It was kismet to find this exquisite White Tara, a gift for my good friend on her 30th birthday, on Ritual Thanka's Etsy. They have so many practice-quality paintings created by true craftsmen, and the purchasing process is easy.
When I called Ritual's contact number to ask a question, their sales manager answered and took action to help even though it wasn't his normal job. (Thanks, Rajendra!)
They also sent me a brief personal video showing the packed thangka ready for shipping, and got it out the door quickly -- in the face of the covid pandemic, no less.
You can feel safe supporting Nepalese artists by purchasing from Ritual Thanka.
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According to the ancient texts, the original model for the Wheel of life was painted over the gateway of the Veluvana Bihara at Rajagriha on the instructions of the Buddha himself, who indicated exactly how the work should be done. The Buddha was inspired by the activities of one of his chief disciples, Maudgalyayana . Thanks to his mastery of psychic powers, Maudgalyayana was able to visit all beings in the different realms of existence, and to see them in different states of pain or pleasure; as a result, he became aware of the causes of these different states. The Buddha realized that there were not enough people like Maudgalyayana to teach all those who needed to hear his teaching. He, therefore, instructed his disciples to paint the Wheel of Life, a depiction of the different realms of existence, and their underlying processes, at the entrance to every monastery. The picture is not strictly a literal account of worldly existence, but is effective in that it appeals to our imagination with its rich and powerful imagery.
Original Hand painted Wheel of Life Thangka
The Wheel of Life or “Bhavacakra” is well known by Buddhist monks as a powerful meditation tool and also by students to learn and understand the teachings of the Buddha.
The Wheel represents the very reasons of suffering and it can be seen painted on the walls of many Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in all Himalayan regions.
This thangka painting is characterized by blue background color and different Buddhas are depicted in each realm. Lord Yama has a grey color and he holds the wheel with both his hands by the two sides.
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Size: 17"/ 43 cm (width) x 24"/ 61 cm (height)
Materials: Cotton Canvas, Acrylic Colors, Genuine 24K Gold
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THIS THANGKA IS HAND-PAINTED IN THE TRADITIONAL STYLE AND THE QUALITY IS HIGH
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Framing:
-Not mounted on a traditional brocade
-Tibetan Silk brocade is available in a variety of colors and quality
-Price ranges from $35 to $100 depending upon the silk quality
-Additional 3 business days for this service
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Delivery:
-Free Shipping
-Standard Courier Services
-4-10 business days for delivery
-All items are insured
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Return Policy:
-Returns are accepted within 60 business days.
-You can ship either to Nepal or Texas (USA), whichever works better for you.
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We will be more than happy to answer all your questions.
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Please contact us to:
- Custom order a thangka of any Vajrayana deity. Usually, it takes 2-5 months (depending on complexity) to finish such a thangka of average size.
The wheel of existence is considered an endless life circle of human beings. In the painting, we can see a pig, a snake, and a cock in the center circle symbolizing ignorance, anger, and greed respectively. These are the three cardinal sins of life which cause aversions and hindrances. The second circle shows good people moving upwards to heaven and the sinners being dragged down to hell. The third circle shows the six world of existence and the fourth and last circle shows the chain of cause and effect. The wheel of life is held by the lord of death or Yama which symbolizes that death is inevitable and good deeds or good karma lead to a better afterlife.