About Gankyil

The Gankyil or "wheel of joy" is a symbol and ritual tool used in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism. It is composed of three swirling and interconnected blades.
A leaf from a Prajñāpāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom) manuscript.

Tibetan Buddhist practices – Schools, sutras & tantras

5
Aug
2022
Vajrayāna
Apart from classical Mahāyāna Buddhist practices like the six perfections, Tibetan Buddhism also includes tantric practices, such as and the as well as methods which are seen as transcending tantra, like . In Tibetan Buddhism, practices are generally classified as either Sutra (or Pāramitāyāna) or Tantra ( or Mantrayāna), though exactly what constitutes each category and what is included and excluded in each is a matter of debate and .
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A Thai Dhamma wheel at Wat Phothivihan, Tumpat, Kelantan

Buddhist symbolism – From representation to auspiciousness

26
Jul
2022
Dharma, Mandala, Symbols, Thangka
is the use of to represent certain aspects of the Buddha's (teaching). Early Buddhist symbols which remain important today include the Dharma wheel, the Indian lotus, the three jewels and the Bodhi tree. Anthropomorphic symbolism depicting the Buddha (as well as other figures) became very popular around the first century CE with the arts of Mathura and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara. New symbols continued to develop into the medieval period, .
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Manjuvajra Embracing His Consort

Tantric practices – The esoteric South Asian traditions

22
Jul
2022
Culture, Hinduism, Mahāyāna, Yoga
Tantra are the esoteric traditions of and Buddhism that developed in South Asia from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice. A key feature of these traditions is the use of mantras, and thus they are commonly referred to as Mantramārga ("Path of Mantra") in Hinduism or Mantrayāna ("Mantra Vehicle") and Guhyamantra ("Secret .
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Vajradhara Thangka

Interpreting Vajradhara – The Father of Tantras

21
Feb
2020
Art, Deities, Himalayan Art, Tantrism, Thangka, Vajrayāna
According to the and schools of , is also known as the ultimate Primordial or Adi Buddha. Vajradhara displaced who remains the Primordial Buddha in the or School and the school. However, the two are metaphysically equivalent. The Esse of Vajradhara In this portion, we are going to learn about the ease of Vajradhara, after the short etymological description of the word Vajradhara itself. Etymology of Vajradhara Vajradhara is .
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