Lama Tsongkhapa

This exquisite image, made of gilded bronze, was commissioned by Cheftain Ganden Tsewang of Gugey in 1423 and offered to Ganden Chokhor, one of Drepung Loseling's affiliate monasteries in western Tibet. It served as the central image of that temple until the monastery was destroyed in 1959.

Llama Tsongkhapa, who lived in Tibet in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, was sometimes known to his followers as the "second Buddha." He was the founder of the Gelukpa School of Tibetan Buddhism, or "yellow hat school." A special feature of such early images of Tsongkhapa as this one is that they are less stylized than later creations, and thus resemble his actual appearance more accurately.

The overhead banner, which represents his halo, was made at a later date, probably a century or so after the image itself. The six amimals in it -- two elephants, two snow lions, two unicorns, two crocodiles, two nagas, and a garuda at the top -- represent the fulfillment and complete maturity of the six perfections: generosity, self-discipline, patience, joyous energy, meditation, and wisdom. A royal umbrella crowns the top of the halo, symbolic of the harmony and glory of the enlightenment experience.

Text excerpted from the exhibition catalog written by Glenn Mullin and Andy Weber.

Return to OUM Exhibitions Page