Saturday, May 20, 2006
More on this Buddhist Thangka
This morning, I examined the thangka more closely, and made some interesting discoveries. It seems to be bordered with various types of brocade--the outer border is black, the next bronze, the innermost maroon. The painting itself seems to be on some sort of parchment or very heavy paper--at least, that is how it feels to me. The Buddha sits atop a lotus throne, the stem of which rises from the water (dark blue waves) below. The throne consists of the many, many blooms emerging from this single stem.
The Buddha has black hair with something resembling a "widow's peak" in the center. His head and topknot are outlined in a green/gold border, which shades into a larger nimbus of green moving into indigo. Then, surrounding his entire figure is a very wide aura of undulating bronze/gold. The smaller Buddha who sits above his head has a similar design, though it is simplified.
The Buddha sits with on hand holding a begging bowl, the other resting on his knee. His shoulder is exposed in traditional monk fashion. As I noted earlier, he appears quite androgynous, and could easily be taken for a female. His lips are delicate. His eyebrows are quite dainty. His fingernails are painted light blue.
The gold of the painting appears primarily in the pattern of the robe and in the tips of the leaves intertwined among the lotus blossoms.
Why am I detailing all of this so minutely? I'm not sure. I have read that when practitioners sit in contemplation of deity images, they are instructed to memorize all the details of the presentation, including the instruments the deity carries. I seem to have followed this injunction unconsciously. Indeed, this morning, I spent most of my time just looking more closely at the detail of the painting.
May you find this description useful, even though it still doesn't account for the powerful energies which emanate from this timeless figure.
For me, the entire experience of "living with Buddha" has provided a deeper understanding of why certain meditators spend their time contemplating images of deity. Something connects. Something is felt, which goes beyond mere visual perception, mere aesthetic display. What the image projects is, finally, mystery, a mystery that is palpable and real.
As Yeats said, "Man can embody truth, but never know it."
The Buddha has black hair with something resembling a "widow's peak" in the center. His head and topknot are outlined in a green/gold border, which shades into a larger nimbus of green moving into indigo. Then, surrounding his entire figure is a very wide aura of undulating bronze/gold. The smaller Buddha who sits above his head has a similar design, though it is simplified.
The Buddha sits with on hand holding a begging bowl, the other resting on his knee. His shoulder is exposed in traditional monk fashion. As I noted earlier, he appears quite androgynous, and could easily be taken for a female. His lips are delicate. His eyebrows are quite dainty. His fingernails are painted light blue.
The gold of the painting appears primarily in the pattern of the robe and in the tips of the leaves intertwined among the lotus blossoms.
Why am I detailing all of this so minutely? I'm not sure. I have read that when practitioners sit in contemplation of deity images, they are instructed to memorize all the details of the presentation, including the instruments the deity carries. I seem to have followed this injunction unconsciously. Indeed, this morning, I spent most of my time just looking more closely at the detail of the painting.
May you find this description useful, even though it still doesn't account for the powerful energies which emanate from this timeless figure.
For me, the entire experience of "living with Buddha" has provided a deeper understanding of why certain meditators spend their time contemplating images of deity. Something connects. Something is felt, which goes beyond mere visual perception, mere aesthetic display. What the image projects is, finally, mystery, a mystery that is palpable and real.
As Yeats said, "Man can embody truth, but never know it."
