vajra

The word *benza is illuminated in gold leaf at the centre of a Dorje, which is the symbol/implement of the power and indestructible *vajra.

The small strap line bottom left translates as ‘dispeller of all obstacles, wrathful Tamer of Mara’.

*Vajra is a Sanskrit term, pronounced and written *benza in Tibetan (as the ‘v’ sound does not exist in the Tibetan language.) otherwise this is called dorje in Tibetan.

Thus being the fourth syllable of Padmasambhava’s eight-syllable Benza Guru mantra, in a series of eight individual art piece, each based on the individual syllables of His mantra:

oṃ āḥ hūṃ vajra guru padma siddhi hūṃ༔.

Especially created for a solo exhibition with Amankora in Thimphu and Paro, Bhutan.

The theme for the exhibition is based on Bhutan’s patron Saint Padmasambhava. Both Bhutanese and Tibetans widely consider Padmasambhava, or known as Guru Rinpoche, to be the second Buddha.