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The Wheel of Life stone carving in the Dazu Grotto is very likely the largest depiction in the world. This particular model of the Buddhist cosmology, the environment and inhabitants, is based on the interpretation of one particular Chinese monk in the 12th century. Wheel of Life depictions are usually based on the Abhidharma literature of the Theravada and Sutrayana vehicles and the artistic examples that are copied or used for inspiration such as the famous Ajanta Cave depiction. Within the Vajrayana system various divergent models are presented with the foremost being that of the Kalachakra Tantra. At the Dazu Grotto we have what is possibly the worlds largest and most idiosyncratic Wheel of Life - carved from stone.

The Dazu Grotto is not just one location but a number of sites in Sichuan Province of China. Dating from as early as the 7th century the various sites contain 75 locations and over 50,000 rock carved statues. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are numerous temples associated with the different sites along with fascinating Chinese Tantric imagery.

The Sichuan University Museum, of Chengdu, China has a collection of approximately 300 Tibetan paintings and numerous sculpture and ethnographic items. Only a few of the objects, those on the gallery floors, are available to be photographed while most of the objects remain in storage. (See more images from the Art & Archeology - China website).

The red hats of the three Karma Kagyu teachers Shamar, Gyaltsab & Tai Situ can all appear to be identical in colour, shape and design. According to oral and literary tradition the hats are all described as being slightly different. When observing both paintings and sculpture it is almost impossible to be 100% accurate in making an identification without looking at a multiplicity of indicators. See a comparison of just Shamar hats and a previous post from February 7th 2010 discussing the both the red and black hats of the Karma Kagyu Tradition.

The figures of Shakyamuni Buddha and Akshobhya Buddha are commonly mistaken for each other because of the placement of a vajra scepter. Shakyamuni often has a vajra placed on the seat slightly in front of the folded legs, but never holds a vajra. The vajra represents the location - Vajrasana (Bodhgaya, India). Akshobhya Buddha often holds an upright standing vajra in the palm of the left hand. This is the principal attribute of Akshobhya symbolizing the Vajra Family of Tantric Buddhism. Represented in a Tantric context, Akshobhya is often shown wearing an elaborate crown and jeweled ornaments - which Shakyamuni generally does not.

Both the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa (1384-1415), and the student and representative of Je Tsongkapa, Jamchen Shakya Yeshe (1355?1435), founder of Sera Monastery, received gifts of a black hat from the Yongle Emperor of China - Taming Gyallon. Although both black and somewhat different in design as seen in the examples below where both figures are the central subject. It is not always easy to distinguish the finer characteristics of the black hat when the subjects are depicted as minor figures in larger painted compositions.

The general depiction of both Gesar and Dralha follow that of a Tibetan warrior, atop a horse, clad in armor and a helmet with elaborate flag pennants and streamers. And again, both Gesar and Dralha can be accompanied by eight horseman. Aside from these two, numerous characters from the Gesar Epic have the same appearance as do a number of Tibetan mountain gods. It is very easy to confuse most of these figures.

The images in this gallery are from the Lokesh Chandra publication of the 510 iconographic images known as the Mongolian Pantheon. The pages below contain all of the images in sequential order. Over the next few weeks individual pages will be created for the various subject groups such as the Sixteen Arhats and the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas along with the deities that are shown with their accompanying retinue figures.

The Tibet Heritage Fund (International) has started work on the restoration of the Tsuklakhang Temple in Gangtok, Sikkim. This is the traditional family temple of the King of Sikkim.

(View images of the work in progress on the HAR website).

"THF starts restoration of Gangtok Tsuklakhang in Sikkim. On March 21, under patronage of Her Highness, Princess Hope Leezum Namgyal of Sikkim and in cooperation with the Tsuklakhang Trust, THF began to work in Sikkim on the conservation of the wall-paintings of Gangtok's Tsuklakhang temple."

"The Tsuklakhang dates to the 1920s, replacing an earlier royal palace. It was designed by Taring Rinpoche and the painters were sent from Shigatse and Gyantse. Today, the temple serves as the central Buddhist temple for the city of Gangtok, where people come for daily circumambulations. 90 monks are currently educated here. Since the merger with India, the temple is looked after by the Tsuklakhang trust."

"On invitation of princess Hope Leezum, a THF made a first exploratory visit in November 2010. Currently, a team consisting of conservator Anca Nicolaescu and three conservation trainees from Ladakh, Yangchen, Tsering Chorol and Skarma, and THF co-director Andre Alexander have begun to conserve the paintings. They need consolidation and cleaning. The project is receiving great attention in Sikkim, see also the first local media reports." (THF Website)

The miscellaneous objects in this gallery were formerly in the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection (Chicago). The strength of the collection is clearly the sculpture. Many Indian, Himalayan and South Asian objects in the Art Institute of Chicago collection were gifts of Mr. and Mrs. Alsdorf. What is presented here is only a small part of the complete collection which is now mostly dispersed. (The objects will be catalogued over the next few weeks).

One of the most beautiful pieces is the Manjushri figure from Kashmir, dated to the 10th century, 5 1/4 inches tall (13.4 cm). The body is well modeled and the rounded musculature and sculpted features are clearly visible. Note the silver inlay eyes. The iconography is some what unusual with the left hand holding both the Prajnaparamita book and the stem of an utpala flower which in turn supports a bowl. The tip of the sword is marked with a half vajra. The legs are in a relaxed posture with the right over left.

In the Sutra tradition of Mahayana Buddhism the bodhisattva Vajrapani is regarded as one of the Eight Heart-sons of Shakyamuni Buddha and portrayed in a peaceful appearance. In the tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, Vajrapani is typically shown in a wrathful form and further known as Guhyapati - 'the Lord of Secrets.' Historically he is the main recipient, holder and protector of all the Tantra texts and teachings received from the Buddha Shakyamuni (in the appearance of Vajradhara). From the model of the Lower Tantras Vajrapani symbolizes the body of all buddhas of the ten directions and three times and represents enlightened activity. The bodhisattva Manjushri represents mind and Avalokiteshvara that of speech. In Tantric practice Vajrapani is a meditational deity, a Buddha, with numerous forms found in all of the four levels of Tantra classification and popular in all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism - new and old.

The two wrathful forms of Vajrapani known as the Sutra Tradition (do lug) and the Nilambhara (dro zang lug) generally do not have skull crowns or wrathful ornaments such as the fifty freshly severed heads. Mahachakra Vajrapani is sometimes depicted with a skull crown and at other times shown with a jeweled crown. They do however wear the eight races of nagas depicted as snakes - bracelets, anklets, etc. Almost all of the other wrathful forms of Vajrapani have the same fearsome regalia as typical of wrathful Tantric deities such as Vajrabhairava, Vajrakila, Mahakala and the like.

Gesar is a folk hero of Eastern Tibet and predominantly known through literature and live performance. He is believed to have lived around the 10th century. The stories of Gesar, epic in size, are brought to life through dramatic performances, song and public readings of his many adventures. It is quite possibly the longest epic poetry in the world. Despite the popularity of all of this there is relatively little found in the way of art: paintings, murals and sculpture. What objects are known are also dated very late - 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century a Nyingma teacher of East Tibet, Mipam Jamyang Namgyal Gyamtso (1846-1912), further popularized Gesar but as a Buddhist religious figure - a deity - creating rituals, meditations and even a divination system with a one month required retreat. Most of the art objects that are currently known appear to be related or inspired by the writings of Mipam.

There are three sets of early Gesar life story paintings known to exist: Le Guimet in Paris with 10 paintings (?), Sichuan Provincial Museum with 11 paintings and the Rubin Museum of Art in New York with one painting. The Guimet set was acquired in approximately 1910 and the Sichuan Museum set in approximately the mid part of the last century. The first two sets are almost identical and obviously copies from the same composition. It is not yet determined which is the earlier of the two sets or whether they were both copied from another (3rd) master set. However both sets can be safely dated to prior to 1910.

The central subject of the Rubin Museum painting is of the uncle of Gesar and obviously from a larger set of compositions depicting all of the major cast of characters in the life story. Aside from the images depicted on HAR there is a single painting depicting Gesar and the eight retinue generals in the collection of the Sichuan University and another two in a private collection in Chengdu. At least two sculpture of Gesar are also known. Both are of the same subject - a peaceful figure, wearing a tall cylindrical hat, seated on a cushion with one leg extended. There are many modern Gesar images in painting and sculpture. Undoubtedly more objects with a slightly less than modern provenance will be located in other collections - institution or private.

The general depiction of Gesar is of a Tibetan warrior, atop a horse, clad in armor and a helmet with elaborate flag pennants and streamers, accompanied by eight horseman. This description is almost identical to that of Dralha 'Enemy God'. It is very easy to confuse the two subjects of Gesar and Dralha. Also look at another similar figure (HAR #73433) which is not yet identified.

Painting Sets:

1. Le Guimet, Paris, France

2. Sichuan Provincial Museum, Chengdu, China (11 paintings)

3. Rubin Museum of Art, New York, USA (1 painting)

Deities with a Kila lower body are not so rare in Tantric Buddhism. All of the example listed here are either 'Pure Vision' or 'Revealed Treasure' teachings.

Milarepa has a very distinctive look and posture. He can easily be confused with a number of other Tibetan figures that are considered to be his later incarnations, such as Ngagwang Lobzang Tanpa'i Gyaltsen and Shabkar (both from Amdo). In Tibetan Buddhist religious history there are dozens of incarnation lines (tulku) that claim to be descended from the famous yogi and singer Milarepa.

Guru Dragpur (English: Wrathful Teacher of the Peg): fierce form of Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava discovered as a Revealed Treasure 'Terma' by Drugchen Padma Karpo (1527-1592) - based on the meditational deity Guru Dragpo.

There are a number of different forms of Guru Dragpur that have developed after the original discovery of Padma Karpo. An example is the three faced six armed Drigung form of the deity.

Padma Karpo was not the first person to put a kila peg on the lower torso of a deity. Aside from the early examples from the source Vajrakilaya depictions we have the Bon example of Purba Drugse Chempa. There are also the other early 'Pure Vision' examples of Simhamukha with a kila lower body originating with a teacher from Bodong Monastery, later followed by Longsal Nyingpo and his discoveries, along with the discoveries of many other Nyingma teachers. (See the Vajrakila: Confusions in Identification Outline).

Description: Very wrathful in appearance, Guru Dragpur is red in colour, with one face and three round eyes, he has a gaping mouth with bared fangs and flaming hair rising upward. The right hand held aloft firmly grasps a gold vajra scepter and the left a black scorpion - both arms extended to the sides. Adorned with a crown of five skulls, gold earrings, bracelets, necklaces and a snake garland, he wears a string of human heads. An elephant hide covers the shoulders with a tiger skin wrapped about the waist. Without legs, the lower body is composed of a large black kila (Tibetan: phur ba), three edged peg, extending downward from the gaping mouth of a makara sea creature. Standing on a triangular base adorned with skulls, above a sun disc and lotus blossom, he is surrounded by the swirling flames of pristine awareness.

Guru Dragpo, originating in the 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, is a wrathful meditational form of Padmasambhava. Although technically a guruyoga practice the function of Guru Dragpo is that of an ishtadevata (meditational deity). Following after the early meditational deities of the Guhyagarbha Tantra and Eight Heruka then this practice of Guru Dragpo is likely the most popular and the most represented in art. In the 16th century the teacher Padma Karpo popularized a variation on Guru Dragpo called Guru Dragpur - principally practiced in the Drugpa Kagyu School.

Forms & Types:

1. Single (one face, two arms)

2. Single (with consort)

3. Heruka (three faces, six arms, consort)

4. Karma Guru Heruka (without consort)

5. Tarig Terma Tradition (with consort)

6. Others...

Dakinis, depending on  religious tradition and specific literature, can be female nature spirits, witches, or deities assisting in spiritual development. Originally dakinis were very low ranked Indian spirits. In Tantric Buddhism a classification of meditational deity are also called dakini (Vajra Dakini, Vajrayogini, etc.).

Dakini are a curious phenomena of Buddhist Tantra that appear to have developed out of the Chakrasamvara literature and other related texts loosely catalogued as belonging to the Wisdom or Mother Tantras (of the Sarma Traditions: Kadam, Sakya, Kagyu, Jonang, Gelug). The definitions and explanations of Dakinis is very different between the various schools and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In the Sarma Schools it is predominatly the Chakrasamvara Tantras that refer to female retinue figures as dakini. In the Father and Non-dual Tantras (Hevajra included) the term goddess is preferred for female deities, such as Hevajra and the Eight Goddesses (devi).

The Nyingmapa tradition is the most invested and uses the term dakini as a title for any fully enlightened female deity, occaisionally for real female teachers, or any other number of female spirits related to Buddhist practice, or the path. Goddess and dakini appear to be interchangeable terms with dakini being superior, or preferred.

Weird & Off Topics: this page offers a list of topics that don't always fit with the rest of the subjects on the HAR website. Some topics are just too specific and others are a little weird, nontraditional, or maybe a little sacrilegious.


- Animal Headed Gods & Deities

- Animals Outline Page

- Art Depicted in Art

- Confusions in Iconographic Identification

- Divination: Form & Function

- Exhibition & Concept Planning

- Men with Beards

- Metaphor & Simile Outline

- Number Sets Outline Page

- Poisoned or Murdered

- Quickguides: Museums, Cities & Collections

- Resource Tools

- Snakes & Serpents Outline Page

- Trees Outline Page

- War, Conflict & Strife, Outline Page

- Weird & Fantastical Gods & Deities

- Women with Beards

- Yoga Outline Page

- Yoga Postures

Poisoned or Murdered is a quick reference to keep track of all of those people and stories that have a strong aspect of tragedy, murder and death. In Tantric Buddhism a 'morally justified' killing is called a 'liberation.' Many of the stories listed are controversial even to this day. Some have become very confused over time such as the murder of King Ligmincha. The Bonpo actually believe it was King Trisong Detsen that committed the deed but the actual annexation of Zhangzhung took place in Songtsen Gampo's reign - not Trisongdetsen.

Histories also diverge and the narrative of one tradition gets woven into the narrative of another such as the death of Dharmadode, the son of Marpa Lotsawa. According to the Kagyu Tradition generally it is said that Marpa Chokyi Lodro did not have the proper merit to found a family lineage of Dharma practice as predicted by the siddha Naropa. The tradition of Rwa Lotsawa narrates how Rwa Dorje Drag and Dharmadode entered into a Tantric competition each claiming that their own practice, Vajrabhairava versus Hevajra, was more powerful than the other. In effect they dueled to the death - the death of Dharmadode - despite Milarepa being at his side at the moment of passing.

Each one of these stories, of which there are probably dozens more, is interesting, historically thought provoking, and pushes at the edges of what is acceptable and what is not. They have everything that a good Buddhist narrative should have, a dose of truth, a lot of hagiography, whimsy and - most importantly - open to interpretation.

Shakyamuni Buddha is found in this list because he supposedly passed away from eating bad or poisoned pork? The significance of this is that some later stories adopted this same scenario and used it as a particular element in a Buddhist genre of death narrative - a kind of nobility through poisoning.

Vajrakila is one of the Eight Heruka Deities of the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. His main attribute is a kila peg held in the first pair of six hands. In the mandala of Vajrakila some of the surrounding retinue figures have a lower torso of a three-sided peg (kila). The confusion in identification arises when anything with a kila shape is labelled as the deity Vajrakila. Four iconographic subjects have the lower torso of a kila[1] Vajrakila retinue figures, [2] the Bon deity Purba Drugse Chempa, [3] Guru Dragpur in various forms and [4] Simhamukha in various forms. (See meditational forms of Padmasambhava where Guru Dragpur and Simhamukha are both included).