Padmasambhava — The Statue of 10,000 Knives

"By all accounts, Khamariin Khiid thrived as a progressive, harmonious community, until on one occasion, a dispute in the camps escalated, resulting in the stabbing death of a Chinese man. Such violence was almost unheard-of there and the residents were greatly upset. Danzan Ravjaa acted quickly, sending out a message that any family that had faith in him should come and bring a knife from its household as an offering. So great was the response, that Danzan Ravjaa eventually collected more than 10,000 knives.

Summoning the most skilled sculptors and metalsmiths, Danzan Ravjaa had all the knives melted down and forged into an exquisite statue of the eighth c. lama Padmasambhava, the Nyingma lineage's progenitor who is commonly known as Guru Rinpoche. Because of the unusual material employed, the body and base are pewter-colored, with only the face and hands painted gold. Guru Rinpoche's expression is exceptionally intense and the details all suggest the suppression of evil, from the demon head upon which the figure sits, to the outstretched right hand holding a vajra in the gesture of the annihilation of obstacles. Once displayed, the figure became an object of pilgrimage known as the Statue of 10,000 Knives and peace prevailed at Khamariin Khiid, up until the untimely death of Danzan Ravjaa. — Source Konchog Norbu from his article, "Treasures of the Sand ©" — The Legacy of Danzan Ravjaa "

http://www.tibetan-museum-society.org/tibetan-art-museum-gallery/exhibit.php?id=10&sortby=deity

http://www.tibetan-museum-society.org/