This thangka is a depiction of the Seventeen Indian masters of the Nalanda Monastic University , the most important Buddhist learning center in India's past. The Buddah sits at the center and is surrounded by images of these masters. Nalanda Monastic University was established during the Gupta Dynasty in the late 5th to early 6th century C.E. under the patronage of the Gupta king Shakraditra, the institution survived for six hundred years through the Pala Dynasty. Nalanda's renown as a center for higher learning spread far. It attracted students from as far away as Greece, Persia, China, and Tibet. Although Buddhism or Buddhist Philosophy was naturally the central focus of study, other subjects, including astronomy, medicine (Ayurveda), grammar, metaphysics, logic, philosophy of language, classical Hindu philosophy, non-Indian philosophy, and so forth, were all regularly studied.  The seventeen Indian masters represented in the thangka are the author of all the books in the Tibetan Collection. These seventeen masters names are: Nagarjuna (c. 2nd century C.E.), the revealer of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the systematizer and founder of the Middle Way (Madhyamaka) school of Buddhist philosophy; Aryadeva (c. 3rd century C.E.); Asanga (300-390 C.E.); Vasubandhu (c. 4th-century C.E.); Dignaga (6th-century C.E.); Dharmakirti (600-660 C.E.); Gunaprabha (c. 9th century C.E.); Shakyaprabha ; Buddhapalita (470-550 C.E.); Bhavaviveka (500-578 C.E.); Chandrakirti (600-650 C.E.); Shantarakshita (725-788 C.E.); Kamalashila (c. 8th-century C.E.); Haribhadra (700-770 C.E.); Vimuktisena (c. 6th century C.E.); Shantideva (c. 8th-century C.E.); and Atisha (980-1054 C.E.) 

This thankga, titled Four Harmonious Friends or The Delightful Tale of Honoring the Age, depicts the tale of the four harmonious animals, one of the widely preached Jataka tales, a significant part of Buddhist mythology. It depicts an elephant standing under a fruit tree carrying a monkey, a hare and a bird on top of each other. The story tells of four animals, all close friends: a partridge, a hare, a monkey, and an elephant. They lived beneath a large banyan tree. Out of curiosity, they wanted to figure out who was the oldest among them. To determine who was the eldest, they discuss their memories of the oldest tree and then order themself by age. The bird, recognized by the other animals as the oldest, sits on top. The four animals lived together in co-dependence and cooperation, helping each other to enjoy the fruits of the tree.

This thangka is a buddha mandala. It is an intricate design with one large circle in the center and four smaller circles in each corner. It symbolizes the universe and gives the viewer a sense of belonging and connection. A mandala symbolizes the universe in its ideal form, and its creation signifies the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy. It can also be used as an aid to meditation, helping the meditator to envision how to achieve the perfect self. The meaning of a mandala varies, though it's typically considered a symbol of balance, eternity, and perfection.