The Buddhist order to which the Dalai Lamas belong was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), seen here as the large central figure with his hands in the teaching mudra and wearing the pointed golden hat that is the insignia of Gelug monks. At the level of his ears are the sword and book, emblems of Manjushri, alluding to the Tibetan tradition that regarded Tsongkhapa as an emanation of the bodhisattva of wisdom. This sumptuous painting, made only decades after his death, retains elements of portraiture that became formalized in later works. He is surrounded by lineage masters in lively gestures of debate, whose analyses led to Tsongkhapa's formulation of the Lam-rim, the foundational text on the stages of the path to enlightenment for the Gelug order.
