There is one paramount reason why Jokhang Temple is regarded as the holiest destination for pilgrims: it enshrines the most revered and rare statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the world — the Jowo Buddha. In Tibetan, this sacred image is called Jowo Rinpoche, where Jowo means “Supreme Lord” and Rinpoche means “Precious One” — together signifying “the Supreme Precious Guru”. For followers of Tibetan Buddhism, Jowo Rinpoche is the spiritual heart and symbol of unwavering faith.
This seated statue, standing 1.5 meters high, is a lifelike representation of the Buddha with a serene and compassionate expression, a gentle smile suggesting silent comfort to all sentient beings.
Jowo Buddha: Life-sized Image of 12-Year-Old Shakyamuni
There are three most sacred life-sized statues of the Buddha known to exist:
- The 8-year-old Buddha (currently preserved in China),
- The 12-year-old Buddha (also preserved in China), and
- The 25-year-old Buddha (preserved in India).
Among these, the 12-year-old image — Jowo Buddha — is the rarest and most revered. According to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhist masters throughout history, making a pilgrimage to see Jowo Buddha is considered equivalent in merit to meeting the Buddha himself and receiving his supreme blessings.
Historical records of Tibetan Buddhism recount that in the year 1409, the revered founder of the Gelug tradition, Je Tsongkhapa, offered a set of five Tathāgata crowns made of pure gold to the statue. These crowns were exquisitely adorned with dzi beads, pearls, precious stones, jade, and turquoise, and a right-spiraling white conch was embedded at the chest, enhancing the statue’s majestic beauty and sacredness. During a thorough temple cleaning in 1979, a pure gold parasol was discovered, believed to have been crafted during that same period.
The large prayer beads adorning the statue are said to have been bestowed by a Ming Dynasty emperor to Jamchen Chöjé Shakya Yeshe, a chief disciple of Tsongkhapa and founder of Sera Monastery. Shakya Yeshe is believed to have offered them to the Buddha statue out of profound devotion.
Remarkably, this statue is also known to spontaneously generate sacred relics (ringsel). Moreover, before the occurrence of significant historical events, the statue has often shown mysterious omens.
For over 1,300 years, Jowo Rinpoche has remained the principal deity of Jokhang Temple — the most sacred figure in all of Tibet, unparalleled in honor and status. Though centuries have passed and times have changed, the eternal butter lamp in front of the Shakyamuni statue continues to shine brightly, undiminished and unwavering, through the passage of time.