Philosophical vision of the Buddhist theory of color in Tibetan treatises of the 15th-18th centuries

The article is devoted to the analysis of the main Tibetan treatises on iconography, describing the philosophical substantiation of color in canonical Buddhist thangka painting. We have paid special attention to the main distinctive features in the interpretation of color interaction and its relationship with the philosophical component of Buddhist teachings. While studying Buddhist painting we considered the traditional system of colors description and their interactions. This system is associated with spiritual practice, which was reflected in the religious painting of the Tibetan people, and resulted in a rich and diverse palette of Buddhist thangka painters. In Tibetan religious painting the description of color reflects the philosophical consideration of “method” and “wisdom”, where “wisdom” symbolizes the maternal, feminine principle, and “method” - the fatherly, male principle. Certain artistic terminology relating to the designation of color is a unique legacy of Tibetan art, in which the philosophical outlook of Buddhist doctrine originating from the ancient traditions of India is represented through color.