This 12.5″ Je Tsongkhapa statue set is fully fire gilded in 24K gold — all three figures handcrafted in Patan, Nepal using the traditional lost wax sculpting method with hand-painted faces. The set depicts Je Tsongkhapa at the center with his two principal disciples, Gyaltsabje and Khedrubje, flanking him on either side. Discover Tsongkhapa and his two disciples in our complete guide to Tibetan Guru statues.
Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419 CE) founded the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and is revered as a human emanation of Manjushri. His scholarly and spiritual legacy is among the most substantial of any figure in Tibetan Buddhist history. His Lamrim Chenmo — the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment — remains one of the most authoritative and comprehensive guides to Buddhist practice in the Tibetan tradition, synthesizing the entire sutra and tantra path into a systematic framework. His reform of monastic discipline and emphasis on rigorous scholarly study combined with Tantric practice gave the Gelug school its distinctive character, a tradition that continues today under the spiritual leadership of the 14th Dalai Lama.
The two disciples flanking Tsongkhapa were not merely close students but the principal successors who carried his lineage forward. Gyaltsabje (1364–1432 CE) — regarded as an emanation of Avalokiteshvara (compassion) — became the first Ganden Tripa, the head of Ganden Monastery, after Tsongkhapa’s death in 1419, ensuring the continuity of the school at the most critical moment of its founding. Khedrubje (1385–1438 CE) — regarded as an emanation of Vajrapani (power) — became the second Ganden Tripa and a major commentator on Tsongkhapa’s works. In the statue set, the trio presents these three figures not as abstract symbolic archetypes but as historically real human teachers whose relationship with each other and with the Dharma defined a tradition.
Je Tsongkhapa Statue Set Features
All three figures are wearing the robes of fully ordained Buddhist monks. We can include yellow pandita hats for Guru Tsongkhapa and his two disciples upon request. Tsongkhapa at the center displays the Dharmachakra mudra — the Wheel of Dharma gesture — with the sword of wisdom rising from the lotus over his right shoulder (Manjushri’s emblem) and the Prajnaparamita Sutra resting in the lotus over his left shoulder (the scripture of perfected wisdom). Together the two lotus attributes declare Tsongkhapa’s identity in a single visual statement: the direct realization of Manjushri’s wisdom and its expression through the perfected philosophical tradition of the Buddhist sutras.
Authentic, Handmade in Nepal
Every statue and ritual item is handcrafted in Patan, Nepal, using traditional lost wax casting and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal's Department of Archaeology, verifying its materials, technique, and origin.
