pema on lotus

Padma is the Sanskrit word for lotus. Here gilded in pure gold in the Tibetan Uchen script upon an open lotus.

This refers to one of many names for Guru Rinpoche ‘lotus born’ – ‘Pema Jungney’ པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས།

This being the sixth syllable of Padmasambhava’s eight-syllable Benza Guru mantra, in a series of eight individual art piece, each based on the individual syllables of His mantra:

oṃ āḥ hūṃ vajra guru padma siddhi hūṃ༔.

Especially created for a solo exhibition with Amankora in Thimphu and Paro, Bhutan.

The theme for the exhibition is based on Bhutan’s patron Saint Padmasambhava. Both Bhutanese and Tibetans widely consider Padmasambhava, or known as Guru Rinpoche, to be the second Buddha.