Refuge Tree of the Gelugpa School

This thangka depicts a traditional Tibetan 'Refuge Tree' composition, centering on the Gelugpa lineage founder Je Tsongkhapa seated in a lotus position, radiating light. Surrounding him is a dense, tiered arrangement of numerous figures including Shakyamuni Buddha, various bodhisattvas, tantric deities, and historical lamas, all set amidst clouds and landscape features. At the bottom, secondary scenes include protectors and practitioners in monastic robes engaged in ritual offerings or contemplation. The figures are rendered with traditional iconography, bright polychrome pigments, and precise outlining, typical of the high-detail style of Tibetan religious painting.

The Refuge Tree serves as a visual aid for the 'Refuge' prayer and visualization practices in Tibetan Buddhism, specifically within the Gelugpa tradition. It functions as a schematic representation of the 'Field of Merit', intended to focus the practitioner's devotion toward the historical Buddha, the lineage masters, and protective deities.