Description

Je Tsongkhapa lived in the 14th century A.D. in the Amdo province of Tibet. He was the founder and reformer of the Gelukpa sect. He is regarded as the incarnation of Māñjuśrī who is the embodiment of wisdom.

He obtained the ordination of monkhood at his early age and commenced to study Buddha’s doctrine. He traveled to central Tibet for higher education teachings. He deeply studied both Sūtra and Tantra for many years. Randhawa was his chief teacher, from whom he especially learned Mādhyamika philosophy expounded by Nāgārjuna.

He composed many books on Sūtra and Tantra in which he tried to explicate the important and knotted points. He emphasized the doctrine of relativity as taught by Lord Buddha. The void and relativity are the two different faces of the same reality which are the ultimate nature of the phenomena.

Tsongkhapa is in preaching posture. He holds a flower in his right hand upon which is placed a sword which signifies the wisdom to destroy the ignorance. He holds again a lotus flower in his left hand upon which is placed the book of wisdom i.e. Sūtra. This thangka will be great help and inspiration for any Gelugpa practitioner.