The Bodhi & The Maple Tree

A reflection on a Shakyamuni Buddha thankga and lineage

Reading time: About 3 minutes

I recently completed drawing and painting the bark of the Bodhi tree to the right of Shakyamuni, or the left, for the practitioner looking at the image. The left, in this case, if one considers the placement of the five Buddha families and that Amitabha’s realm is in the West.

When I first began studying and practicing, I un…