Desi Sangye Gyatso

CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa

Desi Sangye Gyatso was a Tibetan scholar and arts advocate. From a young age, he studied under several eminent masters and was eventually appointed regent to the Fifth Dalai Lama. He oversaw the expansion of the Potala Palace as well as the construction of the Red Palace and its encompassing mural paintings. Desi is known to have written voluminous works on a wide variety of subjects including Tibetan history, religion, culture, medicine, law, and astronomy.
He was the founder of the School of Medicine and Astrology on Chagpori Hill and published the Blue Beryl, a treatise which remains an influential reference in the study and practice of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Additionally, he re-collated the Four Medical Tantras, revising the work and adding illustrations and other annotations. He also convened numerous Tibetan doctors and artists to collaborate on the design and creation of the Tibetan medical thangkas used as aids in teaching medicine.
Desi’s written works on art and culture are considered important sources that assist in the further understanding of Tibetan art history. Additional examples are White Beryl and Reliquary of the Fifth Dalai Lama, in which he wrote of the painting masters of early Tibet and also mentioned the development of the Menri and Khyentse schools.