Statue of Tsepame, the "Long-life Buddha", Gyantse Kumbum. A Kumbum is a multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels in Tibet. The Kumbum or great gomang (many-doored) chorten at Gyantse is a three dimensional mandala, meant to portray the Buddhist cosmos. The Kumbum, like other mandalas, which are portrayed by a circle within a square, enables the devotee to take part in the Buddhist perception of the universe and can depict one's potential as they move through it. Mandalas are meant to aid an individual on the path to enlightenment.