Handicraft From Nepal

Thangka Art

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 03:36:00 -0700

Tibetan Thangka

Tibetan Thangka is a Nepalese art form exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, a daughter of King Lichchavi and a wife of Sron Tsan Gampo. Generally, a Thangka is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting. There is also woodcarving basso-relievo Thangka.

Unlike an oil painting or acrylic painting, the thankga is not a flat creation, but consists of a painted or embroidered picture panel, over which a textile is mounted, and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thankgas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places so as to prevent the quality of the silk from being affected by moisture.

The Tibetan Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Originally, thangka painting became popular among traveling monks because the scroll paintings were easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. Images of deities can be used as important teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities and bodhisattvas. One popular subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment). Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a thanga image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”

To Buddhists these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beautiful manifestation of the divine, being both visually and mentally stimulating.

Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."

As an important Tibetan painting form, Thangka with a huge variety of styles, involves mastery of many demanding techniques: mastery in sketching the illustrations and numerous deities according to formal iconography rules laid down by generations of Tibetan masters; learning to grind and apply the paints, which are made from natural stone pigments; and learning to prepare and apply details in pure gold. From the canvas preparation and drawing of the subject, through to mixing and applying colors, decorating with gold, and mounting the finished work in brocade, the creation of a thangka painting involves skill and care at each stage and displays meticulous detail and exquisite artisanship.

Therefore, the process of learning to paint thangkas is rigorous. In the first three years, students learn to sketch the Tibetan Buddhist deities using precise grids dictated by scripture. The two years following are devoted to the techniques of grinding and applying the mineral colors and pure gold used in the paintings. In the sixth year, students study in detail the religious texts and scriptures used for the subject matter of their work. To become an accomplished thangka painter, at least ten years training is required under the constant supervision of a master. After the training process, students still need five to ten years to become experts in the field. Most importantly, Tibetan Thangka painting requires extended concentration, attention to detail, and knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, and must be carried out in a peaceful environment.

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Tantric Buddhist art from Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 14:05:00 -0700

This painting on cloth depicts the Buddhist deity Mahasamvara (Great Samvara) with his consort or female counterpart (shakti), Vajravarahi.1 Mahasamvara is a type of Buddhist deity known as a yi-dam, or guardian, whose role is to protect a devotee against evil. The protection of a special yi-dam is requested by a lama (Buddhist teacher) on behalf of himself or a layman. The yi-dam’s guardianship can be requested for a lifetime or for a special event or undertaking. It is considered that the security thus evoked is more effective if the deity is worshipped in the form in which he is accompanied by his consort or shakti, as the shakti’s energy will activate the powers of the god. The painting was made as a focus for meditation. When a lama wished to place himself under the protection of a particular deity he prepared by meditating on an image of the god, in the hope that the deity would accept the guardianship and reveal himself to the lama. The image of the deity could take many forms, including a sculpture, painting or woven or appliquéd textile. However, for the deity to be successfully evoked, the correct details must be depicted. Hence the numerous iconographic details illustrated in this image are all relevant to the use of the image, as they correctly identify Mahasamvara and Vajravarahi, and reveal the nature of the god. The multiplicity of the god’s heads and arms reveal his tantric nature, as does the flaming halo behind him and his blue-green colour.2 The deity has numerous arms, each of which holds an implement that refers to the god’s actions and strengths. In his upper hands he holds the edge of a flayed elephant skin, which is draped behind his back and signifies the control excercised over the wild forces of nature by Buddhist wisdom.3 In his main hands he holds the bell (signifying the female, wisdom and reason) and vajra (the main symbol of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism, which signifies the male, spiritual power and compassion). The god has five layers of four heads; the central head is blue, the right head is white, the left head is green, and the head at the back, shown here on the right, is red. Mahasamvara wears a garland of skulls, which symbolises his triumph over evil forces. He and his consort are situated at the centre of a mandala (a cosmic diagram). The eight segments around them are eight great cemeteries, symbolic ideal places that represent the places where one is ‘dead’ to the illusions of life, fame, gain, sex, money etc. The ring of flames is a secondary ring of the mandala.

Buddhism is not a Religion—It’s Something Much Better

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:00:00 -0700

June 13, 2016

“The dharma that I preach can be understood only by those who know how to think.” ~ The Buddha

I get plenty of comments when I say that I’m not a religious person, but I am a practicing Buddhist.

Although Buddhism is known worldwide as a religion, for me it is not. Frankly, I used to perceive it as one, before knowing anything about it and delving into its culture.

To start off, the word religion means “a system of faith and worship” and “the belief in a superhuman, or god with power.” After visiting India and Nepal, and observing the Buddhist complex, I came to notice that Buddhism is neither a system of faith, nor a god-based institution.

Buddhists do not consider the Buddha as a supreme god. For them, he is a man like any other man who’s walked on the earth. Nevertheless, Buddha untangled the reasons of suffering and offered us a concrete way of getting out of them.

And although he did offer the world teachings about how to get unstuck from samsara, he insisted that he wanted no worship or praying. All he asked for is that we must examine his teachings first, and if they do resonate with us, then we practice them. If not, however, we have the utter freedom to leave them.

Although I have watched rituals and ceremonies being held at monasteries, I’ve been told that they’re not in any way worship-based. The so-called “worship” that we might see is one that is offered as a way of showing respect and thankfulness to the man who exhibited the truth. Even the prayers that we hear are ones that read compassion, kindness and love to all sentient beings, without any exception.

If we look more closely at Buddhism, we can even ascertain that there is no leader in the culture. Dzongsar Khyentse constantly talks about how the Dalai Lama is a secular leader for the Tibetan community in exile and a spiritual master to many people all over the world—and not merely for Buddhists. He insists that there is no authority in Buddhism with the power to decide who is a true Buddhist and who is not, or who is punishable and who is not.

If Buddhism isn’t a religion, what is it then?

The way I see it, Buddhism is a way of life—it’s a philosophy and a truth that simply represents how things are in life.

I must admit (and I’m not ashamed to claim it) that Buddhism has helped me understand the religion I was brought up with, as well as all the other religions in the world. Before being introduced to Buddhism, “holy books” were on par with the Chinese language to me. I couldn’t understand why I was supposed to pray, to attend religious ceremonies or to follow a spiritual leader, without true conviction or belief for what they’re saying. Before Buddhism, I was co-dependent on “God.” I constantly searched outside of myself, and I believe this is why I never found myself.

Buddhism helped me look inward. It taught me independence and self-awareness. Through it, I began to understand how the world ticks. It helped me look at myself and take responsibility for my actions, thoughts and emotions, rather than taking refuge in a supreme god.

With Buddhism, I came to finally understand that God isn’t a judgmental man who lives in the clouds. I stopped this duality between God and myself, and I figured out that God is in everyone (and everything and everywhere). It is not something that is outside of us or something we cannot reach—it is in us.

So you might ponder the question—why is it worth looking into Buddhism or practicing it?

I utterly believe to each their own—however, I also believe that it is never wrong to live with an open heart and an open mind which expands our knowledge and raises questions in our heads.

Unlike other religions, Buddhism doesn’t tell its followers to stick only to its teachings. Buddhists don’t care where you’re from, what you believe in or who you worship. All they care about is that you know the truth—and the truth is: “All compounded things are impermanent.”

It’s worth understanding Buddhism, because the final outcome of its purpose is not something that is beneficial to itself—the benefits are for our own sake.The benefit is that we will actually understand the truth of life, our existence and ourselves.

Again, like Dzognsar Khyentse said, “Buddhism is not a survival kit for living that dictates how many husbands a wife should have or where to pay taxes or how to punish thieves. Buddhism doesn’t even have a ritual for wedding ceremonies.”

The Buddha didn’t tell people what they wanted to hear—he simply opened their eyes to the truth of life.

Are you ready to hear it?

This article was republished from elephantjournal.com. You can find the original post here.

Help Earthquake Victim Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:08:00 -0700

Or send through Paypal for no charges as gofundme charges 7% fee. Click below :

Donate Nepal Earthquake Victim

Pray for Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 14:06:00 -0700

Taking a moment to send love and healing energies to Nepal. May Buddha bring comfort, healing, strength, peace and love upon all who have been touched by the earthquake in Nepal. #‎prayingforNepal #‎earthquakeNepal #‎staystrong

“"Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength" -Dalai Lama”

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:44:00 -0800

“"Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength"

-Dalai Lama”

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:51:00 -0800

Life will not always end up as you plan. People will not always be there for you like they once were. Relationships will come and go. Friendships will end. New ones will begin. Your life will not happen the way that you have mapped out for yourself. Life has its own path for you. That path will be filled with good times and it will be filled with bad times. It will be filled with amazing adventures and huge disappointments. It will be filled with happiness and even grief. Love and dislike. You can choose to focus on only the good, only the bad, or you can embrace that your path is filled with memories that mold your life into what it is. You can accept and embrace that your life is always changing and that is what makes life beautiful.

What are you scared of?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Mon, 8 Dec 2014 20:00:00 -0800

The basis of life in the physical arena becomes fear

When perception of the physical world is limited

To the five sensory modality.

Power to control the environment and those within

The environment appears to be essential for survival.

The need for physical domination produces

A type of competition that effects every aspect of our lives.

This type of power is external and can be acquired or lost.

Anything we fear to lose is what we found here.

Lose everything and what remains is real.

Fear generates the competition for external power.

What are you scared of ?

To develop concentration, I must reduce my ambitions and activities. To reduce my ambitions, I must…— Jetsun Taranatha

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Mon, 8 Dec 2014 15:32:00 -0800

To develop concentration, I must reduce my ambitions and activities. To reduce my ambitions, I must have few desires. To have few desires, I must be satisfied with simple food, clothing, and shelter. Whatever possessions I may have, I will not be attached to them. If I do not have possessions, I will consider destitution a support for my practice. Whatever happens, I shall be content.

Chinese Collector Buys Imperial Artwork for $45 Million

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Fri, 5 Dec 2014 04:23:00 -0800

Chinese Collector Liu Yiqian Sets Record With Bid For 600-Year-Old Embroidered Silk Thangka at Christie’s Sale in Hong Kong

The embroidered imperial silk thangka from the Ming dynasty Yongle period.

HONG KONG—Chinese collector Liu Yiqian bought a 600-year-old imperial embroidered silk artwork at a Christie’s sale on Wednesday for $348 million Hong Kong dollars ($45 million), setting a record for any Chinese work of art sold by an international auction house.

The massive piece, known as a thangka and sized bigger than a king-size bed, was entirely worked with silk embroidery, depicting Raktayamari, ‘The Red Killer of Death’, a meditational deity in Mahayana Buddhism. Made on command of the Ming dynasty Yongle Emperor, the thangka is the only one of its kind in private hands, according to Christie’s. The two other known examples are both kept in the Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.

“It is a national treasure,” Mr. Liu, the billionaire collector who owns two Long Museums, told The Wall Street Journal. “We need top art works for our museum.”

The auction of the thangka at the Hong Kong Convention Center Wednesday drew a larger audience than Christie’s closely watched evening sale on Saturday. The starting bid was HK$60 million. The number of bidders reduced to two on the phone when the price soared above HK$160 million .

Mr. Liu, represented on the phone by Cai Jinqing, president of Christie’s China, beat out an international buyer represented by François Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Asia, in an intense competition that lasted 22 minutes, compared with around a minute for normal lots. The bidder on Mr. Curiel’s line drew rounds of applause for offering large increases. Mr. Liu outdid him each time, usually by HK$5 million.

“It was a very tough battle,” Mr. Liu said, adding that the final price is “reasonable”. “I was against a non-Chinese bidder and I want to bring the treasure back to China,” he added.

The piece, which remains in excellent condition with vibrant colors, was sold first by Christie’s in London in 1977 by the family of an English aristocrat for 7,500 pounds. It was again auctioned off by Christie’s in Hong Kong in 2002, for HK$30 million.

In April, Mr. Liu swiped his American Express Card to pay US$36.3 million for a tiny porcelain cup from the Ming dynasty with a chicken painted on its surface, after a seven-minute bidding war at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong. He confirmed he intends to settle the payment for his latest purchase using American Express again.

Mr. Liu, 51, is a Shanghai businessman who ran a handbag business and drove taxis after finishing junior high school. He was one of the earliest investors in the Shanghai stock market, and then bought large stakes in publicly traded Chinese companies. The successful investor and his wife first started collecting art about 20 years ago when they were looking for paintings for their villa.

At Christie’s evening sale on Saturday, his wife Wang Wei bought a dark-blue abstract painting titled “Kaien” by Japanese artist Kazuo Shiraga, who painted by pushing his feet to create a dynamic sense of movement, for HK$23.6 million.

Buddhism

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 01:41:00 -0800

The elements of Buddha exists in ordinary people,and that each one is capable of marching towards the path of Enlightenment and transforming him/herself into Buddha. Buddha is a union of a particular state of mind and of action, each individual is capable of adjusting the extent of buddhism in him/her.Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of reality. Practice of meditation in Buddhism is a means of changing yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness,wisdom and kindness.

Buddhism is a fusion of religion and philosophy. Buddhism is a religion to the extent that it is characterized by devotional practices and rituals devotion to the Buddhahood. However ,it neither involves belief in a creator God who has control over human destiny , nor seek to define reference to a religious belief.Hence some people donot see it as a relegion in the normal ,Western sense.In addition Buddhism has been describe as a philosophy , a way of life, a code of ethics,and science of mind.Its path is driven by goal of attaining self knowledge and freedom. A Buddha is a fully awakened being who has completely purified his mind of the three poisons of desire, aversion and ignorance and has ended the suffering which unawakened people experience in life. It teaches practical methods which enables to realise and use its teaching in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives.

GANESH

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 23:12:00 -0800

Ganesh is one of the most popular guardian deities,

worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists alike. Gansesh

is also spelled as Ganesa ,also known as Ganapati and

Vinayak. Ganesh is honoured at the start of rituals and

ceremonies as he is believed to be deity who eliminates

obstacles. To begin any auspicious work or enterprise,

Hindus adore this deity with the hope that they may accomplish their work successfully by averting any

obstacles.

Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes his easy to identify. Myth provides many explanation of how he got his elephant head. While some text say that Ganesh was born with elephant head, he acquires head later in many stories.

The Five Buddhas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 07:51:00 -0800

The five transcendental Buddhas - Vairocana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha an Amoghasiddhi represents the sambhogakaya aspects of buddhahood and are very important in Newar paintings.The Five buddhas are also known as Five Dhyani Buddhas , the Five Wisdom , the Five Great Buddhas and the Five Jinas , are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha.These five Buddhas are a common subject of Vajrayana mandalas. An important role of the five transcendental Buddha is to represent the four cardinal direction and the center. They are often placed as such around the image of a stupa, which is the symbol of the Buddha's mind.They are also frequently found in upper register of Newar Buddhist paubha paintings, where they represent the knowledge of the main deity.

THE FIVE BUDDHAS

1) Buddha Vairocana :

Vairocana is the Tathagatas who symbolises all pervasive wisdom i.e. knowledge free from all kinds of obscuration. He is placed in the inner sanctum of stupa though he is sometime placed between Akshobhya and Ratnasambhava.He is white in color and his vehicle is a pair of lions, symbolizing the lion's roar of the knowledge of the Dharmadhatu, which terrifies all wrong views. He can be recognised by the white wheel or Dharmachakra which cuts all wrong views.

2) Buddha Aksobhya :

Aksobhya is the Tathagatas who symbolises the mirror like wisdom which means the wisdom like space, all persuasive, without limit and without characteristics.He is the essence of the purified form of hatred.The image of Aksobhya is generally placed in east in the stupa. He is blue in color and rides on elephant throne, symbolizing the steadfast nature of his bodhisattva vows.

3) Buddha Ratnasambhava :

Ratnasambhava is the Tathagata who symbolises the wisdom of equality.He also represents the purified form of of the defilement of pride. In the extant literature his vows, aspiration and activity are rarely described. He is usually known as the Buddha born from Jewel .He is yellow in color and placed at south face of stupas. He rides on horse throne, symbolises that he ferries over suffering sentient beings with full vigor.

4) Amitabha Buddha :

Amitabha Buddha is also one of the five Tathagatas ,who represents the wisdom of discriminating awareness and the purified form of desire. Amitabha is red in color and placed on the west face of stupas. He rides on peacock , symbolising that he can take away the suffering of others,just as the peacock eats poisonous plants and yet his tail shines forth.

5) Amoghasiddhi Buddha :

Amoghasiddhi is the last among the Five Buddhas, who represents the all accomplishing wisdom and the purified form of jealousy. Amoghsiddhi is green in color and placed at north face of stupas. He rides on Garuda symbolizing that he can detect the presence of serpent-like delusion from a distance. Amoghsiddhi alone has a canopy of snakes over his head. His visage resembles that of Shakyamuni Buddha covered by the nine headed Naga King Mucalinda.

Exhibition at Tianjin

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 07:06:00 -0800

Today was our first day of exhibition at Tianjin ,China.After the exhibition at Beijing we are here at Tianjin for the thangka art show . This show will continue for 4 days.We have our best collection of thangka for the show.

Our stall at Tianjin, China

End of the exhibition at Beijing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:27:00 -0800

Today is the last day of our exhibition at Beijing. Our next exhibition is at Tianjin,China. We are happy with the progress we have made with our first exhibition and hope our second exhibition will be a success too. Now we are busy with the packing as we have to be ready for our next exhibition.

Exhibition at China

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 03:08:00 -0800

Our first exhibition is being held from 14th November for 2 weeks at China, Beijing. We have collection of best and high quality art and craft for the exhibition show. We thank our staff for their support and hard work.

Setting up for the exhibition

Arrival of our products

Hope our first step will prove to be a success.

Mudra House booklet released

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 22:03:00 -0800

Our booklet for Mudra House has been released. This booklet will guide you to the product and services we provide..

For more information or inquiry message us at Mudra House

The nature of mind: a teaching at the Root Institute, January 3, 2013, Bodhgaya

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Sat, 9 Nov 2013 19:26:00 -0800

On the morning of January 3, 2013, the Gyalwang Karmapa gave an impromptu teaching on the nature of mind to a large group of international students gathered at the Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, Bodhgaya. Teaching in a mixture of Tibetan and English, he began the session by inviting questions from the students gathered. The first question was soon put forward: How do we experience Buddha-nature on a practical level? "I thought that if you asked me questions it would make it easier for me," he joked in English in response to the depth of the question, adding, "But this question makes it more complicated for me!"

As the laughter died down, the Gyalwang Karmapa delivered a profound and reasoned teaching on Buddha-nature and the nature of mind. "All sentient beings are endowed with the potential for complete Buddhahood," he began.

They are inherently Buddhas, and inherently that Buddha-nature is completely free of any stains -- it is stainless, and perfect. Yet, at the level of relative or immediate experience, our experience is not this way. Our experience is that this perfectly pure Buddha-nature is veiled by our confused outlook.

Shifting the teaching to a deeper level, the Gyalwang Karmapa then described the dharmakaya, or the Buddha's enlightened mind. "Lord Gampopa said that the nature of thoughts is dharmakaya," he explained.

Thoughts and dharmakaya are inseparable. We have this dualistic approach of seeing dharmakaya as pure and thoughts as impure, but we need to understand the inseparability of thoughts and dharmakaya.

The Gyalwang Karmapa spoke directly in English as he continued:

Every moment that we have thought, every moment that thought arises, we have the opportunity to recognize the nature of thought as emptiness or dharmakaya, whatever you want to call it. Thought and the emptiness of its nature are inseparable. We can't make them separate; there's no separation. Because thought itself is emptiness that means actually in everyday life we have lots of opportunity to recognize and realize the nature of thought, or nature of emptiness, or dharmakaya. But we just follow the appearances, the illusions -- we don't look deeper.

The Gyalwang Karmapa then responded to several more questions from the audience, teaching briefly on the progressive views of emptiness within Tibetan Buddhism which culminate in the final Madhyamaka view. The final questioner echoed the thoughts of many gathered when she asked the Gyalwang Karmapa how his students could help and support him. "I feel energized and inspired by all the love and the support that I receive from all of you. That really is sufficient. I don't need anything more than your love and support," he replied, to resounding applause.

Continuing an annual tradition, the teaching took place at the request of the Root Institute for Wisdom Culture. The Gyalwang Karmapa taught to an overflowing gompa, with hundreds of students spilling out into the surrounding balconies and gardens. In addition to mostly international students, the audience also included local Indian children from the Root Institute's school.

Mudra House (Semi Antique Craft House)

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Thu, 7 Nov 2013 06:24:00 -0800

MUDRA SEMI ANTIQUE CRAFT HOUSE

Like Us At :

Welcome to the world of calm and insight!

Visit Our Online Store at: Mudra House

OUR INTRODUCTION

Mudra means gestures made by celestial beings and high ordered saints using their hands, legs and entire body. In Mudra Semi Antique Craft House, we, the team of handicraft traders, bring together a delightful collection of pure products from traditional skills thousands of years old handed down from generation to the next. Any piece of the semi antique collection we have, big or small, are produced from those blessed hands of the Himalayas using fine tools developed and mastered by the craftsmen themselves over the period of two decades. We collect the best Tibetan Buddhist statues of silver, copper, stone, crystal and wood produced by the finest craftsmen in the households of Patan. Our specialty is antique finishing of these statues that guarantees you the excellent quality to match your desire. We also collect hand painted Thankas and Tibetan Furniture.

So we warmly invite you to visit our store where we assure that you will get more idea about our products and people who make them.

We also trade in wholesale and accept all credit cards. We also have our own shipping office.

Please Give us a comment Below:

Karma And Its Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 20:31:00 -0700

The main teachings of the Buddha constitute the Law of Cause
and Effect. Although all the beings in samsara seek joy and
shun sufferings they are ignorant of the cause of happiness
or sorrow. In fact, the happiness and suffering of the sentient

beings are the results of their own virtuous or non-virtuous
actions.
Guru Suvarnadvipa of Indonesia once told Atisha
Dipamkara, “Until you attain freedom from the delusion of
ego-grasping, follow the Law of Cause and Effect.”
With the purpose of creating fear in the minds of people from indulging in non-virtuous acts and understanding
the essence of defilements, various wrathful images are being
manifested by the enlightened beings specifically in Vajrayana
tradition.

Buddhism and its Teachings - (By Min Bahadur Shakya)

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:24:00 -0700

Lord Buddha appeared in this world with the sole purpose
of benefitting all sentient beings of the Triple Realm. His
appearance in this world is a very rare phenomena and is the
outcome of the collective merits of his disciples and the beings
who are to be trained under him. Out of great compassion
Buddha Shakyamuni revealed many different means to attain

enlightenment and to win liberation from the cycle of birth
and death. Buddha Shakyamuni set forth three Wheels of
Law to suit varying degrees of intelligence and receptivity.
At a place called Mrigadavana (Deer Park) near Varanasi,
Shakyamuni Buddha turned the First wheel of Law which
constituted the doctrines of the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path and it is designated as Shravakayana.
At a place called Gridha-kuta hill (Vulture Peak) near
Rajgir, the Buddha turned the Second Wheel of Law which
constituted the doctrines of Emptiness and Selflessness of the
person and phenomena. These doctrines are vividly preserved
in Prajnaparamita literature and Vaipulya sutras. This approach
was later known as Mahayana or Path of the Bodhisattva.
At Vaisali, on the other hand, the Buddha turned the
Third Wheel of Law which constituted the doctrines of
Buddha-nature as described in Tathagatagarbhasutra, Mahaparinirvanasutra and Dharanisvararaja sutra.

At various places such as Dhanyakataka, Sriparvat,
Kamakhya, Sirihatta, Purnagiri, Odiyana, etc. the Buddha
revealed the path of Mantra to his highly gifted disciples as
a shorter path to attain enlightenment. This approach was
termed as Vajrayana which integrates all three vehicles.

Essence Of Stura Tradition

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:20:00 -0700

Refuge: We live in an ocean of samsara whose depth and extent cannot be measured. We are troubled again and again by afflictions of lust and hatred. To what refuge should we go
then? In our childhood when we are in trouble we seek the
refuge of our parents. But our parents are themselves suffering
and are the victims of lust, hatred and delusion. They cannot
be the source of refuge. A source of refuge must completely
overcome all the defects forever i.e. it must be free of all faults.
Only the Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all
the qualities and attainments.
Thus we take refuge in the Buddha. Since Dharma is the
unmistaken path leading to enlightenment, we take refuge
in Dharma which eliminates all our causes of suffering.
We take refuge in Sangha who supports and guides our
dharma practice. All Buddha images are representatives of
the Buddha, Scriptures are the representatives of Dharma,
Bhikshus and Bodhisattvas are the representatives of Sangha.
Taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is termed as
outer refuge.
The objects of inner refuge are Gurus, Istadevas and
Dakinis. And the secret refuge according to
Vajrayana tradition is to realize Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya
and Nirmanakaya.

Individual 8 Auspicious Symbol

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Sat, 8 Oct 2011 18:45:00 -0700

The Protection Parasol

The precious parasol symbolizes the wholesome activity of preserving beings from illness, harmful forces, obstacles and so forth in this life.Different traditions have developed many designs of the parasol. The parasol dome can symbolise wisdom and the hanging skirt, compassion.

The Golden Fish

The fish represent the emancipation of one's consciousness from all suffering and thereby leading to eventual spiritual liberation.The golden fish symbolise happiness, due to their freedom in water, and fertility and abundance, due to their ability to multiply quickly.. The symbol is a common auspicious symbol in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions, which originated as being a symbol of the two main sacred rivers the Yamuna and Ganges.

The Great Treasure Vase

The Tibetan design is very ornate with lotus petal designs. The scarf is a silk cloth from the god realm and the upper opening is sealed with a wish granting tree, with the roots retaining the water of longevity to create all the treasures. The 'inexhaustible treasures' possess special qualities, so that however much is removed from the vase, it will always remain full. Therefore treasure vase symbolizes a long life, wealth and prosperity.

The White Lotus

The lotus is the symbol of purity. It is able to grow and blossom from the muddy water, and therefore is a symbol of divine generation. The lotus is used to depict this purity in different forms. The lotus on the throne implies immaculate conception and therefore the being is innately divine. Deities are often depicted holding a lotus as a symbol of their purity, compassion, renunciation and perfection of qualities.

The Right-Turning Conch

It is a symbol of power and sovereignty, the sound believed to banish evil spirits, scare away harmful creatures and avert natural disasters. Buddhism adopted it as a symbol of religious sovereignty and an emblem that spreads the truth of dharma.

The Endless Knot

The endless knot overlaps without a beginning or an end, symbolising the Buddha's endless wisdom and compassion. It indicates continuity as the underlying reality of existence.

The Banner of Victory

The banner stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist doctrine over death, ignorance and all the negativities of this world.In Tibetan Buddhism it is said to symbolise the methods for overcoming the defilements-the development of knowledge, wisdom, compassion, meditation, and ethical vows.

The Wheel of Dharma

Representing the Dharma and Shakyamuni himself, the wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of Buddha's doctrine both in teachings and realizations enabling us to experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.In Tibetan this means 'the wheel of transformation' or spiritual change, and can represent the overcoming of all obstacles and illusions.

Namgyalma Chanting Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Thu, 8 Sep 2011 18:34:00 -0700

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Long mantra: OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SARVA TRAILOKYA PRATIVISHISHTAYA BUDDHAYA TE NAMA TA YA THA OM BHRUM BHRUM BHRUM SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA ASAMA SAMANTA AVABHA SPHARANA GATI GAGANA SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE ABHISHINTSANTU MAM SARVA TATHAGATA SUGATA VARA VACANA AMRITA ABHISHEKERA MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAIH AHARA AHARA MAMA AYUS SANDHARANI SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA GAGANA SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE USNISHA VIJAYA PARISHUDDHE SAHASRA RASMI SANYTSODITE SARVA TATHAGATA AVALOKINI SAT PARAMITA PARIPURANI SARVA TATHAGATA MATE DASHA BHUMI PRATISHTHITE SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE VAJRA KAYA SAMHATANA PARISHUDDHE SARVA KARMA AVARANA VISHUDDHE PRATINI VARTAYA MAMA AYUR VISHUDDHE SARVA TATHAGATA SAMAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI VIMUNI VIMUNI MAHA VIMUNI MATI MATI MAHA MATI MAMATI SUMATI TATHATA BHUTAKOTI PARISHUDDHE VISPHUTA BUDDHI SHUDDHE HE HE JAYA JAYA VIJAYA VIJAYA SMARA SMARA SPHARA SPHARA SPHARAYA SPHARAYA SARVA BUDDHA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE SHUDDHE SHUDDHE BUDDHE BUDDHE VAJRE VAJRE MAHA VAJRE SUVAJRE VAJRA GARBHE JAYA GARBHE VIJAYA GARBHE VAJRA DZOLA GARBHE VAJRODBHAVE VAJRA SAMBHAVE VAJRE VAJRINI VAJRAM BHAVATU MAMA SHARIRAM SARVA SATTVANANYTSA KAYA PARISHUDDHIR BHAVATU ME SADA SARVA GATI PARISHUDDHISHTSA SARVA TATHAGATASHTSA MAM SAMASVASAYANTU BUDDHYA BUDDHYA SIDDHYA SIDDHYA BODHAYA BODHAYA VIBODHAYA VIBODHAYA MOTSAYA MOTSAYA VIMOTSAYA VIMOTSAYA SHODHAYA SHODHAYA VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA SAMANTENA MOTSAYA MOTSAYA SAMANTA RASMI PARISHUDDHE SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAIH SOHA

Short mantra:
OM DHRUM SOHA OM AMRITA AYUR DADE SOHA

Namgyalma Body Structure Details

noreply@blogger.com (Lucky Thanka) — Thu, 8 Sep 2011 18:30:00 -0700

Namgyalma also known as Ushnisha Vijaya(Sanskrit) is the victorious hair or crowned mother buddha. She is white in colour and has 3 faces, white, yellow and blue. Her faces have peaceful, semi-wrathful and wrathful demeanours. She has eight arms, each holding different implements and sits in the meditative position on a lotus. She is a female bodhisattva with three faces and eight arms and one of the three reverend deities of longevity. her middle face and eight arms are white, symbolizing the elimination fo disasters. There is an eye on each side of herforehead and a coronal is twisting around her painted on her crown. As required by the sutra of measurements for the construction of staturs, this mother buddha should be moulded as a maiden of 16 years old. Half of hair should be braided with the remaining hair hanging doen and the tip being longer than her elbows. her face should resemble sesame and her eyes red lotus petals. The yellow face on the left side symbolizes bebefit and longevity and the blue face onthe right side symbolizes the defeat of devils. The mother buddha is holding a double dorje on the one hand of her main arm and rope on the other hand. While the palm of herthird hand is facing the front to graitfy peoples wishes. On the left side, her first hand is holding up, while her second hand isgrasping a bow and her third hand is holding an Amrita- kalash with a flower in bloom. According to the buddhist scriptures, the followers who practices Buddhism should regard the victorious hair Crowned Mother Buddha as a female Boddhisattva who rids of miseries and disasters. practising her dharma can help lengthen their span of life, increase their happiness and wisdom, eliminate their sins and shield them from evil omen.