Trisong Detsen
Color on cotton
Trisong Detsen
CHINA, Tibet
Records of Tibetan history state that Trisong Detsen (reigned 755–797) was considered to be a manifestation of Manjusri Bodhisattva. He made Buddhism the state religion, invited the great master Santaraksita and the legendary Vajrayana Master Padmasambhava to come to Tibet to teach the Dharma, and built Samye Monastery.
Trisong Detsen, wearing a golden headdress and a patterned robe, sits on a lotus in the center of the thangka. His large hand and foot prints are arranged beside him. Paying respect to the hand and foot prints of a revered figure is a common practice in Tibetan Buddhism, and they are often seen on 17th and 18th century thangkas. Trisong is shown again in the upper register, sitting on the left beside Padmasambhava and Santaraksita. In the lower register, the wrathful Dharma protectors stand on lotus pedestals, surrounded by flames.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting P-Z, page 942.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting P-Z},
pages = 942,
title = {{Trisong Detsen}},
volume = 16,
year = {2016}}