In this visual mantra, the mantra of love and compassion is repeated in gold over and over with 6 Sanskrit letters…OM MA NI PAD ME HUM. A crossed vajra design is featured in the centre symbolizes the union of wisdom and compassion as well as strength and stability. The delicate accents of red and gold around the border complete this beautiful mandala.
This mandala is a powerful tool for your meditation practice and a one-of-a-kind piece of art for your personal sanctuary.
An original thangka painting, hand-painted by Tashi Gurung, in Upper Mustang (Nepal).
Dimensions: 30cm x30cm (approx. 12” x 12”)
Materials: natural mineral pigments and 24 k gold on specially prepared cotton canvas.
Comes unmatted and unframed.
ABOUT THANGKA PAINTING
Thangka painting is an ancient art form of Tibetan Buddhist painting. Mandalas, deities and Buddhist teachings are painted on fabric scrolls. These paintings are believe to carry divine energy. And they are tools for meditation and contemplative practice. Thankgka painting starts with plain, natural cotton canvas that is stretched tightly onto a wooden frame. The canvas is coated on both sides with a mixture of clay and natural glue. Once it is dry, then the canvas is polished using smooth stones and soft wood to create a fine paper-like surface. The design is drawn on the finished canvas in pencil, then painted using natural pigments, even gold and silver, mixed with clay and water. No chemicals at all, just natural materials.
ABOUT THE ARTIST - TASHI GURUNG
I met Tashi Gurung, a talented thangka painter, when I traveled to the mythical walled city of Lo Manthang, capital of Upper Mustang. Upper Mustang is in a remote corner of Nepal on the Tibetan border, a pocket in the Himalayan range accessed by the narrow and treacherous Kali Gandaki valley carving its way between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, two of the highest mountains in the world. Tashi is a native of Lo Manthang. He trained for many years with a thangka master painter in Kathmandu. He is also part of a UNESCO team of international artists working to restore and preserve the sacred frescoes on the walls of ancient monasteries in Upper Mustang and around the Himalayas, some of them over 700 years old.
