"Even when faced with mounting challenges, virtuous persons still shine with their great qualities. Like a burning log facing downwards, yet blazing its flame upwards in great power." — Sakya Pandita Today is the anniversary of #SakyaPandita, one of the forefathers of the Sakya tradition and one of the throne-holders of the Sakya Monastery. Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen, or Sapan as he is affectionately known to his Tibetan followers, is perhaps one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers and scholars throughout Tibet. His iconic work, Sakya Legshe, or the "Treasury of Good Advice," a famous collection of aphorisms, has been fundamental to the development of Tibetan culture and ethics. This painting was part of a set, and it depicts Sakya Pandita (1182–1251) with Chogyal Pagpa, his nephew and successor, shown here at his right. The folk stories surrounding Sakya Pandita became an important part of Tibetan folk culture. One of these stories depicts the Mongol emperor Godan sending em...