Page 15 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

Large applique thangka unrolled on a hillside at Labrang in Amdo, Eastern Tibet, c.1930.
and support for the practicing Buddhist's faith (dad Thangkas also had public ceremonial uses. We have
rten) and it was also a reminder (dran rten) of the seen Buddhist funeral processions in Nepal and Sikkim
Buddhist's commitment to travel the path set by the led by a man bearing a staff from which a thangka was
Buddha. Occasionally a simple Buddha image was used hung. Srid-pa-ho thangkas were similarly used in pro-
as the object of focus (dmigs rten) during concentration cessions of lamas, or in the procession of a bride's party.
meditation (zhi gnas), but more commonly it functioned Wandering bla-ma maJ;li-pa teachers commonly traveled
as a worthy object for worship and offerings, one which with thangkas that they unrolled and used to illustrate
provided the Buddhist with the right circumstances for their tales when reciting before an audience. Similarly,
adding to the accumulation of merit required for thangkas could be used by ordinary lamas to illustrate
spiritual advancement. their discourses. And some monasteries possessed huge
Furthermore, thangkas were sometimes used to (usually applique) thangkas that were unrolled on
bolster the visualizations generated during meditation. certain holidays for viewing and worship.
Tibetan Buddhists who were accomplishing the Finally, we should not forget that in all of these
preparatory practices (sngon 'gro) of the Vajrayana activities the sacred image was not meant to be the
often had paintings made which depicted their teacher object of simple idolatry. For knowledgeable Buddhists
and his lineage in the form of a "tree of refuge." A the image of an Enlightened One embodied the
painting of the "refuge tree" inspired and strengthened realization of potentialities that lay latent in every
the meditator's own internal image of the vast assembly sentient creature. The ultimate responsibility for gaining
towards which such practices as going for refuge, bowing that realization rested on the shoulders of each indi-
in homage, and the offering of syrribolic maJ;l9alas were vidual. The Buddha - to say nothing of his physical
directed. In the same vein, a monk who every day representations - could be neither pleased nor dis-
recited the Confession Sutra might commission a paint- pleased by worship or the lack of it, for he was believed
ing of the thirty-five Buddhas of Confession in whose to be beyond all attachments and sufferings. Instead, it
presence he envisioned himself when reciting the was the practitioner who benefited from acts of worship,
scripture. Similarly, meditators who applied themselves advancing closer to the ultimate goal through strength-
to the main practices of Vajrayana often kept thangkas ened faith, deepened insight and purer vision.
not only as objects of devotion and sources of
inspiration, but also as points of reference for clarifying
their visualizations. Thus those who were about to enter
a special retreat would sometimes order a painting to be
made of the deity who was to be intensively worshipped
and propitiated.

PAINTINGS IN RELIGIOUS LIFE 11