The Magnificent One and His Disciple
Buddha Shakyamuni (Main figure)
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(Top to bottom): Buddha Shakyamuni, Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Buddha Shakyamuni (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Sangye Shakya Tupa (Tibetan)
Buddha Shakyamuni is the current and historical Buddha who was born a prince in the region of Lumbini (in what is now Nepal). He left the palace, became a wandering mendicant and met several teachers who taught him meditation but still he was not able to gain freedom from samsara or cyclic existence which is marked by suffering. As he persevered with his ascetic practices, he realised the ‘Middle Way’. Inspired by this, he sat under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya and eventually attained enlightenment. The Buddha gave his first teaching at Sarnath Park on the Four Noble Truths. From then on, the Buddha continued to teach 84,000 Dharmas compassionately until his Parinirvana at age 81.
Deity: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan)
Lama Tsongkhapa was a 15th Century scholar-yogi who established the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. After spending years studying and meditating, he established monastic institutions of learning and practice, producing limitless masters, tantrikas, yogis, scholars and teachers of the Buddhist path. In his previous life, during the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, he was a young boy who, upon seeing the Buddha, offered him a crystal mala (rosary) as an offering. This is offering is depicted in this thangka. It was then that Buddha prophesied that the boy would be reborn in a land to the north (Tibet) to spread his teachings there. This boy later took rebirth as Lama Tsongkhapa, revived the Buddha’s teachings in Tibet and established the Gelug tradition.
Deity: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Vajra Rudra (Sanskrit)
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He took the form of a Dharma Protector in order to safeguard the Buddha’s teachings, especially the important teachings on the Middle Way View. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering sword and rides a snowlion that represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha. Thus, he has great strength to overcome obstacles of the body, speech and mind, and create suitable conditions for our spiritual practice to flourish. Furthermore, he carries a jewel-spitting mongoose and a vajra hook to symbolise that he has the tremendous ability to bestow wealth and resources.
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Beautiful Rime thangka paints a thousand words. The Magnificent One… Buddha Shakyamuni, Lama Tsongkhapa the 15th Century scholar-yogi and the Powerful Dharma Ptotector Dorje Shugden forms a powerful combination thangka to have at our home.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.