Jowo Rinpoché
Housed in the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, in Central Tibet, Jowo Rinpoché is the most sacred image in Tibet, and represents Buddha Shakyamuni. The statue is believed to have been crafted during the Buddha's life by the celestial artist, Vishvakarman with the guidance of the god Indra. Originally, the Jowo Rinpoché belonged to the king of Magadha, the largest of the sixteen states that flourished in northern India between the sixth and third centuries BCE. He later gave it to a king of the Tang empire, in China. Later, his daughter, Wencheng Kongjo, brought it to Tibet in her dowry when she married King Songtsen Gampo (c.605-650).
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
