Subject: Thirty-five Confession Buddhas (Tsongkapa List)

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The Thirty-five Confession Buddhas According to the System of Je Tsongkapa

The Tsongkapa system for depicting the iconography of the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas is one of three types of depiction found represented in painting and sculpture. It is interesting to find that in the Tsongkapa system Nageshvara Raja Buddha comes before Shakyamuni Buddha. In other systems, Shakyamuni Buddha is first and Nageshvara Raja is fourth.

1. Nageshvara Raja. klu dbang gi rgyal po (nagesvara raja) blue (both hands at the heart in a special gesture) [See Nageshvara Raja Main Page]

2. Shakyamuni. sha kya thub pa (shakya muni) yellow in color (right pressing down, left in meditation) [See Shakyamuni Main Page]

3. Vajra Parmartin. rdo rje snying pos rab tu 'joms pa (vajra paramarthin) yellow (both hands in teaching gesture)

4. Ratnarchi. rin chen 'od 'phro (ratnarci) Red (both hands in meditation gesture)

5. Virasena. dpa' bo'i sde (vira sena) yellow (right in the gesture of granting refuge, left at the heart with thumb and palm shown)

6. Viranandi. dpal dgyes (vira nandi) yellow (teaching gesture)

7. Ratna Agni. rin chen me dmar po (ratna agni) (same as Shakyamuni)

8. Ratna Chandra Prabha. rin chen zla 'od (ratna Chandra prabha) white (same as Shakyamuni)

9. Amoghadarshi. mthong ba don yod (amogha darshi) green (same as Virasena)

10. Ratna Chandra. rin chen zla ba (ratna candra) (teaching gesture)

11. Vimala. dri ma med pa (vimala) blue (meditation gesture)

12. Shridatta. dpal sbyin (sri datta) yellow (teaching gesture)

13. Brahma. tshangs pa (brahma) yellow (same as Shakyamuni)

14. Brahmadatta. tshangs pas byin (brahma data) red (teaching gesture)

15. Varuna. chu lha (varuna) white (meditation gesture)

16. Varuna Deva. chu lha'i lha (varuna deva) white (teaching gesture)

17. Shri Bhadra. dpal bzang (shri Bhadra) yellow (same as Virasena)

18. Chandanashri. tsan dan dpal (candana sri) white (same as Shakyamuni)

19. Anantaujas. gzi brjid mtha' yas (anantaujas) red (teaching gesture)

20. Prabhashri. 'od dpal (prabha shri) blue (teaching gesture)

21. Ashokashri. mya ngan med pa'i dpal (ashoka shri) light red (meditation gesture)

22. Narayana. sred med kyi bu (narayana) yellow (teaching gesture)

23. Kusumashri. me tog dpal (kusuma shri) yellow (same as Virasena)

24. Brahmajyoti. tshangs pa'i 'od zer (brahama jyoti) yellow (same as Shakyamuni)

25. Padmajyoti. pad ma'i 'od zer (Padma jyoti) red (same as Shakyamuni)

26. Dhanashri. nor dpal (dhana shri) blue (meditation gesture)

27. Smritishri. dran pa'i dpal (smriti shri) yellow (meditation gesture)

28. Suparakritita Nama Shri. mtshan dpal shin tu yongs grags (suparikritita nama shri) white (right teaching left in meditation)

29. Indraketu Dvaja. dbang po tog gi rgyal mtshan (indra ketu dhvaja) blue (right lifts a banner towards the left side, left in meditation)

30. Suvikranta. shin tu rnam par gnon pa (suvikranta) blue (right holds a sword at the heart, left in meditative)

31. Yuddhajaya. gyul las shin tu rnam par rgyal ba (yuddha jaya) blue (both hands hold a shirt of yellow armor)

32. Vikrantagami. rnam par gnon pas gshegs pa (vikrantagami) blue (both hands pressed to the earth)

33. Samantabhavasa Vyuha. kun nas snang ba bkod pa (samantabhavasavyuha) red (right giving refuge, left in meditation)

34. Ratna Padma. rin chen pad ma?i rnam par gnon pa (ratna pad ma) orange (right giving refuge, left meditation)

35. Shailendra Raja. rid bang gi rgyal po (sailendra raja) yellow (both hands in meditation style & holding Mount Meru)

[gsung 'bum tsong kha pa [sku 'bum par ma] sangs rgyas so lnga'i mngon rtogs dang lha sku'i phyag tshad bzhugs so. Vol. 11 (da), page 709]