Verois Vajra Thangka

[Willowa Vajra Thangka]

Willowa Vajra Thangka, 18th century, Beijing, Buben, colored, 57 cm high, 46 cm wide, 28 cm vertical and 22 cm horizontal. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The main figure in this painting is a blue single, with nine sides, thirty-four arms and sixteen feet, and stands on the lotus stage with the left side. The significance of Vajra Willowa as the father of the Buddha is as follows: to understand the way to become a Buddha, to understand the sixteen emptiness, to have no difference between self-nature and emptiness, to achieve the unique and common two kinds of understanding, to eliminate all obstacles, and to achieve the great nirvana. Its shape is the epitome of the application of symbolism in Tibetan Buddhist statues: such as the nine-headed table and the nine-part Qi Sutra. The main head is cow’s face, which represents the surrender of the king of hell; The two corners of the upper life show the two essence of Buddhism; The top side is gentle, which is the original image of Manjusri, and the other side is fierce, which shows the control of all demons; The red hair shows the fruit position of Prajna Nirvana. Thirty-four arms, each holding a magic weapon in his hand, also have religious symbolic significance. For example, the left and right first opponents hold the elephant skin high, Yu Wuming has been removed; The second opponent holds the axe on the right and the blood skull on the left to show the supreme happiness. The thirty-four arms plus the body, mouth and mind together represent the thirty-seven qualities, namely, the thirty-seven ways of becoming Buddhas, such as the eightfold path and the four-step path. Sixteen feet, symbolizing sixteen empty victories, eight right legs bending, and stepping on men, buffalo, cattle, deer, snakes, dogs, sheep and foxes, all show eight achievements; The left eight legs are extended, and the foot steps on the vultures, owls, crows, parrots, eagles, ducks, chickens and wild geese to show that the eight are free and clean. Under the eight beasts and eight birds, there are Brahman, Emperor Shi and other gods, which respectively symbolize the “four achievements” and the “four wonderful music”, such as kindness and tranquility, development, prestige and calmness. The painting of Huang Wenshu Bodhisattva in the sky, and the left and right paintings of the inheritors of the Great Vajra Dharma; The three figures painted below are all the different forms of Verois Vajra
The style of painting and mounting of this Thangka have the characteristics of the mainland. There is a white silk label on the back, and a four-body inscription in Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan characters is written on the ink. The Chinese text is: “On the first day of June in the forty-third year of Qianlong’s reign, the emperor ordered Zhang Jiahu Tuketu to recognize the image of the sun body of Verois Vajra, the portrait of offering benefits. The first on the right”.

威罗瓦金刚唐卡背后白绫签