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The largest event shown on the left is the dream Tsongkapa had while in retreat. He saw great Indian scholars, one of them, Buddhapalita (470-540 CE), blessed him with an Indian volume, thus confirming that Tsongkapa’s philosophical understanding was correct. He traveled widely, studied, taught, and wrote his famous treatise The Great Presentation on the Graduate Stages of the Path. Among his other main acts was the establishment of the Great Prayer Festival at Jokhang, the main cathedral of Lhasa, when he made an offering of a gold crown to the main image of Buddha Shakyamuni.
Life Story of Tsongkapa (1357-1419)
OriginTibet
Date18th century
Dimensions36 3/8 × 27 × 2 1/4 in. (estimated)
MediumPigments on cloth
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art, Purchased from the Collection of Navin Kumar, New York
Object numberC2009.2
Himalayan Art Resources Number65845
Project Himalayan Arthttps://projecthimalayanart.rubinmuseum.org/exhibition/living-practices/storytelling/life-story-of-tsongkhapa-1357-1419/
DescriptionThis painting illustrates the life story of Tsongkapa in a different manner. The main subject is shown in the left part of the painting, not the center. Numerous inscribed scenes are scattered within a unifying landscape but separated by clouds, trees, mountains, or valleys. The pictorial narrative closely follows known biographies of Tsongkapa and shows recorded events and places, often recognizable through their architecture, Tsongkapa’s visionary experiences at the sites, or straightforward illustrations of the events. The painting was part of a set of paintings that narrated his life’s achievements.The largest event shown on the left is the dream Tsongkapa had while in retreat. He saw great Indian scholars, one of them, Buddhapalita (470-540 CE), blessed him with an Indian volume, thus confirming that Tsongkapa’s philosophical understanding was correct. He traveled widely, studied, taught, and wrote his famous treatise The Great Presentation on the Graduate Stages of the Path. Among his other main acts was the establishment of the Great Prayer Festival at Jokhang, the main cathedral of Lhasa, when he made an offering of a gold crown to the main image of Buddha Shakyamuni.
Not on view
12th century
19th century
ca. 1659-1671
19th century
1580s-1590s
15th century
19th century
16th century
early 18th century, ca. 1720
late 18th century, ca. 1760s
