Mandala of the Medicine Buddha |

Digital Thangka is moving!

I am moving to another apartment and need your support!

But first, I will start with the good news: from the start of Digital Thangka until 12 April 2025, the number of downloads of my thangkas surpassed 233.500! A huge success!

I offer my work for free and I was hoping to cover my expenses and earn some money purely from donations. Currently, however, these donations barely cover the costs of my drawing software, hosting and maintaining my website, and my computer system.

So why am I reaching out to you now?

I am moving to another apartment, that is both cheaper and more manageable than the one I live in at the moment. Problem is, my current apartment had all the furniture and appliances included in the rent but the new one does not. So, I need to buy a bed, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, tables and chairs, closets to store my things, and some furniture for my studio as well. I will buy some of it second hand but I still need to purchase a fair amount of new stuff.

So this is why I reach out to you: can you please offer me some financial support to keep drawing and offer my digital thangkas for free – in a modestly furnished apartment?

You can donate on my gofundme or through PayPal.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Fred van der Zee

Digital Thangka

Introduction to the Mandala

I started painting the Mandala of the Medicine Buddha the 1st of August 2015, in a summer course of my thangka teacher Andy Weber, and finally finished it on 14 December 2023. It has been a long (and sometimes very bumpy) road to finish it but it can finally be shared with the world. Thank you to all my supporters, backers and – last but not least – Andy, who’s never-ending support and encouragement, and deep knowledge of Buddhist iconography was indispensable for creating and finalizing this Mandala.

The Mandala not only contains all the figures in high detail but you can download all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Guardians and Generals as separate images as well.

If you like my work and want to support me, consider becoming my patron. If you rather want to give a one-time donation, you can offer it through PayPal.

Note: Some of the images that are not specific to the Mandala of the Medicine Buddha can be found in My Digital Thangkas.

Mandala of the Medicine Buddha

Mandala of the Medicine Buddha Final (1569 downloads ) (54,1 MB)
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Eight* Medicine Buddhas

* Only 6 are shown here, the others are the Medicine Buddha and Buddha Shakyamuni, available here.

Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing

Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing (580 downloads ) (22,8 MB)
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Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing (Ngön.khyen gyäl.po), whose body is ruby red in colour, his right hand in the mudra of supreme giving and his left hand in the mudra of meditation.

Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma

Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma (573 downloads ) (14, 8 MB)
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Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma (Chö.drag gya.tso yang), with a white-coloured body, his right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and his left hand in the mudra of teaching.

Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold

Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold (487 downloads ) (14, 8 MB)
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Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold (Ser.zang dri.me), gold in colour, his right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and his left hand in the mudra of teaching.

Buddha King of Melodious Sound

Buddha King of Melodious Sound (509 downloads ) (14, 7 MB)
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Buddha King of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill, Adorned with Jewels, Moon, and Lotus (Dra.yang.gyi gyäl.po), yellow in colour with his right hand in the mudra of supreme giving and his left hand in the mudra of meditation.

Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow

Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow (482 downloads ) (14, 7 MB)
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Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow (Nga.nän.me Chö.päl), maroon pink in colour with both hands in the mudra of meditation.

Buddha Glorious Renown of Excellent Signs

Buddha Glorious Renown of Excellent Signs (507 downloads ) (14, 8 MB)
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Buddha Glorious Renown of Excellent Signs (Tsen.led yong.drag.päl), gold in colour with his right hand in the mudra of bestowing and his left hand in the mudra of meditation.

16 Bodhisattvas

Manjushri

Manjushri (6369 downloads ) (28,0 MB)
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Manjushri is a bodhisattva associated with prajñā (transcendent wisdom). He belongs to the three protective bodhisattvas surrounding the Buddha. Manjushri manifests all the Buddha’s wisdom, Avalokiteśvara all the Buddha’s immense compassion, and Vajrapāni all the Buddha’s power. The veera (lute) displayed is a reference to Manjushri’s consort Saraswati. She is often depicted playing one, while riding a swan, hence the swan’s head at the top of the lute.

2-Armed Avalokiteshvara

16 Bodhisattvas: 2-Armed Avalokiteśhvara (488 downloads ) (23,4 MB)
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Avalokiteshvara is the bodhisattva of Compassion. The Dalai Lamas are said to be the incarnation of this deity. This is the second of the 16 bodhisattvas in the second ring of petals of the Mandala of the Medicine Buddhas, Manjushri being the first one.

Peaceful Vajrapani

16 Bodhisattvas: Peaceful Vajrapāni (488 downloads ) (23,2 MB)
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Vajrapāni is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha. Usually he is portrayed in a wrathful pose, but the Mandala contains his peaceful emanation. He is extensively represented in Buddhist iconography as one of the earliest three protective deities or bodhisattvas surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the Buddha’s virtues: Mañjuśrī manifests all the Buddha’s wisdom, Avalokiteśvara manifests all the Buddha’s immense compassion, and Vajrapāni protects the Buddha and manifests all the Buddha’s power as well as the power of all five tathāgatas.

Nyi.Nang

16 Bodhisattvas: Nyi.Nang (457 downloads ) (23,5 MB)
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The fourth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding a sun on a lotus flower.

Da.Nang

16 Bodhisattvas: Da.Nang (482 downloads ) (23,5 MB)
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The fifth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding the moon on a lotus flower.

Lodro Chenpo

16 Bodhisattvas: Lodro Chenpo (284 downloads ) (23,5 MB)
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The sixth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding a lotus flower with the eye of the Buddha.

Maitreya

16 Bodhisattvas: Maitreya (461 downloads ) (23,5 MB)
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Maitreya, the seventh bodhisattva in the second ring of petals. He is holding a naga pushpa flower, showing only the buds. This symbolizes his appearance in the future, bringing pure dharma and freeing all sentient beings from samsara.
A more common form of Maitreya is the one sitting on a throne.

Kyab.Dol

16 Bodhisattvas: Kyab.Dol (280 downloads ) (27,5 MB)
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The eighth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding three dharma treasure books.
His mudra is called the mushti mudra; doing this will release negative, pent-up emotions.
It also is said to help with digestion (and its related problems)

Popa.Tsekpa

16 Bodhisattvas: Popa.Tsekpa (444 downloads ) (27,4 MB)
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The nineth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding an incense vase.

Nanpar Nonpa

16 Bodhisattvas: Nanpar Nonpa (451 downloads ) (23,2 MB)
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The tenth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding a sword that cuts through the veils of ignorance, severing the knots of illusion that bind beings to delusion and obscure the absolute truth.

Tanaduk

16 Bodhisattvas: Tanaduk (433 downloads ) (23,0 MB)
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The eleventh bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holdinga book on a lotus.

Jompa Lodro

16 Bodhisattvas: Jompa Lodro (446 downloads ) (23,6 MB)
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The twelfth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals, holding a club symbolizing the pounding or annihilation of the veil of defilements created by karma.

Sampalepa

16 Bodhisattvas: Sampalepa (408 downloads ) (23,5 MB)
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The thirteenth bodhisattva in the second ring of petals.

Lhunpo Tseg

16 Bodhisattvas: Lhunpo Tseg (431 downloads ) (23,3 MB)
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The fourteenth bodhisattva in the second ring of lotus petals.

Sang Sangpo Yang

16 Bodhisattvas: Lhunpo Chenpo Tenzin (431 downloads ) (23,4 MB)
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The fifteenth bodhisattva in the second ring of lotus petals.

Lhunpo Chenpo Tenzin

16 Bodhisattvas: Sang Sangpo Yang (419 downloads ) (23,4 MB)
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The sixteenth (and last) bodhisattva in the second ring of lotus petals.

10 Directional Guardians

Brahma

10 Directional Guardians – Brahma (480 downloads ) (11,5 MB)
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The Hindu deity Brahma, first Directional Guardian in the outer ring of lotus petals. Although he is usually protrayed riding a swan in Hindo iconography, here he is riding a goose.

Indra

Directional Guardians – Indra (465 downloads ) (11,4 MB)
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Indra riding a white elephant, the second Directional Guardian in the outer ring of lotus petals.

Agni (Me.Lha)

Agni (Me.Lha) (453 downloads ) (12,2 MB)
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Agni (Me.Lha in Tibetan), the Hindu Fire God, the third Directional Guardian in the outer ring of lotus petals.

Yama

Yama (448 downloads ) (12,2 MB)
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Yama, the Hindu god of Death, the fourth Directional Guardian.

Raksha (Sin.Po)

Raksha (Sin.Po) (459 downloads ) (10,0 MB)
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Raksha, riding a zombie, the fifth Directional Guardian. He occupies the southwestern petal of the outer ring of the Mandala of the Medicine Buddha.