 You can click to the
Sipa-ho tangka for an enlarged picture
where you can point the mouse to different symbols for tool tips and names.In this section, it is also possible to see a simplified drawing of the Big Golden Tortoise. Sipa-ho is the Tibetan tangka (religious painting) of protection, which represents the signs and symbols of the universe and its sentient beings through the symbolic language of astrology. The central figure of Sipa-ho is a Big Golden Tortoise, which is a manifestation of the god of wisdom, Manjushri. It is pictured lying on its back, surrounded by protective flames against evil spirits. On the innermost of the Tortoise's stomach is nine magic Mewa square numbers. Usually, in the next layer is eight Parkha trigrams and then 12 animals. But in this particular tangka from Men-Tsee-Khang pictured here, the Parkhas and the 12 animals have changed place. The Big Golden Tortoise, pictured in the tangka of Good Luck, is painted as tradition dictates. The five elements are included as part of The Golden Tortoise, which also shows directions. The element of Fire is pictured as the fire by the Tortoise's head in the South. The element of the Water is pictured in the Tortoises tail in the North. The element of Wood is pictured on the East side of the Tortoise as a tree. The element of Iron is pictured on the West side of the Tortoise as Manjushri's sword. The symbols of the element of Earth are placed by the four limbs of the Tortoise. At the upper left corner, below the Moon, is the talisman of Kalachakra Deity. To the right is pictured Avalokitesvara, (bodhisattva of compassion), Manjushri (bodhisattva of wisdom), and Vajrapani (bodhisattva of energy and power). And at the upper right corner, below the Sun, is the talisman of Padmasambhava (an Indian tantric master who taught Buddhist philosophy in Tibet in 8th century and combined Buddhism with Elemental astrology). The long signs at the right and left side of the tangka are the protective seal for twelve-year cycle, protective seals against the harmful spirits of the six worlds and the seal of rSipa-ho. Just under the Big Golden Tortoise are the signs of the Sun, the Moon and five planets and the shadowy planet Rahu (Northern Moon node).
On either side of the planet symbols are the two wheel talismans of Elemental astrology. |