Item: Tagla Membar (Bon Deity)

Tagla Membar (English: Tiger-God, Flaming with Fire. Tibetan: Wal Bon Tagla Membar [dbal bon stag la me 'bar]), the fierce form of a direct disciple of Tonpa Shenrab.

He is also known as the Red Razor. At the upper left corner is Tagla Membar White Razor, Armor of the Sun and Moon. At the upper right corner is Tagla Membar Black Razor

Wrathful, red in colour (or black), with one face and two hands, he has three large round eyes, an open snarling mouth and hair flaming upward. The right and left hands are both upraised and outstretched holding a golden wheel in the right and nine swords in the left. Adorned with a crown of five dry skulls, gold earrings, necklaces and freshly severed heads, across the shoulders he wears a green scarf and wrathful skins of animals and a human. Around the waist is a tiger skin skirt and snakes adorn the body. With the right leg bent and left straight in an aggressive posture atop two prone figures, a sun disc and lotus seat he stands encircled by the swirling flames of pristine awareness.

At the bottom center is the Tag Dong Chen, the Tiger headed protector. On the right side is Nying Du Tingnag, blue in colour. On the right side is Machen Pomra riding a white snow lion.

At the bottom right and left sides are the Four Kings of the Directions, standing, wearing golden armor. In the Bon religion the Four Kings are depicted with animal heads.

Jeff Watt & Lee Hartline 4-2001 [updated 1-2018]

Bibliography:

'Bonpo Thangkas From Rebkong' Bon Studies 13, Senri Ethnological Reports 95. Edited by Bon brgya dge legs lhun grub rgya mtsho, Shin'ichi Tsumagari, Musashi Tachikawa, Ysauhiko Nagano. National Museum of Ethnology 2011 Osaka. Plate no. 45 pages 288-291.