Himalayan Art Resources

Subject: Confession Buddhas (Tsongkapa System)

Confession Buddhas Iconography

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Tsongkapa System Description (below)
- Tsongkapa Page
- Unique Features
- Masterworks
- Confusions
- Others...

The images below follow the iconographic description for depicting the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas based on the commentary of Je Tsongkapa. A block print set from Mongolia also follows Tsongkapa.

List of Thirty-five Buddhas: Names & Attributes

There are five unique characteristics in the Tsongkapa system. The five are the four Buddhas that hold hand attributes and Nageshvara performing a special gesture:
[1] Victory Banner
[2] shirt of armor
[3] sword and
[4] Mount Meru in the lap.
[5] Nageshvara Raja Buddha is depicted with a blue body and a white neck and head. He has a hood of seven snakes and the hands perform a gesture at the heart. This form of Nageshvara Raja follows the descriptions from the texts of Jowo Atisha describing the meditational deity Nageshvara Raja. The remaining thirty of the Thirty-five Buddhas display hand gestures only.

Painting number #14 from the fifteen painting set depicting the life story of Je Tsongkapa depicts him in a scene where he has the vision of the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas. The scene can be found at the middle left side of the composition where there is a small figure of Tsongkapa in front of a standing gold statue of Maitreya. Directly above are two artists painting a wall mural. Above that is a sphere containing the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas. At the middle left side of the composition is a small figure of Tsongkapa in front of a gold statue of Maitreya. Directly above are two artists painting a wall mural. Above that is a sphere containing the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas.

Jeff Watt 7-2011