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Additional images have been added to the Wangdu Nyingpo main page. He was the 29th Sakya Tridzin and considered the second Padmasambhava of this Age. He was considered to be a rebirth of Ngor Khenchen Palden Chokyong and others. Most of his profound teachings were received from his father Kunga Lodro, the previous Sakya Tridzin. Wangdu Nyingpo constructed a new Vajrabhairava temple in Sakya with a bigger than life size central image along with the twelve wrathful retinue figures slightly larger than the size of a man. Along with that he constructed a new protector chapel with very large sculpture. Renowned as a 'treasure Revealer' (terton) his books are still available and read today.

Wangdu Nyinpo is sometimes employed as a guruyoga practice based on a text that he wrote himself. He is depicted in a wrathful form with either a black hat topped with a raven or a standard Sakya hat with lappets draped across the top.

The 69th Abbot of Ngor Evam Choden Monastery, Ngagwang Yontan Gyatso (1902-1963), was believed by some to be an incarnation of Wangdu Nyingpo, as is the current Sakya Tridzin, Ngagwang Kunga (born 1941).

Bhurkumkuta, Krodha Raja, a meditational deity specifically employed for the eradication of sickness and disease. The emphasis for the function of Bhukumkuta is sickness of an individual person while the emphasis for all contagious diseases in general is found with the deity Parnashavari or Medicine Buddha. Many specific illnesses can be associated with any number of other deities such as blood disorders with Hayagriva, leprosy and skin disorders caused by nagas are relieved by the meditational deity Garuda for example. Bhurkumkuta is found in the Nartang Gyatsa and Rinjung Gyatsa collections of sadhanas (practices). Both of these collections of Indian Buddhist practice were compiled in Tibet. Bhurkumkuta is more commonly found as a minor figure in painted compositions (see example).

There are four commonly known forms of the deity in the Tibetan 'New Tantras.' Three of the four are differentiiated by colour: smoky, blue-black and green. The smoky-coloured deity is associated with the Sakya Tradition and the blue-black and green associated with the Kadam Tradition of Atisha. The fourth form is the most unusual because it is female. It is very unusual for deities to have both a male and female form - this may even be the only instance found in Tibetan Buddhism.

Like the female healing deity Parnashavari, Bhurkumkuta is generally unrelated to any other popular or more common Buddhist deities such as Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara or Vajrapani. Both Bhurkumkuta and Parnashavari have their own historical identities and histories in Indian, Himalayan and Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.

Forms of Bhurkumkuta:

- Smoky-coloured (Sakya Tradition)

- Blue-black (Atisha Tradition)

- Green, Bhurkumkuta

- Krodhini, Bhurkumkuta (female deity)

The HAR Testimonial Page has been updated with an index and three new contributions from Donald Lopez of the University of Michigan, Rob Linrothe of Northwestern University and Bryan Cuevas of Florida Sate University.

"The HAR website is requesting, for the purposes of grant writing and fund raising, scholars, academics, and educators of all kinds to send in testimonials of support to be posted on the site. The website was created and went live in 1997. Technology has changed, hardware is more robust, and software offers many more features and benefits to the end users. The HAR website needs to look towards the future with plans for new technologies, upgrades to existing infra-structure and new user features. Please help us in moving Himalayan Art Resources and the field forward. Thank You".

There are two well known traditions for the standing Nila Achala. The more common of the two standing forms is the Achala of the Jowo Atisha Tradition. The second of the forms belongs to the Mitra Yogin Tradition. In the Kadam Tradition of Atisha the Achala is known as one of the 'Four Deities of Kadam' (kadam lha shi). In the Mitra Tradition there are eleven deities in total.

There are several other Tantric deities which can be easily confused with the standing form of Achala such as Krodha Vajrapani, Black Manjushri and Vignantaka. There is also a retinue protector deity named Achala that is part of the group known as the Ten Wrathful Ones.

The top of the head is often adorned with a very small figure of Akshobhya Buddha. Some texts name Vajrasattva as the figure.

Under the feet of Achala is the prostrate form of either a single figure or two figures. According to the Nartang Gyatsa text of Chim Namkha Drag (1210-1285) the single prostrate figure is Vignayakaraja with an elephant head. According to the Rinjung text of Taranata (1575-1634) there are two figures, the Elephant Trunk Ganesha and Maheshvara (Shiva).

"...Arya Achala with a body blue-black in colour, one face and two arms. The right hand holds up to the sky a wisdom sword. The left [performs] a wrathful gesture together with a lasso. [Achala] has three eyes, red and round, orange hair bristling upwards. The limbs are adorned with snake ornaments and jewels, a tiger skin as a lower garment. Within a vast swirling mass of wisdom fire [he] stands with the right leg bent and the left straight atop Vignayakaraja [the king of hindrances]. Vajrasattva adorns the head." (Drub Tab Kun Tu, vol.13, Nartang Gyatsa, pp.861-862. TBRC W19221).

Chaturmukha Mahakala is one of several principal forms of Mahakala in Buddhist Tantra. He is associated with the Guhysasamja Tantra as well as the Twenty-five and Fifty Chapter Mahakala Tantras.

This painting, dated mid to late 15th century, is the earliest work on the subject known to the HAR website team. It has always been considered very secret by the Sakya and related Traditions who practiced this form of Mahakala. Aside from the early date the painting is extremely interesting because of the lineage of teachers found at the top and upper sides of the composition. The top register contains the typical Sakya lineage of teachers for the Chaturmukha. However, the lineage then changes to the Jonang lineage and then ending with Je Tsongkapa and his two principal students Gyaltsab and Kedrub. Khedrub is the second to last figure in the succession of lineage teachers depicted on the right hand side. (See the identified lineage teachers).

Repousse is a metal working technique of hammering and shaping metal. Finished works are often flat and highly decorative with figures, floral motifs and symbolic offerings as commonly found on torana examples (throne backs). Amulet boxes are also commonly made using this technique.

Figurative subjects and architectural representations such as temples, stupas and mandalas can sometimes be found completed in the round rather than flat single sided artworks. These pieces are also deceptively light weight.

There can be confusion when identifying objects as repousse because in many cases a figurative subject might be created mostly from hammered metal but the hands, head, feet or hand attributes could be cast from metal and assembled onto the repousse body to create the final work. The same is true for architectural representations where some pieces are repousse and others are cast.

Built in the mid 15th century with work starting in 1427, the murals of the Gyantse Kumbum are undoubtedly the greatest source of Tantric Buddhist iconographic forms anywhere in Tibet, or likely the world. It will take some time before all of the 600 plus images are properly catalogued on the HAR website.

Bon and Buddhist monastic shirts don't always fold in the same direction.

With Buddhist sculpture the shirt typically folds to the right. However, with sets of paintings depicting lineage teachers it is very different and it can go either way. A very good example of this alternating folds is found with the Karma Kamtsang Mahamudra Lineage painting set from Rumtek Monastery. This set of paintings depicts a central Vajradhara in a single composition and each following lineage teacher, also in a single composition, is staggered to the right or the left of the central axis of the painting. In the early compositions of the set all of the paintings that have the teacher on the left have the shirt folded to the left. All of the early teachers on the right with shirts have them folded to the right. The later teachers in the same series begin to be less rigid and some are folded left and some folded right regardless of their position to the right or left of the central axis. This establishes that there is a flexibility with artists painting Buddhist subjects.

The shirts of the Bon tradition are similar to the yungdrung symbol. The yungdrung can only properly be depicted turning to the left. Buddhists generally don't have a preference either way for the direction a yungdrung points. 

The Bon religion typically folds the shirt to the left side in the majority of examples for both painting and sculpture found on the HAR website. Buddhist shirts more often than not will fold to the right side, however for the Buddhists it depends on the artist and the composition.

The Gyantse Dzong (Fortress) sits high up on a craggy steep hill in the middle of the fertile valley that supports the town of Gyantse. The Dzong has numerous rooms filled with murals of all types. The oldest of the murals are likely to be the many mandala paintings in the Mandala Room at the very top of the Dzong.

The Town of Gyantse has two overwhelmingly beautiful locations of interest. The first and most striking is the Dzong (fortress) on top of a steep craggy hill at the center of the town. The Dzong has numerous rooms filled with murals of all types. The oldest of the murals are likely to be the many large format mandala paintings in the Mandala Room at the top of the Dzong.

The second location is the walled monastic complex with numerous buildings. The most architecturally striking is the Kumbum, a stupa shaped temple with scores of small outer chapels. To the right side of the Kumbum is the Main Temple of Gyantse with several floors and many rooms filled with murals and spectacular sculpture of all sizes.

The Manjushri Cave is located on the North side of Sakya slightly West of the large patch of white earth (sakya). The cave was made famous by Sachen Kunga Nyingpo when he was twelve years old and had entered into a strict six month retreat on the practice of Arapachana Manjushri. Early on there were obstacles but they were removed using the practice of Nila Achala, wrathful, blue in colour, in a kneeling posture. Towards the end of the retreat Arya Manjushri appeared to the young Kunga Nyingpo and spoke the four lines of the Separation From the Four Attachments.

"With attachment to this life - there is no Dharma practitioner;

Attachment to samsara - no renunciation;

Attachment to self-purpose - no Enlightenment Thought;

If grasping arises - there is no view."

The image above is a 2007 photograph of the cave entrance and the shrine inside. A building has also been constructed around the cave to help preserve it from the elements. Almost all of the buildings on the North side of the river are reconstructions built from the 1980s to the present.

The Protector Temple of Lhakang Chenmo is a free standing building within the massive compound surrounded by the 30 foot fortress walls. The outside entrance way ceiling is decorated with the stuffed skins of jackals. The shrine is mainly populated with larger than life size masks of the principal Sakya protector deities: Panjarnata Mahakala, Brahmanarupa Mahakala, Shri Devi, Ekajati, and the Five Activity Deities. One corner of the temple is dedicated to the Bamo spirits, a classification of witch that is unique to Sakya - sometimes known as the Three Witches of Sakya. Bamo are subjugated witches that now serve as protector spirits for the Sakya Tradition. They are typically represented as masks with distinctive features for each of the commonly invoked witches: Mamo Rikyi, Namkha Drolma and Shangmo.

It is hard to say whether this building is refurbished or completely re-built in past the few decades. 

There are numerous other smaller protector chapels in the Lhakang Chenmo complex. The towers on the outer walls have numerous chapels of various types.

The Ushnishavijaya Stupa which is believed to have survived the destruction of the North Monastery was discovered under the rubble of the roof and walls. It is the stupa in which the mortal remains of Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag (1040-1111) were placed after his death. The stupa is considered one of the four precious sights of Sakya Town.

Incredible detail images of the Hevajra Chapel of Gonkar Monastery, Central Tibet, have been added to the Ariana Maki Photographic Archive. This monastery is known as the home base of Khyentse Chenmo who is believed to be the founder of the Khyenri style of Tibetan art.

The Sakya Monastery & Town Page has been updated with 600 images. Not all of the images have been divided into their subject or location themes. This will happen over the next couple of weeks. The Manjushri Cave has been added. This is the location where Sachen Kunga Nyingpo had direct communication with Arya Manjushri during a six month retreat. The Ushnishavijaya Stupa has been added. This is the final resting place for the body of Bari Lotsawa Dharma Drag. Both of these sacred sights are located in the same building on the North side of Sakya to the left of the white patch of earth. The protector chapel of Lhakang Chenmo, the main South Monastery, has also been added.

Additional images of Drolma Lhakang, Central Tibet, have been added to the Ariana Maki Photographic Archive. This temple, located just outside of Lhasa, was visited by Jowo Atisha in the 11th century.

Additional images of Dratang Monastery, Central Tibet, have been added to the Ariana Maki Photographic Archive. This monastery was established by Traba Ngonshe in the 11th century.

These murals depict the town of Sakya prior to 1959. They are located in one of the corner towers of Lhakang Chenmo Monastery, Sakya, Tibet. Although recently painted they offer a glimpse into the Sakya of old. Most of the architectural representations in the mural and the various regions of the cityscape are accompanied by name inscriptions.

Rwa Lotsawa (b.1016) is one of the most controversial Buddhist teachers in Tibetan history. Was he a hero or a villain? His tradition boasts that he killed/murdered thirteen Lamas - many of them famous. Rwa Lotsawa is also responsible for popularizing many Vajrabhairava and Krishna Yamari traditions of practice.

Kau Drag Dzong is the most famous retreat center of Sakya. It is located just south of the Lhakang Chenmo temple and up a steep river gorge half way to the village of Kau - famous for its hot water and healing springs. Kau Drag Dzong was the hermitage of Lama Nam Ka'upa the student of Nyen Lotsawa. Sachen Kunga Nyingpo studied at this location with Lama Nam Kau'pa. These teachers are all well known for the practices of Chaturmukha Mahakala and the creation of the public, or generic, form of Chaturmukha as Brahmanarupa Mahakala.