Reading the images
Sacred Art Guide
In Tibetan art nothing is ornament alone. Every object, color and gesture carries meaning, and this guide will help you read what you see.
Guru Rinpoche
The main form
How he is most often depicted, and what each detail is traditionally said to mean. Details vary between schools and periods.
- The seat
Lotus, sun and moon
He sits on a lotus throne topped with sun and moon discs, in a relaxed royal posture. The lotus speaks of purity; sun and moon are often explained as the union of wisdom and skillful means.
- Right hand
The five-pronged vajra
Raised or held at the heart. The vajra stands for what cannot be broken, awakened mind itself, and its five prongs are often linked to five aspects of wisdom.
- Left hand
Skull cup and long-life vase
Resting in his lap, a skull cup (kapala) holds a small vase of longevity nectar: a reminder of impermanence, and of what lies beyond it.
- Left arm
The khatvanga
A trident staff topped with symbolic heads, held in the crook of his left arm. Commentaries often say it stands for his consort, held as a hidden presence.
- Crown
The lotus hat
His hat is topped with a vajra, a sun and moon, and a vulture feather, said to signify the highest view, as the vulture flies higher than any other bird.
- Presence
Wide eyes and rainbow light
His eyes are wide open and intense, his expression majestic, often within a rainbow aura above clouds and lotuses. His layered robes are often read as signs of the paths of practice he mastered.
Often he is shown with his two consorts, Mandarava and Yeshe Tsogyal, and in fuller paintings surrounded by dakinis and the twenty-five disciples.
Guru Tsen Gye
The Eight Manifestations
Guru Rinpoche is also depicted in eight forms, each with its own dress, implements and posture. They are never blended.
| # | Name | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guru Tsokyé Dorje | The lake-born vajra |
| 2 | Guru Pema Gyalpo | The lotus king |
| 3 | Guru Nyima Özer | Rays of the sun |
| 4 | Guru Shakya Senge | Lion of the Shakyas |
| 5 | Guru Loden Chokse | The supreme wisdom form |
| 6 | Guru Dorje Drolö | A wrathful form, traditionally shown riding a tigress |
| 7 | Guru Padmasambhava | The main form (Pema Jungné) |
| 8 | Guru Senge Dradok | The lion's roar |
A fuller guide to each manifestation will be added once each form has been researched against traditional sources such as Himalayan Art Resources and the Rubin Museum collection.
Symbols
Symbols you will see on this site
The images throughout these pages are made to teach as well as to decorate.
The lotus
It rises from mud and opens unstained, an image of a mind that can awaken in any circumstance.
Sun and moon
Paired discs that appear on seats and crowns, often explained as wisdom and skillful means joined.
Rainbow light
In Tibetan tradition, rainbow light is associated with realization and the luminous nature of mind.
Butter lamps
An offering of light, traditionally made to dispel the darkness of not knowing.
Prayer flags
Strung across passes and rooftops so that prayers printed on them are carried on the wind.
The white scarf
A khata is offered as a sign of respect and pure intention.
About our illustrations
The pictures on this site are storybook illustrations, made with care to follow traditional descriptions. They are not thangka paintings and do not try to imitate them.
Before a historical figure is shown, the details of dress, implements and posture are checked against traditional sources, and every page is read by a knowledgeable practitioner before it is published. Living and recent teachers are never depicted.
Tibetan script and mantras are always set as real text on the page, never painted into an image, so that they are correct and can be read.