This composition of Je Tsongkapa with the surrounding life-story is likely to be the earliest and most important painting known to exist on the subject of Tsongkapa. The painting is dated, based on style and iconography, to just after Tsongkapa's death in 1419.

The importance of the painting rests with the life-story surrounding the central figure on four sides. There were many early biographies of Tsongkapa in the 15th and 16th centuries, but over time some of them were considered unorthodox and many subsequently banned by the mid to late 17th century. Even now some of these early banned biographies have not been located despite ongoing efforts to find them in the last half of the 20th century by such orgainizations as the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC).

The unique characteristics of the visual narrative in this painting are fascinating because they do not appear to follow precisely the chronology or events as told in the later orthodox biographies such as that of Jamyang Shepa - popularized in the early 18th century.

Aside from the important biographical narrative, to the left and right of the head and upper body of Tsongkapa are the Yogachara and Madhyamaka lineages which were to become a standard compositional trademark for later depictions of Tsongkapa in the 15th and 16th centuries - later modified and updated by the invention of Gelug Refuge Field paintings in the 17th century - inspired by the writings of the first Panchen Lama, Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662).

Currently this painting is the earliest know visual biography with extensive inscriptions detailing the life story of Tsongkapa. It is also the earliest known painting depicting the Yogachara and Madhyamaka lineage composition which was to become standard for Tsongkapa paintings for the next two centuries.

This subject page contains detail images of the Indian Buddhist teacher Shantarakshita, founder of Samye Monastery and included as a teacher of the Gelug Lamrim lineage.

Red Avalokiteshvara, Ocean of Conquerors (Tibetan: chen re zi gyal wa gya tso. Sanskrit: Jinasagara Avalokiteshvara): a special meditational deity of the Karma Kagyu (Kamtsangpa) School (Five Deity Jinasagara), originating from the 'Revealed Treasure' tradition of the Nyingma School. In the 17th century the Mindroling Tradition of Nyingma popularized a form of Jinasagara known as the Minling De Kun. In the later part of the century Lelung Zhepa'i Dorje popularized an entire cycle of meditations and teachings focusing exclusively on the female deity from the retinue - Guhya Jnana Dakini. A beautiful painting from this Lelung tradition is known to exist in a museum in Poland.

Tsang Nyon Heruka (1452-1507), author, teacher and yogi, in mahasiddha appearance.

Tsang Nyon (gtsang smyon he ru ka), be it painting or sculpture, typically appears as a Tantric yogi holding a vajra scepter in the extended right hand, or alternately raised, and a skullcup in the left hand with a katvanga staff leaning against the left shoulder. His robe is generally white as is the custom of those following the tradition of Milarepa and Rechungpa. As ornaments he wears a skull headdress and bone earrings, necklace, long and short, bracelets, anklets, all modelling the appearance of the semi-peaceful and semi-wrathful deities like Hevajra and Chakrasamvara of the Anuttarayoga class of Buddhist Tantra. This is known as Mahasiddha Appearance. This peculiar and anti-social manner of dressing, copying a Heruka deity, is called the second level of the Application of the Vow in the Hevajra Tantra. The Chakrasamvara and Hevajra Tantras principally, along with similar instructions in other Tantras, are the textual source for all of those teachers and practitioners in India and Tibet who wear bone ornaments, animal skins and hold Tantric implements.

Tsang Nyon is famous for his appearance and his writings. After extensive retreats he insisted on wearing the Heruka attire as stipulated in the Chakrasamvara and Hevajra Tantras. He is however more well known for writing and compiling the One Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa along with numerous biographies of early Kagyu teachers. In the 15th century he set about to revive the old Marpa Kagyu traditions of extensive retreats in isolated locations following after the conduct of Milarepa.

This subject page contains detail images of Geleg Gyatso (16th/17th century) a Tibetan teacher of the Lamrim lineage.

This subject page contains detail images of the Tibetan teacher Chokyi Dorje (15th century) included as a Lamrim Lineage teacher.

This subject page contains detail images of Vidyakokila the Younger an Indian teacher counted as one of the early Lamrim Teachers.

This subject page contains detail images of a currently unidentified early Indian Lamrim teacher. This composition is from a set of paintings depicting all of the Lamrim teachers of the Gelug Tradition. Currently only twelve of the paintings are accounted for from a total set of likely more than sixty individual compositions. The paintings themselves contain some of the finest artistic skill of the late 18th century.

This subject page contains detail images of a Padmasambhava painting. The form of Padmasambhava is Pema Jungne from a nine composition set depicting the Eight Forms of Guru Rinpoche.

Surrounding the central figure are numerous narrative vignettes of the life story of Padmasambhava. At this time there are no other paintings from this set known in either private or museum collections.

At the middle right side are several depictions of Manjushri but the most interesting is the one with the five peaked, or terrace mountain, Wutaishan, in the background with five stupas marking each peak. Manjushri also holds a tortoise which is an important symbol in Buddhist astrology. Manjushri is believed to have invented astrology at Wutaishan Mountain.

Amitabha and Amitayus are the same person, or entity. In the Mahayana Tradition of Buddhism a buddha is described as having three bodies: a form body (nirmanakaya), an apparitional body (sambhogakaya) and an ultimate truth body (dharmakaya). The first, Amitabha, is the form body and the second, Amitayus, is the apparitional body. The ultimate truth body is without appearance and is generally not represented in painting or sculptural art.

The important iconographic difference in Tibetan art between the two, Amitabha and Amitayus, is that Amitabha has Buddha Appearance and Amitayus has Bodhisattva Appearance.

Amitayus, although commonly referred to in the Mahayana literature, is a very popular meditational deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. He belongs to the important and popular set known as the Three Long-life Deities: Amitayus, White Tara and Ushnishavijaya. There are also mandala practices such as the Nine Deity Mandala of Amitayus along with forms of the deity where he is embracing a consort.

Rechungpa, the famous student of Milarepa, recieved a special practice tradition of Buddha Amitayus from Tipu Pandita while on a trip to India. Upon his return he passed the tradition on to Milarepa. This is known as the Rechung Tradition. As a meditational practice in the lower tantras Amitayus primarily serves as a Long-life deity.