Guru Rinpoche Traditional Thangka Painting

Description

This Guru Rinpoche Traditional Thangka Painting is crafted by hand on a 49*70 cm cotton canvas. He is commonly referred to as Rinpoche, which means ‘precious master’.

Iconography of Guru Rinpoche

The Khatvanga is a staff featuring three severed heads, which symbolize the three kayas (the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya) of a Buddha. It is topped with a Trishula and decorated with a sash of the Himalayan Rainbow or Five Pure Lights of the Mahabhuta. This divine attribute is associated with Padmasambhava and is a significant part of his visual representation.

He stares intensely with his wide open eyes. His outfit consists of a white vajra undershirt, followed by a red robe, a dark blue Mantrayana tunic, a red monastic shawl adorned with a golden flower design, and a maroon cloak made from silk brocade. He has one face and two hands.

He holds a five-pronged vajra in his right hand, positioned over his heart, and a skull cup with a vase of immortality in his left hand, held in a gesture of balance. His left arm supports a three-pointed Khatvanga representing his consort Mandarava, and he wears a five-petalled lotus hat on his head. He sits in a regal pose, radiating both fury and joy with the brilliance of major and minor symbols.

Mantra of Padmasambhava

The mantra of  Padmasambhava is Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum.