Deity: Ksitigarbha (地藏王菩萨) – The Bodhisattva of Compassionate Salvation. Vow: Hell not empty, I will not become a Buddha, symbolising infinite compassion and salvation for suffering beings. Guardian of Peace: Protector of beings, blessing people against disaster and evil, bringing peace. Cause and Effect: Reminds beings to honour cause and effect and that all can attain salvation through practice and repentance. Filial Piety: His deed of saving his mother embodies filial piety. Earth-like Quality: The name Ksitigarbha represents embracing and nourishing all beings like the earth, aiding growth through compassion and wisdom.
Art School/Origin: Tibet – Karma Kagyu (噶赤) tradition. Painted by Tibet lineage artists; natural mineral pigments, colour stable for a hundred years; inheritable and collectible (可传承 可收藏).
Dimensions: Painting Core 2.5 x 3.5 cm (Precision Miniature Art).
Pigments: 100% Genuine Natural Minerals (Lapis Lazuli, Cinnabar, Malachite, Gold).
Casing: Copper protective casing (铜壳).
Merit: Compassionate salvation; guardian of peace; cause and effect and salvation; filial piety; earth-like compassion and wisdom.
I. Cultural Context and Divine Symbolism Ksitigarbha is the Bodhisattva of Compassionate Salvation. His vow symbolises infinite compassion and salvation for suffering beings. He is the guardian of peace; he reminds beings to honour cause and effect and that all can attain salvation through practice and repentance; his deed of saving his mother embodies filial piety; and his name represents embracing and nourishing all beings like the earth. This 2.5x3.5cm Tibet Karma Kagyu pendant serves as a concentrated vessel of this compassionate and salvific energy, with a copper protective casing.
II. Expanded Visual Analysis: Despite its miniature 2.5x3.5cm scale, this Thangka is a display of breathtaking precision. The serene countenance, the staff and jewel, the monastic robes, the sacred halo, and the copper casing are rendered with fine mineral pigments and hair-thin gold lines.
III. Artistic Alchemy: This piece is inheritable and collectible due to its material purity. Painted by Tibet lineage artists with natural mineral pigments, the colours remain stable for over a hundred years.
IV. Spiritual Efficacy: Compassionate Salvation; Guardian of Peace; Cause and Effect and Salvation; Filial Piety; Earth-like Compassion and Wisdom.
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