Item: Miscellaneous - Offerings

Wrathful Offerings (Tibetan: kang dze) for the important protectors of the Gelugpa School. An array of various fearsome symbols representing objects that are suitable for offering up to the deities.

Tibetan: Kang dze

The attributes and ornaments of seven protector deities special to the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism are represented in the painting. The deities, from left to right, are: [1] Vaishravana Riding a Lion, [2] Chaturmukha Mahakala, [3] Sita Shadbhuja Mahakala, [4] Shadbhuja Mahakala, [5] Yama Dharmaraja, [6] Magzor Gyalmo Shri Devi and [7] Begtse Chen.

At the top center is the great mountain, Mount Meru, at the center of each Buddhist world system. The top is in the heavens and wider than the base. It rises from the circular blue ocean and mountains below and the sun and moon are located half way up the mountain. Arranged on the ocean and rocky mountains coloured geometric shapes can be seen. These represent the four continents each accompanied by two smaller islands. The southern continent, Jambudvipa, the world of ancient India is located in the foreground and coloured blue.

At the center of the depiction of Mount Meru and the continents is a large white skullcup filled with offerings surrounded by smaller skullcups and more offerings.

Along the bottom are various weapons, spears, lances, swords, shields, musical instruments, animal pelts and hides, wild animals, black horses, black yaks and black wolves, some as offerings and others as messengers and attendants to the various protectors.

These types of paintings would commonly hang in the smaller Protector temples (Tibetan: gon kang) of monasteries and represent an offering of all the symbols of those specific deities.

Numbered List:
1. Vaishravana Riding a Lion (worldly protector)
2. Chaturmukha Mahakala (wisdom protector)
3. Sita Shadbhuja Mahakala (wealth deity)
4. Shadbhuja Mahakala (wisdom protector)
5. Yama Dharmaraja (wisdom protector)
6. Shri Devi, Magzor Gyalmo (wisdom protector)
7. Begtse Chen (wisdom protector)
A. Mount Meru
B. Four Continents & Offerings
C. Eight Auspicious Symbols & Offerings
D. Seven Jewels of Royalty & Offerings
E. Animal Offerings, Domestic & Wild
F. Animal Offerings, Domestic & Wild
G. Offering of Weapons

Jeff Watt 3-2001 [Revised 6-2006]