This gold gilded Guru Marpa statue represents the founder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Also, known as “Marpa the Translator” he is credited with translating the ancient teachings from Sanskrit to Tibetan. Additionally, he also brought the Dharma teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha from India. The physical characteristics of Guru Marpa statues sometimes depict him frowning. He is also described as having hair that stood straight up on his head. Nonetheless, our skillful artisans have depicted Guru Marpa as if he was sitting before you in ancient Tibet.
Guru Marpa was born into a wealthy family in Tibet. However, he converted his inheritance into gold so he could pay travel expenses to study in India. For many years, he studied under the Indian masters before he returned to develop the Kagyu school. Guru Marpa is the renown teacher of Milarepa who would eventually inherit the Kagyu lineage after the death of Marpa’s son. Additionally, the third and final 9 story tower that Milarepa built for Guru Marpa in the 11th century still stands today.
Traditional Guru Marpa Statue
Our Guru Marpa statue was hand crafted by the artisans of Patan, Nepal using the lost wax method. Their renown craftsmanship has been developed over 1000 years and the knowledge has been passed down through the family castes. As a result of exceptional craftsmanship the artisans of Nepal have become the preferred source of the Tibetan monasteries for traditional Tibetan art. Therefore, when you purchase one of our Guru Marpa statues you can rest assured you have procured a monastic quality sculpture.
