(The following post is by Susan Meinheit, Tibetan and Mongolian Reference Specialist, Asian Division)
Tibetan astrology combines influences from India, China, Persia and Greece with Buddhist philosophy into a uniquely Tibetan system. Elemental astrology (byung-rtsis) was used in Tibet during the period of the early kings, 2nd century BC, and was also a popular system of divination, along with shamanism, in the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. In the 7th century, Tibet’s first great Buddhist king, Srong-brtsan-sgam-po (ruled 627-649), married an Indian princess, a Nepalese princess and a Chinese princess. The Chinese princess brought to Tibet many ancient books including works on astrology and most likely the system of the nine magic squares and eight trigrams. This period of the early Tibetan Empire was quite cosmopolitan, bringing in concepts of medicine and astrology from surrounding civilizations of India, Iran, Central Asia, and China, and blending them with their own traditions and Buddhist ideas.
Tibetan astrology is not only cosmopolitan but has historical depth as well. The current system is based on the 1207 Tibetan translation of the Kālacakra Tantra (“Dpal dus kyi ʾkhor lo” = Wheel of Time), the symbol of which appears in the upper left of the “Srid pa ho.” Desi Sangye Gyatso then synthesized all these basic concepts of Tibetan astrology into the current presentation of the “Srid pa ho.” In the center is a large golden tortoise, an emanation of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, upon which are the 12 animals of the 60-year cycle, the nine magic squares (sme ba dgu) and eight trigrams (spar kha brgyad). Symbols of the eight planets appear directly below. Surrounding this are various auspicious seals, mantras, and verses, and at the bottom are two wheels of protection with sacred mantras. The three bodhisattvas: Avalokiteśhvara (Bodhisattva of compassion), Mañjuśrī (Bodhisattva of wisdom), and Vajrapāṇi (Bodhisattva of power) are shown along the top register. The inscription at the bottom is the standard blessing for the presentation.
Our thangka is somewhat of a mystery. It began its journey to the Library in Lhasa, where it was purchased in 2001. It was said to have come originally from Chamdo, a large town in Eastern Tibet, and estimated to be a 19th-century work. The back side appears to have been covered with old Chinese newspaper, which might provide clues as to part of its recent history. Where and when was it created, and where has it been kept? For comparison, see digitized images of a modern 20th-century version of the thangka, a gift from visiting Tibetan scholars in 1990, to illustrate the continued tradition of this painting.
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