Material: Clay sculpture. Handmade. Tsa-tsa mold. Buddha image

 

Size: 11cm

 

Description: Amitabha Tsa-tsa is a small Buddhist image craft in Tibetan Buddhism, made by pressing with a mold. It is usually made of materials such as clay, silver, metal, or ceramic, and is shaped like a seated or standing image of Amitabha Buddha (Buddha of Infinite Light, Buddha of Infinite Life), ranging in height from about 2-5 cm. It originates from the Indian Buddhist tradition of molded clay sculpture and is called "Tsa-tsa" in Tibet, meaning "copy" or "mold." It is an accessible and easily mass-produced Buddhist sacred object. In today's Buddhist market, these Tsa-tsa are commonly found on online platforms such as Taobao, Shopee, or specialized Buddhist artifact shops, with prices ranging from tens to thousands of yuan. They are very popular among believers, especially among Pure Land and Tibetan Buddhist followers.

 

A Role in the Buddhist Market

 

In the Buddhist market, Amitabha tsa-tsa plays a dual role as both a "small offering" and a "talisman." Unlike large Buddha statues that require vast resources and space, it serves as a "democratized" tool for Buddhist practice, allowing ordinary believers to easily participate in accumulating merit. Specifically:

 

- **Crafts and Collectibles**: Tsa-tsa are often considered works of art or antiques. For example, old Qing Dynasty tsa-tsa or silver versions can fetch tens of thousands of dollars on auction platforms like Yahoo! Auctions. A variety of materials (such as brass, purple clay, and silver) and mold designs (such as miniature versions or those that can be tied to prayer beads) are available to meet different needs, from DIY molds to finished products.

 

- **Medium for Religious Practice**: In Tibetan Buddhism, making a tsa-tsa is equivalent to "creating a Buddha statue." Offering it is equivalent to offering to a complete Buddha statue, accumulating merit, purifying karmic obstacles, and bringing wisdom and protection. It fills the market gap for "portable sacred objects," especially in modern urban life. Believers can place them on their home shrines, temple mani stones, or in their personal gau (amulet box), alongside prayer flags and other amulets, serving as a bridge for daily practice.

 

- **Cultural Dissemination Tool**: Tsa-tsa promotes the popularization of Buddhist culture. For example, in workshops, believers make Amitabha tsa-tsa by hand, symbolizing the "vow of rebirth in the Pure Land," becoming an introductory practice in Pure Land Buddhism. In the market, it also symbolizes the integration of Tibetan and Han Buddhism, often sold alongside Green Tara or Yellow Jambhala tsa-tsa, expanding the market size.

 

Overall, Amitabha tsa-tsa is not only a commodity in the Buddhist market but also a "carrier of blessings," making high-level Buddhist practice more accessible and affordable.

 

Related Mythological Stories

 

The core inspiration for Amitabha tsa-tsa comes from the Jataka tales of Amitabha Buddha, classic stories recorded in the Buddhist scriptures *Infinite Life Sutra* and *Contemplation Sutra*, incorporating mythological elements and emphasizing compassion and vows. The following is a detailed account of the main events:

 

Long ago, before Amitabha Buddha attained Buddhahood, he was King Gautama (or Dharmakara), of the Land of Bliss. His father was King Chandrakirti, and his mother was the Radiant Beauty. One day, the Tathagata Lokeshvara (an ancient Buddha) appeared in the world and preached the Dharma. Gautama was deeply inspired and renounced his throne to become a monk named Dharmakara. He made a great vow: if he were to attain Buddhahood, he would establish a Pure Land free from suffering and filled only with joy, so that all sentient beings could be reborn there.

 

Dharmakara traveled throughout the ten directions, observing the advantages and disadvantages of countless Buddha-lands. Upon returning, he reported to the Tathagata Lokeshvara and made the "Forty-Eight Vows" (also known as the Forty-Eight Great Vows), the most famous of which includes:

 

**The Eighteenth Vow (Original Vow)**: If any sentient being hears my name, sincerely believes and rejoices, and desires to be reborn in my land, even with just ten recitations (for a short time), I will guide them to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

 

- **Nineteenth Vow:** If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in my land hear my name, awaken the Bodhicitta, cultivate all virtuous deeds, and in future lives, through hundreds of thousands of billions of kalpas, do not regress from the Bodhisattva stage, attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

 

- **Other Vows:** Such as the absence of the three evil realms in the Pure Land, the absence of women (or women born as lotuses), the natural generation of food and clothing in the Seven Treasure Ponds, and the attainment of wisdom upon hearing the Dharma, etc.

 

The Tathagata Lokesvararaja praised the vastness of his vows, prophesying that Dharmakara would attain Buddhahood ten kalpas later, taking the name "Amitabha," and establishing the "Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss"—a pure land bathed in golden light, where lotuses bloom and heavenly music rains down. After countless kalpas of practice and guiding sentient beings, Dharmakara finally attained Buddhahood, and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss appeared as his vows fulfilled. Sentient beings only need to recite the six characters "Namo Amitabha Buddha" to be received by the Buddha and liberated from the cycle of rebirth.

 

In addition, there are folk tales, such as the legend of "The Little Monk Carrying Amitabha": In ancient times, a kind-hearted but poor little monk named Amitabha encountered a dying old beggar. He used his own body as a coffin and carried the corpse to the temple. The body transformed into a golden Amitabha Buddha statue, demonstrating compassion and response, now enshrined at Huazang Temple in Jiangsu. This story emphasizes the miraculous power of reciting the Buddha's name, echoing the protective meaning of the tsa-tsa.

 

These stories portray Amitabha Buddha as a "compassionate father" savior. The tsa-tsa, as a miniature manifestation of him, carries the symbolism of these myths, allowing believers to connect with the promise of the Pure Land through touch or visualization.

 

Uses:

 

The uses of Amitabha tsa-tsa are diverse, covering religious, daily, and spiritual aspects. Based on the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism, they mainly include:

 

- **Offering and Practice**: Placed on a home shrine, in a temple, or in a mani pile as "filler" (for purification) for the Buddha image, or stacked in a tower shape, symbolizing the accumulation of merit. After drying or firing, it can be painted and blessed, allowing believers to worship daily and contemplate the vows of Amitabha Buddha, aiding in rebirth in the Pure Land.

 

- **Wearing and Protection:** Place it in a gau box and carry it with you, or bind it to your prayer beads as an amulet. Traditionally, wearing it reminds one to cultivate virtuous deeds, treat others with compassion, bring inner peace, resolve negative karma, and improve wealth and career stability. It is especially suitable for those who recite Amitabha Buddha's name; touching and rubbing it while reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" strengthens the vow for rebirth in the Pure Land.

 

- **DIY and Education:** Making it yourself using molds (such as in workshops) is a form of spiritual practice, symbolizing "accumulating merit through self-reliance." Although small, the finished product is considered a "ticket to the Pure Land," helping to purify karmic obstacles and increase wisdom.

 

- **Other Applications:** Place it in retreat caves or at crossroads to pray for safe travels; or give it as a gift to convey Buddhist compassion. In the modern market, it is also used in feng shui arrangements, reportedly to "enhance positive energy."

 

In short, Amitabha tsa-tsa is not only a physical object, but also a bridge connecting mythology and daily life, making the abstract Buddhist aspirations tangible. For a deeper understanding, you can refer to the Infinite Life Sutra or visit a Tibetan monastery to experience making it yourself.