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When a Buddhist takes refuge in the Buddha or Enlightened One, the Dharma or
the Truth, and the Sangha or Community, he takes the Buddha as a guide, one
who has traveled the path, and can lead his students successfully to the other shore.
When the Buddha Siddhartha passed away, some 2,500 years ago, the Buddha himself
was a guide only inasmuch as his teachings, the Dharma, were widely studied.
The one who instructed you, then, your Guru or Lama, was your guide on the path to
Enlightenment. For this reason one's Guru came to be more important to a
student's spiritual success than the historic Buddha himself.
From the earliest times, the importance of a reliable Guru is made clear in Buddhist literature.
The actualization of this reverence is found in Thangkas created for the purpose of
expressing devotion to the Guru (Guruyoga). The importance of one's teacher
as a transmitter of Enlightenment has inspired many students to sponsor
the painting of images of their own Gurus, along with former Gurus in the
lineage. Gurus renowned for ability to spread Enlightenment are often depicted
so as to serve as examples of what students might achieve once attaining
the same level of power and understanding.
For many, however, such paintings are seen as iconographical renderings,
suitable for those in the midst of the practice of Guruyoga "The Unification with the Guru." For such students
the Guru is seen as not only Teacher but as an Enlightened Deity as well.
Offerings are made, and prayers that the Guru's wisdom will descend into oneself
are common. In this way the student places him or herself directly in the river
of transmission by making offerings and requests to the image of the Guru.
For reasons such as these there are a large number of images of individual Gurus in
the Lineage, often with details showing the particular amazing things they did
which warrant the high honor of being portrayed in a Thangka. It is important
to understand that, for the disciple of the transmission in which the portrayed
Guru is presented, this Guru is equal to Enlightenment itself, while for
students of another branch of the transmission, this very figure may be seen as
less than perfect. There are a few Gurus, however, that all the traditions in
Tibet hold to be worthy of veneration. It happens they these Gurus represent
the classes of Monastics, Royalty, Business, Ascetics, and Scholastics
These transmissions have been reverenced for the entire history of Buddhism in
Tibet. The images are of the great heroes who crossed the stream of
Enlightenment, and are meant to both offer a chance to express one's admiration,
one's wish to emulate, or one's appreciation that these Gurus of the lineage
passed on their knowledge on down to us. The heroes portrayed come from a
variety of backgrounds, and their portrayal offers insights as to their
importance.
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