Songofsnow Books, Art & Photo

Original Green Tara Tsakli card.

Watercolor on sized cloth. 67x93mm. Tibet, late 19th century or early 20th century.

This painting represents the Bodhisattva Green Tara in the seated in the Ardha Paryanka posture. Her left hand is in the blessing mudra, and holds the stem of a lotus flower. Her right hand is in the refuge mudra, and also holds the stem of a lotus.

She wears the crown of the five Buddha families with a topknot (Ushnisha), and is seated on a lotus and moon disk. The reverse of the Tsakli is inscribed with an Om syllable. The syllable indicates that the card was consecrated for use.This card was probably used for an extensive Tara Mandala, which would have had 21 different representations of the Goddess, along with other cards depicting offerings, and various Dharma implements.

Tsakli Cards: Tsaklis are miniature painted cards used for different purposes in Tibetan Buddhism.

Primarily they are used for empowerment, also for portable shrines called Gaus, and for the making of Mandalas or consecration for the deceased. For a Tantric empowerment, an extensive set may consist of 100 or more cards. Besides the deities of the Mandalas, the cards would depict offering substances, Tantric implements, texts. Often they would be attached to a purifying water vase, offering cake (gTorma) or incense burner.