About - Thangka

A thangka is a two-dimensional representation of a spiritual world, one normally beyond our perception or understanding. It is also an aid to meditation and a way to enter that word. As such, these paintings carry tremendous power and blessings, and bring positive energy in the life and environment of those who spend time with them. A form of sacred art, developed and nurtured in the snowy ranges of the Himalayan Tibet over a period of 1500 years, thanka are scroll paintings, evolving as a portable form of the murals and frescos that ornamented the inner sanctum of Tibetan monasteries and isolated retreats. Dynamic, overflowing with color and dramatic forms and figures, even without knowledge of their meaning or purpose, people find them striking. They possess an awesome beauty that is sometimes calming, at other times almost terrifying. They engender respect; they turn us inward and can turn our world on its ear.

There are four main representations in Tibetan thanka art:

• Lama, teachers, famous masteries or their life story
• Yidams or meditational deities
• Protectors
• Mandalas

The first of these categories, the depiction of enlightened masters and historical figures in the history of Tibetan Buddhism is a minor theme in Thangkas. Especially today, with the advent of photographs, it is even less important, though pictures of important lineage holders of the great traditions, such as Kagyu and Nyingma are still created to adorn the major monasteries and mains seats of the followers of these lineages.

The second and third categories give rise to the majority of thangkas, both historically and those produced today. These take forms that may seem strange and foreign to Western eyes, though their beauty is undeniable. These figures can be male or female, wrathful or peaceful, standing or sitting. They may have anywhere from two to dozens of arms, each wielding different symbolic implements or weapons. Their dress includes silks, garments made of elephant, tiger, or even human skins. Each and every aspect of their form and accoutrement is a link, a bridge, to universal truths about our minds, about the world we find ourselves and about the path from our confused state to our enlightened potential.

What the Thangka Means The meditational deities represent archetypal, powerful forces. They are an expression of enlightened mind—our enlightened mind. Their posture, color, clothing, accoutrements, weapons and every detail of their form is a living symbol of the meaning they embody. The attributes of the Yidam or meditational deity relay what we may become, or what we potentially are already.

Different Yidams for Different Folks

As forces that represent the highest realization possible for a human being, they share similar wisdom, compassion and luminosity of being. But each also has distinct qualities and capabilities that differentiate it from the next. Thus, Medicine Buddha represents the healing quality of enlightened mind. The feminine expression of ultimate wisdom, Tara, embodies the power of nurturance and protection from all the threatening and terrifying forces which encroach upon us. Chenrezig (whom the Dalai Lama is said to be an emanation) is the quintessence of selfless love and altruistic regard for all suffering beings. And so on through scores of representations, covering the full scope of our vast human potential.