Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
moon in her hair, the sun in her belly and a corpse in her mouth, and rides a wild ass with
reins of poisonous snakes and an eye in its rump.
Historical Figures
Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)
The 'lotus-born' 8th-century Tantric master and magician from modern-day Swat in
Pakistan, Guru Rinpoche subdued Tibet's evil spirits and helped to establish Buddhism in
Tibet. He is regarded by followers of Nyingmapa Buddhism as the 'second Buddha'. His
domain is the copper-coloured mountain called Zangdok Pelri. He has bug eyes and a
curly moustache and holds a thunderbolt in his right hand, a skull cup in his left hand and
a
katvanga
(staff) topped with three heads - one shrunken, one severed and one skull - in
the crook of his left arm. He has a
phurbu
(ritual dagger) in his belt. Guru Rinpoche has
eight manifestations, known collectively as the Guru Tsengye, which correspond to differ-
ent stages of his life. He is often flanked by his consorts Mandarava (Indian) and Yeshe
Tsogyel (Tibetan).
Tsongkhapa
Founder of the Gelugpa order and a manifestation of Jampelyang, Tsongkhapa
(1357-1419) wears the yellow hat of the Gelugpas. Also known as Je Rinpoche, he is nor-
mally portrayed in the
yab-se sum
trinity with his two main disciples, Kedrub Je (later re-
cognised as the first Panchen Lama) and Gyaltsab Je. His hands are in the 'teaching'
mudra
and he holds two lotuses.
Fifth Dalai Lama
The greatest of all the Dalai Lamas, the fifth (Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso; 1617-82) unified
Tibet and built the bulk of the Potala. He was born at Chongye (in the Yarlung Valley) and
was the first Dalai Lama to exercise temporal power. He wears the Gelugpa yellow hat and
holds a flower or thunderbolt in his right hand and a bell
(drilbu)
in his left. He may also
be depicted holding the Wheel of Law (symbolising the beginning of political control of
the Dalai Lamas) and a lotus flower or other sacred objects.
