嘉央群培｜描绘「观音」的人

文/ 刘思远

图/ 嘉央群培

译/ 马胜楠

千手千眼观音 Sahasrabhuja  Avalokiteśvara

布面，矿物质颜料、金

Mineral Pigments and Gold on Canvas

80x60cm

哈热哈热观音 Harehare Avalokiteśvara

布面，矿物质颜料、金

Mineral Pigments and Gold on Canvas

80x60cm

2014

The intricately carved wooden door adorned with floral patterns is slightly ajar, revealing a fragrant haze that envelops the surroundings. Behind the veil of aromatic smoke stands a gilded Buddha statue, tinged with the joy of unwavering liberation. With thangka paintings depicting Buddha, Avalokiteśvara, Tara, Dharma protectors, main deities, and mandalas, the room exudes a tranquil gaze upon the confined space.

Jiayam Chumpel is immersed in this sacred ambiance, with his canvas before him. A slight inclination directs his gaze onto the canvas, and in his hand, the brush transcends physical constraints, wandering through the realms of the "three worlds", "six paths" and the "three thousand great worlds".

In Guo Mari Village, Tongren County, Qinghai Province, at an altitude of over 2500 meters, the morning mist drifts in the valley of the Longwu River. As the sunlight bathing the land like water, Jiayam Chumpel has commenced a day's work, continuing until the sunlight recedes, making way for moonlight. Throughout the day, aside from essential tasks of a monk, he remains before the canvas, sharing moments with the vast emptiness beneath his brush.

For Jiayam, this is an almost perfect day. The plain and pure space resembles a small island floating above the real world, bearing witness to his thirty years of progress and cultivation.

At the age of 13, Jiayam Chumpel became a monk at the Guomari Monastery. This name was bestowed upon him by his master, meaning "the Dharma of Manjushri Bodhisattva". In the Tibetan region, where faith is integral to the culture, a young boy joining the monastic order and receiving a Dharma name is not an unusual occurrence. However, this name seemed destined to connect Jiayam with "Bodhisattva".

Since 2010, Jiayam Chumpel has dedicated twelve years to tracing back through the vast "Kangyur" (Tibetan Buddhist canon) to recreate over 130 lost Thangkas with the theme of "Avalokiteśvara" (also know as Guanyin). Prior to depicting Avalokiteśvara, Jiayam had already reproduced 111 lost Thangkas of mandalas, 10 lost Thangkas of main deities, and 8 lost Thangkas of astronomical and calendrical calculations. The sand mandala of the Kālacakravajra he crafted in 2002 at the Regong Arts Museum in Huangnan Prefecture, Qinghai, with a diameter of 4.5 meters, remains the largest sand mandala in the world to this day.

A monk and an artist, delving deeply into the scriptures, focusing on the twelve-year journey of painting "Avalokiteśvara", is sufficient to constitute an epic of a lifetime. Yet, Jiayam Chumpel sees it as faithfully fulfilling the duties and tasks of a monk.

In these twelve years, what arduous journeys has Jiayam experienced, and what does "Avalokiteśvara" truly mean to him?

01

As a community living for generations on the plateau, the Tibetan people coexist and thrive with the most magnificent, abundant, rugged, and grand geographical landscapes and natural environments on Earth. In the pre-modern Tibetan region, a herder might only interact with a handful of people throughout their lifetime. Over the long years, besides a few relatives and friends, the individuals they most frequently encountered were the "deities" inhabiting the mountains and waters. In such an environment, individuals especially needed something to rely on. Thus, this ethnic group created a vast and intricate system of deities (Buddhas), forming a cultural tradition with a worldview of the unity of heaven and man, the unity of the self and nature, and the belief in the sacredness of mountains and lakes.

To portray the vast and expansive cosmic space, towering and treacherous sacred mountains and lakes, dynamic natural elements, as well as deities, sages, etc., on a small canvas, enables one to constantly gaze and contemplate, day and night, without leaving home. This practice leads to a perception where everything in the universe merges into an undivided whole. The small and transient human dwelling transcends the limitations of the present physical body, surpasses the life and death of the worldly realm, and reaches the eternal nature of the soul.

"Thangka", as a spiritual embodiment, carries people's beliefs, representing the primal value of this expressive form. Jiayam has been learning to paint Thangkas since he became a monk, particularly focusing on the special significance of mandalas, which are considered highly meaningful in Buddhism. At the age of 18, he was sent to Gansu Labrang Monastery to study the techniques of drawing the lines and creating the colored sand mandalas.

In the Buddhist belief system, the mandala is a foundational totem, usually only qualified monks who have received empowerment from a teacher, a living Buddha, undergone retreats, and obtained the secret method of creating the mandala are eligible to paint it. They must adhere to complex religious doctrines, strict codes, and the undisclosed techniques of painting.

The mandala in Thangkas encapsulates a Buddhist view of transcending and integrating space and time. On the seemingly two-dimensional plane, it presents a multi-dimensional space, regarded as the practitioner's field of practice. The enclosed structure symbolizes isolation from external interference. The central deity, standing prominently, signifies the posture of enlightenment. The closed quadrilateral or polygonal walls surround the central axis, representing Mount Sumeru at the center, symbolizing the center of the world.

For Jiayam Chumpel, who is both a monk and a painter, the mandala is a map, a guide, a code. As a spiritual act, drawing and contemplating it gradually converge and ascend from the boundless void to the center, reaching the highest point, the attainment of perfection and bodhichitta. This process guides him on the path to recreate the lost Thangkas of Avalokiteśvara.

02

I asked Jiayam, "Thangkas are traditionally intricate and detailed. Why do you dare to paint them so simply?"

Jiayam gave a simple explanation: In a Thangka, the most crucial part is the position of the mandala. When people contemplate, their focus is mainly on the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Excessive decoration can interfere with one's attention.

Such humble expression is filled with emotions as if the deities were always close to his heart, never detached from the ordinary and familiar secular life.

Jiayam Chumpel's hometown locates in the Rebgong area, which is renowned as the "Hometown of Chinese Thangka Art". Since Thangka, along with other art forms like embroidery and clay sculpture, was listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009, over tens of thousands of people have engaged in learning "Rebgong Art". With the development of times and a shift in perspectives, Thangka art has evolved from being primarily a religious expression to encompass various cultural industries and economic functions. Consequently, Thangka painters, once predominantly monks, are now increasingly individuals from diverse backgrounds practicing this traditional art form.

Traditional Rebgong Thangka emphasizes realistic details, with meticulous depictions of details such as hairstyles and folds. The use of gold outlining techniques enhances the richness of color, creating vibrant compositions. Techniques like pointillism, single-line shading, and color block filling are employed to achieve these effects.

Jiayam Chumpel's "Avalokiteśvara" Thangka series builds upon the Mantang style of  the Rebgong Thangka and further expands it. Known for its simplicity and refinement, delicate color blending, subtle and harmonious tones, and rich layers, the series is particularly distinguished by its predominant use of shades of green, creating a serene and ethereal atmosphere.

As a form of spiritual practice and visualization, the image of Avalokiteśvara holds special symbolic significance. For instance, the Eleven-faced Avalokiteśvara is a common representation, symbolizing the Bodhisattva's completion of the "Ten Grounds" and reaching the eleventh ground (Buddhahood). Each color used in the image also carries specific meanings: white symbolizes calmness and kindness, often used for the faces of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, while red and deep blue represent fierceness and fierceness, often used in wrathful deities or Bodhisattvas.

The various implements held by Avalokiteśvara are not merely details but a symbolic system, vividly describing Avalokiteśvara's identity, status, character, and their symbolic significance in religion. For example, Vajrasattva stands at the center of the Thangka, wearing a precious crown and holding a vajra scepter upright in the right hand, symbolizing the subjugation of afflictions. The left hand holds a vajra bell, representing the pure sound of Prajna paramita, alerting all sentient beings. These symbolic expressions turn Avalokiteśvara's image into more than a visual representation, becoming a profound religious and philosophical contemplation.

After continuously depicting "Avalokiteśvara" for twelve years, what does it mean to Jiayam Chumpel?

In his youth, Jiayam often heard stories about Lobsang Gyatso, a greatly accomplished practitioner. Jiayam was once moved to tears in front of a mural depicting Lobsang Gyatso. In his understanding, achieving great realization required abandoning all distractions, calming the mind and body, and engaging in long-term retreat.

Retreat was a nearly obsessive wish for Jiayam. After over a decade of painting Thangkas, with a growing desire to embark on retreat, Jiayam gathered the courage to visit his teacher, Jamgyal Rinpoche, who practiced deep retreat in the mountains.

Jamgyal Rinpoche, looking at the earnest and eager young monk Jiayam, gently said, "You should paint Thangkas while you are young, bringing back the lost Thangkas. That is a more worthwhile endeavor. When you are old, when your eyesight fades, and you can't paint anymore, then come for retreat."

Jamgyal Rinpoche's guidance was a lamp, illuminating the long-standing darkness in Jiayam's heart. From then on, painting Thangkas became, in his eyes, a form of retreat in the world, especially as Thangka's popularity increased in the market over the years. More and more disturbances infiltrated this sacred domain, causing Jiayam inner pain and confusion.

"Now, as long as I start painting, I am particularly happy. If there are no other disturbances, painting every day is my favorite thing to do," Jiayam said with increasing simplicity. I realized that his pure, calm, and joyful heart was truly moving. Understanding why, when faced with Jiayam's "Avalokiteśvara", that immediately captivating purity, elegance, and spirituality, one could instantly activate a strong sense of sanctity, compassion, and beauty in the heart.

From the perspective of a practitioner, this charming lack of symbolism and the direct expression of essence are reflections of one's thoughts and cultivation. The great way is simple, and profound wisdom often reveals itself in ordinary and simple ways, guiding people to eliminate the obscurities and return to the true self.

Every culture carries identifications about faith, ethics, and aesthetic values. The aesthetic qualities in the Avalokiteśvara Thangkas are primarily linked to religion, as proposed by David Morgan's concept of the "divine gaze", leading to "religious practices that direct one toward states of compassionate, luminous being." Just as the Tibetan people entrust the worldly entities to divinity, expanding the boundaries of their inner spiritual world, the Avalokiteśvara Thangkas consolidate people's pursuit of compassion and wisdom in a small canvas space, constantly reflecting the human mind's scattered and restless nature due to ignorance.

Tibetan scholar Yixinam described the aesthetic positioning of Thangkas in two dimensions: the "Craft Thangka" and the "Devotee Thangka". The "Craft Thangka" or the Thangka seen with the naked eye focuses on materials, decorations, the ornate style of texts, and the narrative content. On the other hand, the "Devotee Thangka" or the Thangka seen with the mind's eye emphasizes the "sense of direction", similar to Thangkas serving as a convenient method to guide novice practitioners into the Buddha's realm.

Jiayam's process of depicting "Avalokiteśvara" follows the ladder of the "Devotee Thangka," step by step, ascending towards the sacred summit he envisions in his heart.

03

Since 2010, BB Gallery has been wholeheartedly supporting Jiayam Chumpel in reproducing the lost "Avalokiteśvara" Thangkas. The gallery is not only moved by Jiayam's dedication and sincerity as a monk but also captivated by his artistic intuition and aesthetic sense. Undoubtedly, Jiayam has significantly elevated the artistic aesthetics and value of Thangka art as a genre.

Despite the increasing number of practitioners in Thangka painting today, Thangka, as a form of traditional art, has its uniqueness. Firstly, Thangka painters must strictly adhere to the strict regulations outlined in the "Sutra on the Measurement of Buddha Images." Secondly, for traditional religious themes like Buddha images, accurate sources are crucial. Nowadays, this poses a high threshold for most painters, involving not only their skills but also their scholarly attainment.

Initially, Thangkas primarily served as a practice method for monks' contemplation, hence the tradition of "drawing from the scriptures". Although Jiayam boldly innovates and transforms the style of his paintings, he strictly adheres to the reverence of a monk regarding the origin of the content.

Due to past imperfect preservation methods and recording techniques, numerous Thangkas with historical heritage and stylistic lineage have been damaged or lost over time. Jiayam wishes to remedy this regret. Thus, his priority is not to paint more but to explore the source. This involves finding the scriptures that depict Buddha images and, through the abstract textual descriptions, interpreting them into tangible images based on his understanding.

Jiayam Chumpel chooses the theme of "Avalokiteśvara" as the main subject of his expression. Whether in the folk or Buddhist believers' hearts, Avalokiteśvara represents a spirit of compassion and wisdom that transcends religion and belief—a symbol of humanitarianism. Jiayam embarked on a twelve-year journey to recreate the images of Avalokiteśvara, starting with the two important Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, "Kangyur" and "Tengyur".

The "Kangyur" contains 74 sections of Vinaya, 70 sections of Sutra, 26 sections of Abhidharma, and 8 sections of Tantra, covering not only Buddhist studies but also philosophy, history, medicine, and various fields. The "Tengyur", akin to a comprehensive encyclopedia, includes more than 390 volumes in total, encompassing local cultural knowledge of the Tibetan people.

In the vast expanse of scriptures, Jiayam spent a long time and covered a broad space. He immersed himself in the quiet, dim, and pure depths of his house, like a transparent amber. Sunlight and moonlight penetrated, and he buried himself in the scriptures, as if he had been immersed for thousands of years, containing solemnity in solitude.

Jiayam always has unread scriptures, and the radiant face of Avalokiteśvara always appears in his mind. As the new day's morning arrives in the serene and warm light, with the Longwu River flowing gently, birds singing, Jiayam Chumpel sits in front of his canvas, presenting us with a happy face.

Author: Liu Siyuan 

Artwork images: Jiayam Chumpel

Translator: Karen Ma