Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom. In Tibetan Buddhism he is the patron of learning, and students traditionally recite his mantra before study or an exam. He is shown as a youthful prince, often said to be sixteen years old.
How he is shown
- Golden-orange, seated cross-legged on a lotus and moon disc.
- His right hand raises a flaming sword above his head: the sword of wisdom that cuts through ignorance.
- His left hand, at his heart, holds the stem of a blue lotus. On the flower rests a book, the Perfection of Wisdom sutra.
- Silks, jewels and a five-pointed crown, as a bodhisattva.
Other forms
Manjushri also appears as White Manjushri, as Manjushri riding a lion, and in wrathful forms. Yamantaka, the "destroyer of death", is understood as his most wrathful form. Some paintings show four or five forms of Manjushri together.
Manjushri and Nepal
A well-known Newar legend tells that the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake, and that Manjushri cut a gorge through the hills with his sword to drain it, so the valley could be settled. The gorge is still pointed out, south of Kathmandu, at Chobhar.
His mantra
Om A Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih, built on the letters of an ancient alphabet; Dhih is the seed syllable of wisdom.
In a painting
Look at the flames of the sword, which should be crisp and full of movement, the fine line of the lotus stem, and a youthful, composed face. Manjushri is a thoughtful gift for a student, a teacher or a study.
