Padmasambhava Thangka, Tibetan Buddhist Art, Hand Painted, Real Gold

PADMASAMBHAVA
Padmasambhava was a historical teacher who is said to have converted Tibet to Buddhism. He was a renowned scholar, meditator, and magician, and his mantra suggests his rich and diverse nature. Padmasambhava Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiysna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighboring countries in the 8th century. In those lands, he is better known as Guru Rinpoche (“Precious Guru”) or Lopon Rinpoche, or, Padum in Tibet, where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha. He said: “My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra. My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri. I belong to the caste of non-duality in the sphere of awareness. My name is the Glorious Lotus-Born. I am from the unborn sphere of all phenomena. I consume concepts of duality as my diet. I act in the way of the Buddhas of the three times.”

USE OF REAL GOLD
This thangka of Padmasambhava has real gold painted on its surface along with other paints. This is an ancient process of decorating the thangka in Tibetan Buddhism, Here gold is ground into gold dust, which is then mixed with other undisclosed material to make it paintable on the canvas. this mixture is then mixed with transparent glue and painted on the thangka.

INTRODUCTION TO THANGKA
A thangka, also known as tangka, thanka, or tanka, is a vibrant and intricate Tibetan Buddhist painting that serves as a visual representation of spiritual teachings. Crafted with meticulous detail on cotton or silk appliqué, thangkas depict a wide range of subjects including Buddhist deities, sacred scenes, mandalas, and narrative stories. These sacred artworks are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up for storage, resembling ancient scrolls. To protect their delicate nature, thangkas are mounted on textile backings and often adorned with a silk cover on the front. Proper preservation in dry environments is crucial to maintain the integrity and longevity of the silk.