The Buddha Dharma was passed on orally in the first several hundred years of its formation. It was eventually written down in text that were read by the literate monks and some aristocracy. The teachings were given the illiterate faithful through visual images rich with layers of meaning. Thanghkas frequently included the mandala form.

Once consecrated through ritual, the visual representations of the deities in the thanghkas WERE the deities. The images had become vivified, and were honored as such.

Thanghkas were painted according to prescribed methods and strict adherence to traditional formal creation of the images. Color, placement, subject and symbol were read like books.

Introduction

View slides of thanghkas and mandalas

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Class discussion

Alternate lesson