Rigsum gonpo — Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani (tib. rigs gsum mgon po)

Manjushri (tib.Jampal Yang) Manjushri is Bodhisattva of Wisdom and consider as a symbol of the Mind of all Buddhas. He appears in five peaceful and wrathful forms for the benefit of all living beings. In his right hand Manjushri holds a sword cutting ignorance and in the left one - stem of a lotus flower with Prajnyparamita Sutra. It is considered the believers praying to Manjushri and practicing his methods (sanskr. sadhana) receiving good memory, eloquence and holy mind. This thangka was made on canvas covered with pure gold (tib. sertan) and symbolizing the precious Wisdom granting by Manjushri.

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is as white as the moon and wears a crown of five Buddhas. He has coiled hair with two central hands in front of the bosom with pearl beads in hands. He holds crystal beads in another right hand and raises another left hand as high as his ear picking up an eight-petal lotus flower. With smiles on the face four-armed Avalokitesvara is gazing at all beings silently. He is decorated with flowers, sitting cross-legged on a lotus and moon disc throne and radiating bright colorful lights.

His incantation has great virtue. Chanting the incantation, the follower can eliminate diseases, punishments and fear of unexpected death. He can lengthen his span of life and become rich. At his deathbed, he can be reborn as a hu¬man being or as one of the God realm.
The Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists regard the Dalai Lama as the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara.

On the popular level, Vajrapani, Holder of the Thunderbolt Scepter (symbolizing the power of compassion), is the Bodhisattva who represents the power of all the Buddhas, just as Avalokiteshvara represents their great compassion, Manjushri their wisdom, and Tara their miraculous deeds. For the yogi, Vajrapani is an archetype deity of fierce determination and symbolizes unrelenting effectiveness in the conquest of negativity. As such, this icon brandishes a vajra in an exorcising gesture in his right hand, and with his left hand makes the threatening gesture with index and little fingers pointed up. His taut posture is the active warrior pose (pratayalidha), based on an archer's stance but resembling the en garde position in Western fencing.