Thangka of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo

Sachen Kunga Nyingpo sits cross-legged on a lotus throne, his right hand in the earth-touching gesture (bhumisparsha mudra) and his left hand in the teaching gesture (vitarka mudra), holding the stem of a white lotus that blooms beside his shoulder. He is shown as an elderly monk with a shaved head, wearing a dark, patterned brocade robe under a yellow shawl. He is framed by an ornate aureole of swirling, flame-like motifs and flanked by registers containing rows of smaller, seated meditative figures and various deities, all set against a vibrant blue and red background.

Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092–1158) was the first of the five supreme masters of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism and a primary transmitter of the Lamdre (Path and Result) teachings. This work serves as a lineage tree, visually demonstrating the transmission of esoteric Buddhist knowledge through a succession of spiritual masters.