7 Metal Bronze Tibetan Flat Gong , White Tara Design

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
White Tara embodiment of peace directed through loving compassion. From her serenity, she lends grace and dignity to situations and encourages the good to arise in all circumstances and situations. She perpetuates the Four Measureless States of a. Loving Kindness [Skt. Metta] b. Compassion [Skt. Karuna] c. Sympathetic Joy [Skt. Mudita] and d. Equanimity {fairness & tolerance} [Skt. Upekka] with reference to the past present and future circumstances. She also helps bestow longevity.

ICONOGRAPHY
Sita Tara, popularly known as White Tara. She has emanated from Avalokiteshvara & in the Nepali Transcendent Buddha tradition is the consort of Vairochana, the central Transcendent Buddha. Her inner virtue of loving compassion is magnified by the simplicity of her presentation. White Tara is an important Vajrayana Buddhist figure since she embodies the principle of loving kindness, which is the central quality in the altruistic Bodhisattva presented through Mahayana Buddhism. Her main emblem is the Pink Lotus [Skt. Kamala] representing this main quality.

Her left hand is gracefully lowered in an empty open palm boon granting gesture [Skt. Varada Mudra]. White Tara has a blooming pink lotus & an unopened bud on either side of her body. The lotus in the painting is stylised as a peony & a chrysanthemum to provide artistic contrast with her lotus throne. The open blossom represents the present and the bud represents the future situations & Buddhas yet to be born. The future also refers to beneficial changes circumstances that she will help bring about. Her right hand wisdom hand is in the gesture of giving refuge [Skt. Sharanagamana]. The word refuge refers to the teaching of compassionate understanding which she imparts. The third finger touches the thumb to create a circle representing the union of wisdom and compassion, and the three extended fingers symbolise the Three Jewels of Buddhism A. The Buddha State B. The Body of teachings [Skt. Sangha] C. The Principles of the Universal form [Skt. Dharma]. The same hand holds the stem of a blue lotus [Skt. Utpala] representing change. The lower part of the stem below the bend represents the root of the lotus in the mud. The allegory of the Lotus refers to the something that grows from the obscurity of the mud & which eventually bursts open in the light. The lotus journey is one of inner awakening & enlightenment analogous to the human spirit. Buddhism shows us how to grow towards the light with profound teachings which help us to navigate away from burdens and sufferings which we may have by being materially minded, bitter & confused.

GONG:
A gong is an East and Southeast Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet. The gong traces its roots back to the Bronze Age around 3500 BC. The term gong originated in Java. Scientific and archaeological research has established that Burma, China, Java and Annam were the four main gong manufacturing centres of the ancient world. The gong later found its way into the Western World in the 18th century when it was also used in the percussion section of a Western-style symphony orchestra. A form of bronze cauldron gong known as a resting bell was widely used in ancient Greece and Rome, for instance in the famous Oracle of Dodona, where disc gongs were also used.

Gongs broadly fall into one of three types: Suspended gongs are more or less flat, circular discs of metal suspended vertically by means of a cord passed through holes near to the top rim. Bossed or nipple gongs have a raised center boss and are often suspended and played horizontally. Bowl gongs are bowl-shaped and rest on cushions. They may be considered a member of the bell category. Gongs are made mainly from bronze or brass but there are many other alloys in use.

Gongs produce two distinct types of sound. A gong with a substantially flat surface vibrates in multiple modes, giving a “crash” rather than a tuned note. This category of gong is sometimes called a tam-tam to distinguish it from the bossed gongs that give a tuned note. In Indonesian gamelan ensembles, some bossed gongs are deliberately made to generate in addition a beat note in the range from about 1 to 5 Hz. The use of the term “gong” for both these types of instrument is common.