Considered as one of the greatest Bodhisattvas, Manjusri is the crown prince of Buddhist teachings. When loosely translated from Sanskrit, ‘Manju’ means ‘beautiful, charming, pleasant’ and ‘Sri’ means ‘light, brilliance, glory.’ Manjusri is hence also known as ‘Gentle Prince’ because of his intuitive wisdom and reverence as an enlightened being. Often depicted with a youthful outlook, Manjusri’s wisdom is said to be intrinsic within him. The Manjusri mantra is thus especially practiced amongst learners, as it is believed to improve one’s intellectual learnings to develop adept skills and gain wisdom.

Manjusri is one of the eight Buddhist deities that serve as the protectors of the twelve zodiac animals it is associated with along with the people born in that animal year. Among the eight, four guards the four cardinal directions while the other four guard the four semi-directions.

This collectible presents Manjusri with his flaming sword in hand, which he uses to cut and dispel the darkness of ignorance and false perceptions. He rides a lion atop a lotus leaf, symbolising his fearless nature because of his pure wisdom. The lotus flower blooming in his left hand is chosen to mark how he has attained complete realisation and enlightenment. It also signifies the total removal of all undesirable thoughts and worldly troubles. This image of Manjusri is majestic and powerful, to mirror his stature. On the obverse, the Taoist symbol of ba gua lies in unison with the zodiac wheel, whereby Manjusri is the guardian of the Rabbit zodiac animal. In the middle lies the yin-yang symbol as a backdrop for the legal tender, the Coat of Arms du Tchad.

A new minting technique called “Bi-Metal Max” was applied to give this piece its remarkable weight and 120 mm diameter – triple the size of the regular 2 oz collectible. This is made possible by combining 28.5 oz of copper as a base with a top layer of 5 oz of fine-silver, resulting in a super ultra-high relief topped with silver antiqued finishing.C