Teachings in the Tradition of Lord Tsongkapa
Portrait of the Indian Monk Atisha
Tibet early to mid-12th century
Atisha was the abbot of Vikramashila monastery in northern India, one of the mahaviharas (great monasteries) that granted the learned degree of pandita, here indicated by his yellow hat. In 1042, he traveled to Tibet at the invitation of the western Tibetan king Yeshe ‘Od to help purify Buddhist practices there. Atisha’s authority was rooted in his lineage, an unbroken chain of pupil-guru relationships going back to the Buddha himself.
Portrait of Our Teacher Lord Tsongkapa
Tibet 18th century
Lord Tsongkapa, Lobzang Dragpa (1357-1419): founder of the Gelugpa School, emanating from the heart of the bodhisattva Maitreya. In the appearance of a monastic scholar with a yellow pandita hat and the orange patchwork robes of a fully ordained monk he performs with both hands the mudra of Dharma teaching at the heart while holding the stems of two lotus flowers blossoming at both ears supporting on the right a wisdom sword and at the left a book. With the two legs folded in vajra posture he sits upon a moon disc and pink lotus seat surrounded by an ornate gold nimbus of wishing jewels and rainbow spheres.
Our purpose is to benefit everyone, particularly to give equal opportunity to everyone to learn and experience these beautiful teachings