Thangka Manjushree

Description

Thangka Manjushree
Hand-painted in canvas
Size: approx. 85 x 55 cm
Size interior image: approx. 35 x 24 cm

Manjushree
Manjushree, god of divine wisdom, whose worship gives mastery of the Dharma memory. However, mental perfection and eloquence are a prerequisite for this. Manjushree is also a form of bodhisattvas and it symbolizes wisdom. In Nepal, he is considered the founder of Nepalese civilization and the creator of the Kathmandu Valley. According to tradition, he was a Chinese saint. His intuition told him about the blue flame (symbol for Adibuddha or Swayambhu) on a lotus in the big lake of Nepal. He went there to offer worship but was unable to reach the water because of it. He cut the south wall of the hills with his sword, causing the water of a lake to flow south. This made the dry valley a fertile Kathmandu valley. He carries the sword of wisdom and light in his right hand and the Prajnaparamita manuscript the “Book of Divine Wisdom” in his left hand on the lotus flower. His left hand is shown in a teaching gesture (Jnana Mudra). It is also called Manjunghose, Manju Bara, Vajranga and Vagiswara. People believe that worshiping Manjushre will give them wisdom, memory, intelligence, etc.

Thanka
A (Buddhist) thangka, loosely translated as “something rollable”, or something “to roll”, is painted with opaque colors on cotton or silk fabric, often with ornate borders and sub-fabrics.
As a rule, wooden struts are used on the upper and lower edge, often with decorative buttons and two long ribbons. Thangkas are used for Buddhist meditation, at home, during parades but also in temples and processions.
Mostly deities, lamas, Buddhas, or Bodhisattvas are represented, also the wheel of life or other symbols of Buddhism.

Additional information