About the product:

🛕 Name/ Type: Printed Medicine Buddha Thangka - Lush design and finish in a pine wood frame, with five (different) Buddhas, carefully hand-painted in beautiful colors.

🌍 Origin: Nepal

📐 ⚖️ Dimensions: 66 x 52 centimeters

⚖️ Weight: ± 2700 grams

🧬 Material: Wood

💫 Color: Red, green, yellow

📜 Certificate: Zen Curiosity

📦 Packaging: Sold individually - Wrapped in paper and delivered in a cardboard box

🎁 Ideal as a gift or a treat for yourself!

🌟 Stories and symbols

Thangkas are Tibetan Buddhist religious paintings, created on canvas or silk, serving as aids for meditation, teaching, and devotion. Their history is inseparable from that of Tibetan Buddhism, spanning centuries and trials, particularly periods of repression when religious practice was forbidden or dangerous.

📜 Origins and influences (7th–12th centuries)

• 7th century : Buddhism was introduced to Tibet by King Songtsen Gampo , notably through his Nepalese wife Bhrikuti and the Chinese princess Wencheng . This period marks the beginning of the spread of Buddhist arts, including religious paintings.
• 8th century : The Indian master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and the pandit Śāntarakṣita establish Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. The first Tibetan Buddhist paintings appear, influenced by Indian and Nepalese traditions.
• 11th–12th centuries : The earliest known thangkas date from this period, illustrating cultural exchanges between Tibet, India, and Nepal. These works served as teaching aids for practitioners, often illiterate, by depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and mandalas.

🛡️ Thangkas as a means of preservation (13th–19th centuries)

• 13th–14th centuries : Under the rule of Tibetan kings, thangkas became objects of devotion and teaching. Tibetan artists developed their own style, blending Indian, Nepalese, and Chinese influences.
• 16th–17th centuries : Thangkas are used in monasteries for meditation and rituals. They represent deities, spiritual masters, and Buddhist teachings.
• 18th–19th centuries : Thangkas continued to evolve, reflecting the political and religious changes in Tibet. They served both as aids to meditation and as means of preserving Buddhist tradition in the face of external challenges.

🧭 Thangkas as symbols of resistance (20th century)

• 1950 : The Chinese invasion of Tibet led to the destruction of numerous monasteries and the persecution of Buddhist practitioners. Thangkas, as religious representations, were threatened.
• 1959 : The exile of the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans marked a turning point. Thangkas became symbols of cultural and spiritual resistance. Tibetan artists in exile, particularly in India, preserved and transmitted this sacred art.
• Today : Thangkas continue to be created and studied, both in Tibet and elsewhere. They are recognized as intangible cultural heritage, testifying to the resilience and richness of Tibetan Buddhism.

🎨 Artistic and spiritual characteristics

• Iconography : Each thangka follows precise rules for representing deities, with specific proportions and attributes.
• Symbolism : The colors, shapes, and patterns have deep meanings, linked to Buddhist teachings.
• Function : Thangkas serve as aids for meditation, teaching, and devotion. They are used in rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual practices.

🕊️ Conclusion

Thangkas are much more than just works of art. They embody the history, spirituality, and resilience of the Tibetan people.

Throughout the centuries, they have overcome trials, testifying to the strength of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in the face of adversity.

Even today, they continue to inspire and guide practitioners, while preserving a precious cultural heritage.