Iconography
Samantabhadra also known as Visvabhadra, is naked called 'sky clad' , presented embracing figures the white female figure is called Samantabhadri in an body position [Skt. Asana] called Yib-Yum togetherness known as the body of blissful union called Sambhogakaya. The word Samantabhadra means Universal loving Virtue. A union of the inner and outer world. The principle of duality is visualized in male & female, dark-light, love-hate, day & night. The co-emergence [Skt. Sahaja] of wisdom [Skt. Prajna] with fitness of action [Skt. Upaya] which is similar to compassion leads one to a state of Great Bliss [Skt. Mahasukha]. The state of Great Bliss is akin to individual Nirvana.The eight embedded jewels represent the Eightfold Path realised by Sakyamuni. There is a small mirror [Skt. Aina or Darpana] representing introspection, sight or form together with a jewel offering in the foreground. The two hand symbols [Tib. Ting Sha] represent the sense offering of sound. The rainbow beams arising from the crimson nimbus around the head of Samanta Bhadra represent a mastery of Boddhi Nature & one manifestation of the Sambhogakaya is the Rainbow Body. There is a small mirror [Skt. Aina or Darpana] representing introspection, sight or form together with a jewel offering in the foreground. The two hand symbols [Tib. Ting-Sha] represent the sense offering of sound. The rainbow beams arising from the crimson nimbus around the head of Samanta Bhadra represent a mastery of Boddhi Nature & one manifestation of the Sambhogakaya is the Rainbow Body. The co-emergence [Skt. Sahaja] of wisdom [Skt. Prajna] withfitness of action [Skt. Upaya] which is similar to compassion leads one to a state of Great Bliss [Skt. Mahasukha].

Commentary
1. The image of Samantabhadra represents a return to & understanding of our original self . This original self is perceived as a pure & blissful (happy). This position of understanding is perceived as pure awareness devoid of the delusion generated by greed [thirst - Skt. tanha]. & hatred [Skt. Dhosa]. Greed for instance makes us accumulate material wealth, an emotional & physical dependence on material things. Hatred is perceived as jealousy, envy. These obscure our original nature & the real happiness. This causes suffering which is cyclical [Skt. Samsara] & self-perpetuating. The paradox here is that the freedom of self is attained by having less & not more. By giving not taking, by relinquishing not gathering & so forth. The position of pure understanding is a position attained through deep thought & applied understanding. As we proceed we awaken to the pure consciousness [Skt. bodhi]. The word Buddha is Sanskrit which means to be awake or to be awoken.


Take the example of a carefree, spontaneous & happy child compared to a stressed, tired & unhappy adult. But this state of pure consciousness does not mean we have to become children again. This is merely a good example of how change can not always be for the better. The Sambhogaya state which Samantabhadra is depicted is attained though understanding & by realising the delusion of the material world. The blissful union is one of transcendent understanding & liberated awareness rather than the spontaneous naivety of a child. B. 1b. The union of the sun & moon, which themselves represent time {place} & the human condition respectively. It is beyond the common perception of the cyclical sun & moon that a person can enter the Dharmakaya & 4th Vajrakaya realms.



2. Samantabhadra symbolises the union of two. In Hinduism this union is perceived as a union of the atman [the self] with the Brahman [infinite universe]. But in Buddhism the Brahman is perceived as merely another aspect of form, & so in being a described form a veil hindering the realisation of pure consciousness. In Buddhism this union usually refers to two leading ideas which are A. The eternal Present Moment which from the origin, the Awoken Mind of bodhi realises the union of the past, present & future within the ever flowering moment of conscious reality. The blue figure of the past embraces the white figure representing the future within the eternal present. In this way Samantabhadra presents timeless awareness who was existing befoe the very notion of time itself.





Although the school of Yogācāra evolved in the 4th CE much later than the original idea of Samantabhadra, the figure of Samantabhadra is just as useful for meditating on the Principle. The discourse is founded on the existential truth of the human condition: there is nothing that humans experience that is not mediated by mind. Yogācāra thinkers did not focus on consciousness to assert it as ultimately real (Yogācāra claims consciousness is only conventionally real since it arises from moment to moment due to fluctuating causes and conditions), but rather because it is the cause of the karmic problem they are seeking to eliminate. This is to say understand original nothingness it is worthwhile reflecting on momentariness & the transitionb of one moment to the other. In Buddhism, consciousness-only or mind-only [Skt. vijñapti-mātratā, citta-mātra] is a theory according to which unenlightened conscious experience is nothing but false discriminations or imaginations. Also known as "Yogācāra-Svatantrika-Mādhyamaka" by the Tibetan tradition. In his view the Mādhyamika [aka. Sunyavada position is ultimately true and at the same time the mind-only view is a useful way to relate to conventionalities and progress students more skillfully toward the ultimate.



3. The image of Samantabhadra embodies the idea origin of phenomena which is perceived as nothingness. Phenomenal Thought-Form, including the painting of Samantabhadra itself, is believed to be derived from an original simple form. This original form is itself a illusion & ultimately nothingness. That all objects are dependent on causes & conditions which caused the object to be form which were themselves in turn dependent on others causes & conditions & so on & the ultimate emptiness of the constantly changing nature of all things. Since everything is nothingness there is a lack of autonomous existence [Skt. Nihsvabhava]. This is related principle of dependent origination of phenomena [Skt. Pratityasamutpada]. [Skt.] By the 11th CE Tibetan Buddhists in such as Patsap Drak categorised this idea into Prasangika & Svatantrika. Out of which all form is derived & within to which all form dissolves into Nothingness. This is realisation of the Sunyavada [Madyamanka] & Yogacara Schools, & is more completely explained in the Nagarjuna Tablet.



4. Samantabhadra is more commonly associated with emanation of Deific thought-form, i.e. all the Vajrayana Buddhist Deities & Dakinis which arise out of the original inception of Samantabhadra. This idea is particularly connected to Nepalese & Tibetan Buddhism & the concept of Dhyana 'Transcendent' Buddha Families of Amitabha, Akshobhya, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava & Vairochana. However, the Kagyu & Gelug schools use Vajradhara to represent the Original Buddha.



5. Samantabhadra is a key figure in the Flower Garland Sutra, particularly the last chapter, the Gandhavyuha Sutra. The Gandavyuha Sutra details the journey of the youth Sudhana, who undertakes a pilgrimage at the behest of the bodhisattva Manjushree. Sudhana will converse with 52 masters in his quest for enlightenment. The antepenultimate master of Sudhana's pilgrimage is Maitreya. It is here that Sudhana encounters The Tower of Maitreya, which along with Indra's net is one of the most startling metaphors for the infinite to emerge in the history of literature across cultures. In the middle of the great tower... he saw the billion-world universe... and everywhere there was Sudhana at his feet... Thus Sudhana saw Maitreya's practices of... transcendence over countless eons [Skt. kalpa], from each of the squares of the check board wall... In the same way Sudhana... saw the whole supernal manifestation, was perfectly aware it, understood it, contemplated it, used it as a means, beheld it, and saw himself there. In the climax of the Gandhavyuha Sutra, the student Sudhana meets the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who teaches him that wisdom only exists for the sake of putting it into practice; that it is only good insofar as it benefits all living beings.

Mantra of Samathabhadra

Videos of Applying Gold in the Thangka

These sacred paintings serve as objects of contemplation, inspiration, and instruction, guiding practitioners on their spiritual path. Thangkas provide a visual gateway to the world of Tibetan Buddhism, encapsulating its rich symbolism, iconography, and spiritual concepts. With their vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and skillful craftsmanship, thangkas offer a profound visual medium for deepening one's understanding and connection to the teachings of Buddhism.

Thangkas come in various sizes, ranging from small pieces resembling Western half-length portraits to grand-scale creations spanning several meters in each dimension. While the larger thangkas are intended for temporary display during religious festivals, the majority of these artworks are designed for personal meditation or as educational aids for monastic students. The compositions of thangkas are meticulously crafted, featuring intricate details and often incorporating numerous small figures. A central deity or focal point is typically surrounded by a symmetrical arrangement of other divine beings, symbols, or narrative elements that convey profound spiritual teachings.

How is Thangka made

First, the canvas on which the painting is to be executed is laid on a wooden frame to determine the required dimensions. This canvas is an extremely finely woven cotton material, referred to in the Holy Scriptures as "Çura Canvas".

Then the canvas is cut, hemmed and, with the use of sturdy strings, very tightly mounted in the wooden frame. Painting is carried out with the frame in an upright position, without any further rigid support or backing.

In this studio, our primary artist, who works virtually exclusively for us, applies the undercoat consisting of a mixture of chalk and glue to the canvas by hand. Other Thangka workshops have turned to mainly using industrially pre-primed canvas.

This photo shows how the canvas, after receiving its base coat followed by a second coating of bone glue, is polished and smoothed by hand with a stone to attain a perfectly smooth, featureless painting surface. Through this process the canvas becomes quite rigid, thereby providing perfect conditions to evoke very finest artistic detail and over-all superior painting quality.

Using a different Thangka, we see how, after mounting, the complete basic pattern of the respective theme is applied to the canvas.

The following picture shows the steps in creating a gold-based Thangka, such as our No PH 9, the "Holy Mount Kailash". To achieve more intensive colour, yet another prime coat, in ochre, is applied, followed by a coat of pure gold. The so-called Thangka painting gold is traditionally produced by members of the Newar people in Nepal. 24-karat gold is ground to finest powder and mixed with bone glue and water in proportions suitable for direct use in painting. Thus, the Thangka gold is not gold leaf at all! Silver can be processed and used in the same way: Mount Kailash and the surrounding peaks in our completed Thangka were not painted with white paint, rather with precious silver.

Here, the nearly completed piece has been removed from the wooden frame. Now only the very finest finishing touches remain to be added, such as compacting the gold and giving Mount Kailash its silver mantle.

K. Lama regarded his already half-finished thangka proudly

The Mount Kailash Thangka, including the black margin (which can also facilitate the fastening of a traditional brocade frame), is now complete. Only the background gold must be compacted in the places where it is later intended to exhibit a sheen.

Here we see an old ballpoint pen casing into which a specially cut agate has been fitted. The back of this semi-precious stone is slightly concave and can be used to compact gold over extensive areas of the Thangka, while the blunt point is used to lineally compact gold, thus creating a shiny effect.

In this way, through partial compaction of the gold or refraining from compaction, nearly three-dimensional effects can be achieved. The glorious sheen of gold artistically treated in this way richly rewards the beholder or meditator with a Thangka possessed of an extraordinarily aesthetic aura.

Thangka Making Video