Padampa Sangye Statue — Exquisite 24k Gold Gilded Sculpture of the Great Chöd Master

This copper statue of Padampa Sangye is a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted work, available exclusively from TermaTree. Padampa Sangye is one of the great Buddhist yogis and spiritual teachers of history. He is best known for beginning the Pacification (Zhi-Byed) tradition and is a significant figure in the practice of Chöd. His spirit continues to inspire practitioners today to courageously confront their fears and sever their egos.

The statue is a strong, iconic representation of Padampa Sangye holding his ritual implements – the damaru drum and the bone trumpet (kangling), which represent the fearless severing of attachment and ego in his Chöd teachings. Each detail in the statue captures the essence of Padampa Sangye's wisdom and teachings, from the precise, dynamic positioning of his arms and hands to the look of intense concentration on his face.

By creating its handcrafted copper statue of Padampa Sangye, TermaTree provides a way for practitioners to connect with Padampa Sangye's fearless transmission of wisdom and teaching and to experience those teachings at a deeper, more immediate, visceral level. The statue is much more than a physical representation, and rather, it serves as a channel to a spiritual resonance, inviting all who would honor Padampa Sangye's teachings and enhance their sacred space.

Honoring Padampa Sangye Through Masterful Craftsmanship

This statue is custom-cast in solid copper - a metal highly regarded in the Vajrayana tradition for its energetic function and ritual purity; the surface is then coated in pure 24k gold with ancient methods that utilize the ethos of its sacredness and brightness within the sculpture.

As such, the presentation is a sacred image that is both stunning and physically durable for permanent display on an altar as well as for ritual use. The 7.3-inch height is large in stature, while not being too fat for smaller shrine use, while the 5.5-inch width creates perfect proportion and symmetry from all dimensional views.

At 1.13 kilograms, it has a satisfying heft, which helps depict a grounded character -- representing weight, durability, and a quality cast. This solid base provides additional ritual value as it is laden with all of the energetic functions required to feel confident managing it on the altar, during offerings, reciting, or meditating, as it should remain grounded to the earth.

On your personal open altar, in a dedicated temple space, or in a meditation space, this Padampa Sangye statue represents a lot of spiritual power and refined artistry in every space within it. 

Padampa Sangye’s Posture and Iconography

This 7.3-inch 24k gold-gilded copper statue of Padampa Sangye is a superb piece of Himalayan Buddhist sculpture. With unique detail and profound spiritual accuracy, the statue conveys the dignified charisma, deep compassion, and mystical power of this Indian Mahasiddha, most notably the transmitter of the Chöd lineage in Tibet. 

The statue is understood iconographically from the head to the base of the lotus; the practitioner is invited to visually receive all the spiritual embodiment and potential symbolism integrated into the form.

Crown of Grey Hair — Symbol of Renunciate Wisdom

The hair depicted at the crown of Padampa Sangye's head is voluminous and thick, with grey strands. The strands are carved dynamically, and renderings challenge our inquiry into his institutional nature. Furthermore, it is parted actively around his head. Thus, the intention of his styled hair expresses his personal identity as a non-monastic tantric yogin; Padampa Sangye existed without institutional parameters, through realization and not ritualism. His form ultimately embodied his seniority, age, and lineage wisdom.

Face — Focused Gaze and Compassionate Authority

Padampa Sangye's face is serene and mature, indicative of the wisdom and inner strength of an experienced yogi. All of his features are otherwise perfectly proportioned, silently emanating authority and calmness rather than malnutrition or liveliness. His oval-shaped eyes slightly widened, staring frontally outward with remarkable intensity and clarity. It is important to note that his focused gaze is penetrating, and not aggressive; a gaze that embodies his role as a spiritual guide who can see through the illusions of attachment and ego.

Padampa Sangye's lips are gently closed, demonstrating silence and an utter stillness integral to his teachings. Notably for a master teacher like Padampa Sangye, the stillness itself shows the depth of his wisdom, not spoken, but the transformational effect of stillness and meditation. The expression itself also displays a balance of two qualities of discipline and compassion, which characterize his yogic mastery.

Ears, Neck, and Head Posture — Silent Listening and Inner Power

The long earlobes — a signifier of an enlightened nature — symbolize his capacity to listen deeply and a wealth of wisdom.  His head is slightly tipped, in a way that is naturally humble — a posture we often see with representations of realized beings that remain immensely grounded in being fully awake.   

The neck is long and smoothly molded, a non-strained and non-hungry neck in relation to the rest of his head, thus adding to his calm spiritual authority. 

Upper Body — Robes of the Yogin

Padampa Sangye is wearing a simple upper shawl to cover his left shoulder, in a very naturalist depiction with a very realistic falling of folds. The texture and design of his shawl look very basic and plain, a quality that indicates the spiritual authority of its wearer and resulting economic detachment. It probably also implies the type of shawl typically seen on wandering yogis and renunciants in India and Tibet.

His chest is not emaciated, and its full and smooth form does not reveal protruding ribs. Though it seems apparent that he undertook very rigorous discipline in his ascetic practice, Padampa Sangye's overall physique is healthy and vibrant — no doubt an evolved body through the discipline of yoga, but not a wasted body of deprivation.

Hands — Ritual Implements of Chöd

The gestures and the held objects in the sculpture of Padampa Sangye are the most imposing aspects:

• In his right hand, slightly forward in the severance grasp (Chöd mudra), he holds a kangling — a trumpet made from a human thighbone. The kangling represents the courageous promissory offering of one’s body and ego to the dakinis and spirits, which are key aspects of the radical compassion practices of Chöd.

• In his left hand, he holds a damaru (hand drum), held gently against his heart. The damaru represents the unstruck sound of emptiness, the pulsing wisdom that counts the rhythm in the dance of awareness. Its station at the heart's central point symbolizes the joining of method and wisdom — the drumbeat of awakening itself.

The iconography of both of the ritual implements is exquisitely alive in this statue, making it not only symbolically meaningful but liturgically correct for devotional or meditative purposes.

Seated Posture — Meditative Equipoise

In contrast to prepared images that depict a more dynamic pose, this statue represents Padampa Sangye in a more traditional meditational seated position ( vajrasana ). Padampa has folded both legs evenly, adding to the internal balance and stillness presumably felt by the subject. This more formal posing embraces the intensity of the internal gaze and the ritual focus of his hands, which normalizes the energy of severance through meditative practice. 

In this posture, we can recognize that although Padampa is traversing cemeteries and wilds, the internal power is attributed to his inner stillness; an embodied realization beyond distraction, grounded in undistracted meditative absorption.

Lotus Base — Purity, Elevation, and Sacred Throne

The statue is placed on an intricately formed double lotus base, where the petals are incised deeply, curling outward and upward. Each petal is sculpted to perfection and accented with 24k gold gilding. The lotus represents spiritual awakening, moving out and up from the mud of samsara. 

While the lotus seat serves to manifest elevation in a physical way, it affirms Padampa's status as a fully-awakened-advanced being, operating from a horizontal plane that rose from worldly to transcendent, and engaging in the world through compassionate actions. 

Each sculptural element has been additionally considered to adhere to each of these notions, not as abstract philosophy, but as a visual practice and living doctrine to a determined practitioner or devotee.

The Power and Beauty of Artistic Craftsmanship

• Handcrafted in Nepal by a master craftsman, trained as a Newar sculptor, maintaining the sacred form of Himalayan Vajrayana art. 

• Each Padampa Sangye statue is initially cast in pure copper, then hand-sculpted to accentuate every fold of the robe, strand of hair, and contour of the face with reverence, to capture every detail of the human source. 

• Finished in real 24K gold using traditional fire gilding processes, ensuring visual brilliancy while protecting the statue's ritual integrity. 

• Delicate hand-painted details around the face and hair using natural mineral paints to enhance Padampa Sangye's believable presence while not competing with the gilded surface. 

• No inlaid gemstones. Entirely gold-gilded to emphasize the sculptural form, not ornamentation, which properly represents the austere strength and yogic simplicity of the master.

Designed for Practitioners, Altars, and Sacred Spaces

A statue of Padampa Sangye is much more than a decorative item - it's a ritual-grade, spiritually functional sculpture for serious practitioners, serious devotees, and collectors. The iconographic precision and craft of this figure make it radiantly appropriate for a range of sacred contexts. For Chöd practitioners, it's a transformative object to visualize, and draw inspiration from - a being who embodies severance and self-offering in the way that this radical lineage intends. Having this in a meditative space can be an inspiration for cultivating qualities such as fearlessness, compassion, and non-attachment - the very human qualities that Padampa Sangye embodied and transmitted. In-home or temple shrines displaying lineage masters and protectors facilitate connection to the living stream of Vajrayana animal transmission and yogic wisdom. For committed collectors of authentic Himalayan art, it epitomizes a rarity of the profound synthesis of spiritual integrity, sculptural artistry, and cultural heritage.

Incorporating Padampa Sangye into your sacred space is not simply introducing an image; you are also inviting in the current of Chöd practice, creating the conditions for transformation, dissolution of identity, and a direct confrontation with the reality of impermanence. It will serve as a visualization, devotional focus, and advanced spiritual teacher. It will bring more clarity, depth and compassion into your everyday spiritual life.

Proper Use and Care

Despite being strong and well-made, this statue's aesthetic appeal and energetic integrity can be preserved by following these care tips:

• Keep it in a neat, dignified location, preferably high up and facing a calm direction.

• Avoid placing it on the ground or in congested spaces like restrooms or kitchens.

• Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive products when dusting; instead, use a soft cloth.

• Treat it with the same deference that you would a spiritual teacher or mentor.

Its spiritual impact outweighs even its beauty when positioned purposefully.

Why Choose TermaTree for Your Sacred Statue?

• Lost-Wax Casting Method: The age-old lost-wax casting method, which has been handed down through the generations, is used to manufacture termatree statues. This technique enables artists to create sculptures that are incredibly accurate and detailed, guaranteeing that every work is one-of-a-kind and authentic to traditional Himalayan art traditions.

• Gold Fire Gilding Finish: The gold fire process, which involves meticulously applying pure gold to the surface and fusing it with heat, is used to gild each statue. This produces a stunning, long-lasting finish that captures the depth and genuineness of traditional holy art.

• Handcrafted Detailing with 24k Gold: Skilled Nepali artisans create each figurine by hand. They are embellished with hand-painted acrylic details and gilded in 24k gold. Each figure is given life by the depth, texture, and vivid color added by this artistry.

• Vajrayana Ritual Consecration: We provide Vajrayana consecration as a choice for spiritual practitioners. This entails customary Buddhist empowerment ceremonies that give the statue spiritual force, enabling it to be used for devotional activities, meditation, and altar placement.
  

Choosing this Padampa Sangye statue means bringing a spiritually accurate, ethically made sacred image into your life—one designed for true practitioners.

Final Thoughts: Padampa Sangye’s Living Presence

This Padampa Sangye statue is not just a statue; it is a living manifestation of all that the Chöd lineage stands for, and has been created with extraordinary care and sacred precision. There are many features, such as the expression of Padampa Sangye's face, the flowing grey hair, the style of posture, and the appropriately held ritual implements, that indicate serious iconographic fidelity. As it is made from solid copper and covered in 24K gold, using traditional fire-gilding techniques, the work retains the full energetic and artistic impact of traditional Himalayan art.

For Chöd practitioners or those inspired by Padampa Sangye's fearless teachings of severance and non-attachment, this is not just a statue - it becomes a ritual object, a visual teacher, and a companion on their spiritual journey. Its presence supports contemplation, deepens meditation, solidifies connections to the lineage, and sanctifies any altar or sacred space.

This one-of-a-kind ritual-grade statue is part of the premium collection, and it speaks to the studio's dedication to authenticity, detail, and energetic integrity. Each statue was created to do more than just inspire — it also serves as a vehicle to express as a bridge between one's spiritual intent and tangible expression.

This rare and quality sculpture acknowledges both lineage and legacy, whether it is in a personal place of practice, a temple shrine, or part of a curated art collection. When you choose it, you are choosing to ground the living presence of Padampa Sangye into your practice, your space, and into your own spiritual journey.