel, twelve scenes depict the chain of cause and effect. 

Moving out from the center is a narrow circle.  The light half shows figures rising to higher levels of existence.  The dark half shows figures descending to lower levels.  The six main segments of the wheel depict the six worlds of existence.  In the upper half are the relatively happier realms of the gods (in the center), the asuras or demigods and human beings.  In the lower half are the more wretched realms of the animals, the hungry ghosts and souls tortured in hell.  The in the outer rim of the wheel, twelve scenes depict the chain of cause and effect. 

  1. A blind woman: ignorance
  2. A potter: deeds forming karma
  3. The monkey: restless consciousness
  4. Two men in a boat: mind and form
  5. A fully constructed house: the six senses
  6. A pair of lovers: contact
  7. An arrow piercing the eye of a man: feeling
  8. Serving drink: craving
  9. A man gathering fruits: over attachment
  10. A pregnant lady: a new process of becoming
  11. A new woman giving birth: rebirth in a new existence
  12. A man carrying a corpse on his back: death

Life’s impermanence is shown by having the entire Wheel of Life, including the gods, held in Yama’s claws. 

Wheel of Life Thangka

Wheel of Life Thangka is traditionally hand painted on cotton canvas using stone color.