A VERY RARE AND FINE THANGKA OF MANJUSHRI Central Tibet, Tsang area, 1425 -1450 100 x 86 cm The icon in the centre of this extraordinary meditation picture shows the "Bodhisattva of Wisdom" - Manjushri. He is named as gentle, glorious and melodious, and appears in his iconographic colour: golden orange. Manjushri is considered the embodiment of the infinite wisdoms of the Buddha. A story from Buddha Shakyamuni's life tells of Manjushri's encounter with a group of Buddha disciples who wanted to achieve self-liberation in Nirvana through Arhatship. He tried to make it clear to them that attaining Buddhahood, as opposed to preferring their own salvation, would be much more desirable. He taught them compassionate bodhicitta motivation, for the benefit of others. The disciples were disappointed to see their real goal diminished and resented Manjushri, resisting Manjushri's bodhisattva path. As a result, they forfeited their previous spiritual achievements and failed to attain arhatship, even being reborn in a lower form of being. Bodhisattva Vajrapani, who witnessed Manjushri's teaching and was amazed by it, turned to Gautama Buddha, the "All-Knowing", and asked him to explain Manjushri's procedure. Buddha replied, "What you have seen is an example of Manjushri's great compassionate wisdom. If these disciples had attained nirvana, it would have taken eons to awaken them from the bliss of their own liberation so that they could work for the benefit of others. But through Manjushri's intervention, when these disciples have suffered their sorrowful rebirth and thereby purged the harmful effects of their resentment and narrow-mindedness, the impression of the Bodhisattva Way will arise in their minds with great force. In following this path, they will rapidly attain full enlightenment, and thus render the highest benefit not only to themselves, but also to countless others." Powerful and highly impressive in its moving posture, this meditation and worship image shows the "Bodhisattva of Wisdom" - Manjushri. His attributes are sword and book. The flaming sword cuts through the veils of false ideas. It distinguishes between absolute and relative truth, how things seem to exist in a dependent way to us, and how they actually exist in an independent way. Manjushri's sword offers protection from the fears that emanate from the karmic cycle of existence of the six realms of the wheel of life, and lead to unhappy states due to actions, according to cause and effect. The sword of knowledge also offers protection against complacency and indifference towards others, which are contrary to the motivation to achieve the welfare of others through compassion (bodhicitta). The book he holds on the lotus branch in his left hand - with the tips of his thumb and ring finger simultaneously touching the branch, forming a circle (emptiness) - represents Prajnaparamita, the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. It contains the Buddha's most profound explanation of the ultimate nature of reality. To meditate on Manjushri is to engage with the all-pervading insight as gained by the Buddha. The "wisdom bodhisattva" is enthroned in the diamond seat - with legs crossed - on an altar-like table above a moonlit cushion, symbol of relative truth. As he appears as a Bodhisattva - according to the Trikaya teachings - in the Samboghkaya, he is clothed in fine gold-interwoven silken garments, and wears the picturesquely carefully designed fivefold crown of the "Wisdoms of the Tathagatas", as well as the precious sixfold jewellery of the virtues: Rings on arms and legs signify: Devotion, belt - morality, ear jewellery - patience, necklace - strength, crown - immersion, ash and brahma string - insight (prajña). Manjushri appears in this worship image in the trinity of protectors of the teaching, along with the bodhisattvas Vajrapani and Padmapani Lokeshvara. Vajrapani, in his blue colour, embodies: Strength; and Padmapani in white: Compassion. Wisdom, compassion and strength ar