NOT FOR ART’S SAKE
People in Bhutan practice the Vajrayana form of Buddhism. Peaceful and wrathful deities are reflected in Bhutanese art and sculpture – each symbolising powerful elements of the human self and psyche.
“Visualisation is the creative process of spiritual projection, through which inner experience is translated into visible form.” – Lama Govinda
Vajrayana art has a powerful impact on most people who encounter it for the first time, and often draws some very strong responses to the mysterious intricacies of the imagery.
The wrathful and sensual Vajrayana imagery found in most Bhutanese temples is disturbingly far removed from the vision of sobriety, abstinence and serenity associated with mainstream Buddhism and other faiths around the world.
As Buddhist art historian and Tibetologist Giuseppe Tucci commented: “The images now peaceful, now terrific, seem to jump up alive before your eyes to crowd on you like ghosts and to engrave themselves mercilessly into the bottom of your subconscious so as to haunt your dreams as well…”
So what then is the function and purpose of Vajrayana Art? Unlike mainstream Western art, Vajrayana art forms are not created in the context of art for art’s sake but have strong didactic intent revolving around religious themes and practice. Artistic creativity and identity is secondary. This partly explains why the identity of artistics and sculptors was never very important in our artistic traditions. The imagery serves a spiritual purpose and is not openly revealed to satisfy mere curiosity.
Vajrayana art is essentially a religious tool. To use a popular Buddhist expression, it is a ‘skillful means’ to convey the profound teachings of Buddhism and to serve as idealized objects to facilitate creative visualization in meditation and for veneration.
The images and representations of the deities are symbols or various ideals, qualities and truths projected externally so that we can internalize these profound values more effectively within our own mind. The deities are the ultimate symbols of the perfect state of Buddhahood and enlightenment.
While this explanation may be easily understood in the context of the serene Buddhas, this is not as readily apparent in the case of the wrathful deities, many of whom are depicted in sexual union with their female spiritual counterparts and brandishing an assortment of weapons.
The symbolism and iconography of the wrathful and yab-yum (male-female) deities are more complex and intriguing. The visualization and rites of these deities are dealt with in Vajrayana practice only at the most advanced levels after practitioners have secured a deep understanding of the relevant principles, and acquired deep rooted meditative practice. Most importantly, they must possess the right motivation in using these images.
The inherent pitfalls and rewards of traversing the Vajrayana spiritual path has been aptly compared to the situation of a snake in a bamboo pole, where it can only go up or down. Appreciating this, the great masters and saints of the tradition revealed such transmissions directly to trusted and experienced disciples whose consciousness and spiritual development were ripe for initiations into such practices. This was prompted by a grave recognition of the potential harm and real dangers for those not mature enough for such powerful practices and those likely to abuse it.
It is clearly maintained that the projection to wrath through the deities symbolizes neither anger nor hatred, but rather the awesome and sheer energy and power required to overcome the deep-seated and subtle obscurations latent in all of us. Many of these emotional defilements or poisons, such as egoism and ignorance, are often personified in the form of enemies to be vanquished.
Similarly, the bloody weapons brandished by the wrathful deities are not weapons of violence, but implements and tools to root out negativities or wrong views. As such, all the wrathful implements depicted are inherently benevolent and related to tools for spiritual development though they often appear to indicate otherwise.
Another common image is that of the father-mother union. The symbolism that is conveyed relates to the perfect fusion of wisdom (sherab) and skillful means (thab), which results in enlightenment. This is said to derive from the association of the original Sanskrit term prajna or wisdom being of the feminine gender and upaya or skillful means as masculine gender.
Vajrayana symbolism is multilayered, and can be understood at various levels with numerous esoteric interpretations. Complex and confusing as it is, making an effort to understand this coded language of symbolism can provide a fascinating and rewarding insight into the spiritual truths of the tradition. It will enhance the understanding and appreciation of Bhutanese culture, and popular icons and symbols that have been deeply shaped by Vajrayana principles and values. While recognizing the religious symbolism in art, one must be warned of the dangers of reading too much into an image or depiction. Sometimes a tree is simply and a tree and nothing more.
From Icons of awakened energy – An introduction to Bhutanese iconography by Kunzang D. Dorji, published by the Department of Tourism.