Religious Art
Amitayus Mandala Painted Thangka
$1,540 USD
Thangka with brocade border 39x34inches (100x87cms)
Thangka without brocade border 18x18inches (45x45cms)
Please inquire if you wish to order without the brocade border.
The Mandala of Amitayus as depicted here is a two-dimensional rendering of an actual structure that is shaped like a pyramid. Each aspect of the mandala represents a physical feature of the abode, as well as an aspect of the enlightened mind. Of these, the first floor and the outermost square represents the qualities of a Buddha’s bodily activities. The second floor is that of his speech, the floor above that of his mind, while the last floor – depicted as the smallest innermost square – represents the fully enlightened intelligence. At the pyramid’s pinnacle is Amitayus’s mantra written in Lenza script, a form of Tibetan writing often used to transcribe Sanskrit.
According to tradition, the Buddha first revealed the Amitayus Mandala to a group of celestial disciples as a magical apparition. Later it began appearing in drawings and etchings as Mahayana Buddhism began spreading in India in the first century AD.
There are however, numerous versions of the Mandala, each one stemming from the visions received by individual enlightened adepts.