Padmasambhava Rainbow Body

This image depicts Padmasambhava displaying the Rainbow Body of Great Transference (Tib.: Ja lü phowa chenpo). Utilizing the Dzogchen practice of tögal (tr. ‘leap over’), a highly accomplished yogi can transform their physical body at the time of death into a light body that can then continue to manifest and bring benefit to sentient beings. It is taught that Padmasambhava, the great yogi from the land of Oddiyana who was instrumental in establishing Buddhism in Tibet, did exactly this and this thangka shows him in this form.