| Hvashang or Laughing Monk or Fat Buddha |
 |
Tangka ~~Hvashang~~
Laughing Monk
"Buddha of Village Folk and Children~Guide to Practitioners"
If you have questions, contact David by email at david@baronet4tibet.com
Price $485.00 shipping $49.60 worldwide. Please allow 3 weeks for delivery.
Overall measurements: 51" x 35" 130cm X 88cm Inside picture 26" x 20.5" 65cm X 52cm (measurements approximate)
Created at the Sange (Wu tun or Wutun in Chinese) Monastery by a Tibetan Buddhist Monk, this is a newer creation, circa 1990. The multi-colored silk embroidery surrounding this masterpiece is full of Buddhist Icons, Lotus blossoms in full and partial bloom, offerings of coral, etc.
|
Hvashang is a merry corpulent figure who was immortalized because of his popularity with village folk and children. He is fashioned after a wonder working, eccentric monk who moved around from village to village with a beggar's sack upon his shoulders. He is sort of a Buddhist Santa Claus, his fat belly symbolizes wealth, and his smile and relaxed sitting posture indicate equanimity and contentment with himself and the world. <<<<Click on the picture to the left to see an expanded view Hvshang is counted as the 17th Arhat and is a Tibetan addition after the time of Atisha. He is very similar to the laughing Buddha and is associated with Maitreya. Hvashang happily serves the other Arhats as a guide on their journeys and is quite willing to serve as the practitioner's guide in their quest for enlightenment.
|
 |
The figure in the upper right corner is a maiden of enlightenment, bringing jewels of wisdom to the practitioner. I apologize as I can not remember the proper name for this figure.
|
 |
A prevailing theme of this Tangka is the Triratna, the 3 precious jewels of Buddha, dharma and sangha, which represent the body, speech, and mind of all the buddhas. The fruit in the trees is the mango, again presented in the Triratna form. |
 |
Here are depicted a butterfly (see lower panel) Lotus blossoms, Cintamani and precious red coral as an offering. |
 |
The butterfly encapsulates the cycle of caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly -- unified symbols of transmutation, resurrection, and immortality. "What the caterpillar perceives of as the end of all things, the rest of the world perceives as the beginning of the butterfly." |
