Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Teacher (Lama) - Karmapa 3, Rangjung Dorje

བླ་མ། 喇嘛
(item no. 91448)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1700 - 1799
Lineages Karma (Kagyu) and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Monastic

Gender: Male

TBRC: bdr:P66

Interpretation / Description

Rangjung Dorje, the 3rd Karmapa, (1284-1339): Buddhist master, scholar and teacher to the Mongol court of China.

Rangjung Dorje, the 3rd Karmapa (1284-1339 [P66]), is known through art to have been portrayed with a variety of hand gestures. With sculpture he is often confused with Karma Pakshi, the 2nd Karmapa, who is often shown with the two hands extended over the knees. Unlike Rangjung Dorje who is clean shaven in all depictions, Karma Pakshi is famous for having worn a goatee from which he was strung-up while he was imprisoned in China.

There are also paintings of Rangjung Dorje depicted within the circle of the moon.

Jeff Watt [updated 3-2023]

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Painting Tradition: Karma Gar-ri Main Page
Painting Set: Karma Kagyu Lineage (blue/green)
Teacher: Karmapa 3rd, Rangjung Dorje