Wangdu Nyingpo - Front & Back

Wangdu Nyingpo, Tuchen (c.1763-c.1806): Patriarch of the Khon Family, the 29th Sakya Tridzin, and also commonly known as the second Padmasambhava of this Age. He was a renowned Tantric practitioner and Terton - finder of Revealed Treasure. As a Tantric figure he was so popular that guruyoga practices were written that focused solely on him as a semi-wrathful mantradharin. (See the Wangdu Nyingpo Main Page). 

Wangdu Nyingpo sits wrapped in a meditation cloak with only his face, upper torso and arms exposed. Atop the head is a small version of a sparsely ornamented mostly plain lotus hat. He has open eyes, dark eyebrows, mustache and a light beard, along with small earrings. the two hands grasp a vajra scepter and vajra handled bell in the 'vajra embracing' gesture in front of the heart. A white lower robe is partially exposed, tied with a black sash and holding a ritual peg (purba). Seated atop a blue and green lotus above a lion supported jeweled throne, he is surrounded by an elaborate back rest of foliage and flowers encircle by an decorative 'torana' of a lion, sharabha, boy and dragon on both the right and left sides of the throne. The two dragons each offer a bowl of green and red coloured wish-fulfilling jewels.

 There is no name inscription, or any inscriptions, on the front or back of this painting. The identification of the central figure as Wangdu Nyingpo is based on the portrait of the figure and other comparable paintings and sculpture of Wangdu Nyingpo. (Read more on the Himalayan Art Resources website).
Jeff Watt [updated 1-2013]