Green tara with Amitabha Buddha traditional painting

Description

This traditional painting of Green Tara with Amitabha Buddha is hand-painted on Cotton Canvas in Kathmandu, Nepal. It measures 87*62 cm (34*24 inch) and weighs 0.3 kg (0.66 lbs).

Two goddesses are presented at the bottom left and top left of the painting. Amitabha Buddha is presented at the top right of Green Tara in the painting.

Iconography of Green tara

Green Tara is depicted in the middle of the painting, with a kind expression on her face. She is seated on a white moon disk, which is connected to a special healing elixir linked to the naval chakra. In Buddhism, the moon signifies the knowledge aspect, which when combined with compassion, leads to the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha. Her right hand is elegantly lowered in Varda mudra, a gesture of granting blessings.

Green Tara is depicted with a blue lotus, often referred to as the ‘night lotus’, in both hands. The Utpala flower on her left hand is represented by an open bloom and an unopened bud, with its bent lower stem symbolizing the root.

The open flower symbolizes the present and the current Buddha, while the bud symbolizes the future and Buddhas yet to come. It also implies a secure destination and a prosperous future. Her right hand is in a gesture of providing shelter.

The thumb and third finger come together to form a circle, symbolizing the union of wisdom and compassion, while the three extended fingers represent the Three Jewels of Buddhism – The Buddha State, The Body of teachings, and The Principles of the Universe.

The same hand holds the stem of a blue lotus representing her willingness to assist. The closed blossom in her right hand represents the past and also the Buddhas of the past. Green Tara is shown in a place of paradise called Khadiravani where Tara dwells. Khadiravani is portrayed as a magnificent mountain kingdom, with lush vegetation and animals with rainbow-colored tails radiating from its outer aura. The crescent moon and sun signify the union of male and female energies which is a common theme in Tantric art.

Mantra of Green Tara

The mantra of Green Tara is om tare tuttare ture soha.

Iconography of Amitabha Buddha

Amitabha Buddha is depicted in the upper right corner of the painting of Green Tara. He is the leader of the Lotus Family, one of the oldest and most important of the Five Buddha Families, which symbolizes love, purity, compassion, and peace. Amitabha’s Pure land is a place of eternal bliss and endless radiance.

Amitabha Buddha is one of the five Tathagatas, each representing the wisdom of discriminating awareness. He is depicted as red in color and riding on a peacock, symbolizing his power to take away the suffering of others just like the peacock eats poisonous plants without being affected. He is typically represented in the stupa facing west.

Mantra of Amitabha Buddha

The mantra of Amitabha Buddha is Om Ami dewa hr.