Thangka of Manjushree

Description

Thangka of Manjushree is handpainted using traditional color in Tibetan style. Manjushree is in the center of thangka holding a flammable sword and a lotus in his hand.

According to legend, Manjushree founded the Nepalese civilization. In ancient times, way before Buddha Shakyamuni the Kathmandu Valley was a vast lake.

The Buddha Vipashyin came to Nepal to meditate upon the hill above the lake. Wishing to give the rough mountain people an object of worship, Vipashyin threw a lotus seed into the lake.

When this lotus bloomed, a blue flame of wisdom light shone from the center of its thousand petals. This light was called the Swayambhunath Dharmadhatu, the Self-Sprung Infinite Field of Light and the flame of the enlightened mind of the primal Buddha, Vajradhara burned at its center.

The light of Vajradhara also emanated in the colors of the rainbow and in each of the five colors appeared one of the Five Buddhas – Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi.

Then Manjushri went to Nagarkot Peak on the edge of the lake, and after having pondered in Samadhi how best the lake may be drained, with his keen-edged sword of wisdom he cut three Gorges.

After the lake had been drained and the Valley bottom made suitable for cultivation Manjushree founded the city of Patan which was originally called Manhattan. He taught the people many things. Manjushree manifests himself in the form of Yamantaka, known also as Vajrabhairava in order to overcome the lord of Death, Yama.

The Book (Pustaka) represents Transcendent Wisdom which came to be embodied by the Dyani {Pancha} Buddha Families. The book symbolically contains Buddhist teaching that had been lost to mankind & which was revealed to Manjushree.

The book is commonly mistaken for the Prajna Paramita which was written by many hands between 100 & 200 CE realizing the Boddhisattva Principle. The book of Manjushree alludes to Wisdom and the emanation of the Five Transcendent Buddha Families.

These are Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha & Amoghasiddhi. Wisdom Energy is a power that can extinguish the Five Negative afflictions. Each family heads wisdom energy to overcome these Five hindrances to enlightenment which are greed, hatred, delusion, jealousy & pride.