Jowo Buddha – Tibetan-style Hand-Painted Three-Dimensional Silver-Painted Tsa-Tsha Thangka Pendant

According to Buddhist scriptures, during Śākyamuni Buddha’s lifetime, disciples commissioned artisans to create eight statues—four depicting his 8-year-old form and four his 12-year-old form—based on descriptions from his aunt Mahāprajāpatī and other witnesses. The Buddha himself consecrated these statues, imbuing them with extraordinary blessing power (adhiṣṭhāna). These icons possess the “merit of total communion”—any being who beholds, hears of, contemplates, or touches them receives blessings equivalent to encountering the living Buddha, thereby liberating them from the Three Poisons (greed, hatred, delusion).

The Buddha prophesied that among these eight statues, only one 8-year-old and one 12-year-old likeness would ultimately manifest in Jambudvīpa (the human realm of this Saha World), both destined for Tibet. History confirms this revelation:

The 8-year-old Jowo was brought to Tibet by Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti, now enshrined in Ramoche Temple.
The 12-year-old Jowo (the subject of this account) was escorted from Luoyang’s White Horse Temple to Lhasa by Chinese Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, where it resides as the central deity of Jokhang Temple.