Mahasiddha Tibetan Buddhist Thang Tong Gyalpo Statue 9" Item #11n7

Thangtong Gyalpo (1361-1485 CE), or "The King of the Empty Plain," was a Buddhist Mahasiddha, a Chöd master, yogi, physician, blacksmith, architect, and pioneering civil engineer. In addition, he is believed to be the most widely traveled person in Tibetan history. He's also known by the names Chakzampa, the "Iron Bridge Builder," and Tsondru Zangpo, "Excellent Persistence." Many people believe he was an emanation of both Padmasambhava (known as "Guru Rinpoche" among Tibetan Buddhists) and Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, the foremost master of shentong and a major proponent of the Jonang tradition. Aside from his architectural feats of building 58 iron chain suspension bridges (several of which are still in use today) and erecting several large stupas across Tibet and Bhutan, he is known for founding the Iron Chain lineage of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition.

Furthermore, he is known for developing Lhamo or Tibetan theater in the 14th century and establishing song and dance troupes to raise money needed to build bridges. Performers would tell stories, recite mantras, and perform song and dance as a means to both teach and subdue demons for the sake of building Tangtong Gyalpo's bridges.

Lastly, Tangtong Gyalpo was known for his ability to eradicate disease. His famous prayer commonly known as "Thangtong Gyalpo's Refuge Prayer" is said to be helpful for averting adverse circumstances and transforming difficulty.

This sculpture was hand crafted by the very talented artists of the beautiful Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal!

Copper statues from Nepali do not need much maintenance. The best way to maintain the statue is to simply dust the piece periodically to keep any dirt from accumulating. They are meant solely for indoor use.

If you are really interested in making the statue shine you can use some coconut oil or other natural oil and a soft cotton rag to wipe down the metal portions of the piece. You can use a soft toothbrush as well to get into the small crevices of the statue. Please pay special attention to not use any oil on any painted surface of the sculpture, such as the face. This will damage the paint and possibly recolor the painted area. Simply use a cotton cloth to dust the face if the face requires attention. Make sure the surface that touches the face does not have any oil present on it. If there are stones on the sculpture use caution while going over the stones as they can become dislodged while handling the sculpture.

If you have any questions concerning your copper statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 429-7640.