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The Bon Deities Outline Page has been updated along with the addition of more links.

An Outline Page highlighting the art and iconography of Bon Teachers has been added to the site along with updating of the Bon Teachers Main Page. Numerous gallery pages have been added along with additional cataloguing.

Many of the images of teachers, painting and sculpture, belong to much larger sets of images. The vast majority of images of Bon teachers are found depicted in sets of initiation and lineage cards (these sets have not yet been sorted).

The principal categories of Bon teachers depicted in art are those of the [1] Three Lineages of Dzogchen followed by the [2] Bon Monastic Lineage (typically with Nyamme Sherab Gyaltsen or Tritsug Gyalwa at the center), the [3] Magyu Lineage and [4] the Bon Refuge Field. These are the four principal subjects making up a large portion of teacher depictions. After these four there are various miscellaneous lineages of other deities and teaching lines.

The Bon Art Topics Outline Page has been updated along with additional links and added gallery pages.

The Bon Religion Outline Page has been updated along with additional links and cataloguing added.

A new outline page for Begtse Chen has been added along with additional links and cataloguing.

The protector deity Begtse Chen was popularized by both Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1096) and Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158), the respective founders of the Marpa Kagyu and Sakya Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The protector was later adopted and incorporated into the Gelug School of Tsongkapa and subsequently became popular in Mongolia - predominantly following the Gelug tradition since the 17th century.

Vajradhara is understood as being the primordial buddha of Tantric, or Vajrayana, Buddhism.

The New (Sarma) Schools, from the 11th century onward, namely Kadam, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug believe that Vajradhara Buddha is the secret, or inner, form of Shakyamuni Buddha and the combined essence of all the buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time gathered as one. In Anuttarayoga Tantra, the highest of the four catagories of Tantra according to the New Schools, it is Vajradhara who emanates forth the forms of the Five Symbolic Buddhas and Vajrasattva followed by the principal meditational deities such as Guhyasamaja, Shri Hevajra and Chakrasamvara.

According to the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism Vajradhara is an activity emanation of buddha Samantabhadra.

This is a painting of an Indian Siddha Figure (currently unidentified) accompanied by two forms of Vajravarahi at the right and left (also unidentified), figures in narrative scenes above and rows of twenty-one human figures below, attended upon by four offering goddesses, and a protector deity and a wealth deity at the bottom right and left.

All of the figures in the painting except for the Mahakala are essentially unidentified. This painting is a mystery. Who is the central Indian figure? What are the stories in the narrative vignettes above? Who are the twenty-one human figures in the registers below? Is that a topless woman in the first row right?

Is the painting in a Tibetan style, Nepali/Newar? Is it possibly associated with Tangut or Xixia culture? Are the stylistic and decorative elements more closely aligned with the murals of Luri Gompa in upper Mustang, Nepal?

In this one painting we have all of the elements of a good art and iconography mystery.

On the 3rd floor of the Lhukang Temple there are seven murals - painted wall surfaces. Of the seven there are three large mural panels and four small mural panels. Two of the large panels document [1 & 2] 'Revealed Treasure' Teachings of Pema Lingpa. These two panels are very detailed with dozens of images, accompanied by written inscriptions and in some cases with sequential numbering. (North & West Wall).

A third large panel depicts the [3] Eighty-four Mahasiddhas of the Vajrasana tradition along with the Twenty-five disciples of Padmasambhava. (East Wall).

Of the four small narrow panels, the first of these depicts various narratives scenes including [4] Pema Lingpa and the discovery of 'Revealed Treasures' in a lake in Bhutan. The second small panel again depicts [5] narrative scenes including Sakya Pandita, Tsongkapa, Tsarchen Loasal Gyatso and Doringpa (see images below). The first and second panels are placed together in a corner forming a right angle. The third of the three panels depicts [6] two deities - a Nyingma Heruka figure above and a wrathful Vajrapani below. The fourth small panel appears to be a continuation of one of the large Pema Lingpa panels.

This painting is one of the most unique presentations of the worldly condition. It follows somewhat the theoretical formula of a Wheel of Life painting but diverges dramatically with a heavy emphasis on the image of Yama and a detailed depiction of the Buddhist Hell Realms. What is clearly missing in this example compared with the more traditional compositions are [1] the circular format, [2] the outer circle with images representing each of the Twelve Links of Dependent Arising and [3] the Three Animals representing the three poisons - rooster, pig and snake, at the hub of the Wheel of Life.

Six Interesting Things About the Wheel of Life

1. The Earliest (oldest) painting: Ajanta Cave

2. The most correct personification of death (no ornaments)

3. The best depiction based on drawing and line work

4. Briefest symbolic depiction of the Wheel of Life

5. Most unique depiction of the Wheel of Life

6. The biggest depiction (carved rock relief): Dazu, China

A new outline page for Maharakta Ganapati has been added along with additional links and cataloguing.

The Lhasa Main Page and Lhasa Outline Page have been updated. The principal locations are the Potala Palace including the Lukang, the Tsuglakang (Jokang), Barkor Temples, Temples in Lhasa outside of the Barkor, temples on the outer edges of Lhasa - such as Drepung, Sera, Drolma Lhakang, etc. The temples can also be catagorized from the earliest such as the temple on Marpori (inside the Potala), the Tsuglakang and Ramoche up to the latest such as Drashi Lakang.

The Drolma Lhakang is one of Tibet's oldest temples. It is situated on the highway just outside of Lhasa on the way to Gongkar monastery and the Lhasa Airport. The Lhakang was visited by Jowo Atisha in the 11th century on his way to Lhasa. The large sculpture, lion thrones and stupas are said to be particularly old. Observing closely the lions, they appear to be in a Tibetan imperial style.

The monastery of Tagten Damcho Ling was the main residence of Jetsun Taranata (1575-1635) in the latter half of his life. The monastery land was a gift of the Tsang King Desi Puntsog Namgyal in 1615. The construction was completed in 1628. The name of the monastery was later changed to Puntsog Ling by the 5th Dalai Lama.

See the Jonang Tradition Main Page and Jonang Outline Page

Karma Tansrung: a 'gyalpo' spirit subjugated by Tai Situ Pema Nyingje and made into a worldly protector deity of Palpung Monastery of the Karma Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is also known as Padma Tansrung. (See Tibetan Spirits).

Karma Tansrung is slightly wrathful, with bulging eyes, biting down on the lower lip, a large bald forehead, attired in the garb of a monk, the head surrounded by a halo of flames. In the right hand he holds a long staff adorned with a flaming blue jewel. The left hand holds upraised a larger flaming blue jewel. In a standing posture he is surrounded by objects of wealth: gold, silver, red coral, bolts of cloth, multi-coloured jewels and two mongoose in front.

At the top left is Katog Tsewang Norbu wearing the garments of a lay teacher and a Nyingma hat. He holds vajra scepter to the heart with the right hand and a kila peg in the left. and. At the top right is Situ Chokyi Jungne wearing the robes of a monastic and the typical red hat of his incarnation lineage. In the right and left hands are a vajra and bell.

Thirteenth or Eighteenth Century? A response to David Weldon’s “On Recent Attributions to Aniko” (asianart.com, October 21, 2010) by Michael Henss. February 14, 2011.

On recent attributions to Aniko by David Weldon. October 21, 2010

"It is my opinion that Nepalese and Tibetan art of the 13th and 14th century was influenced considerably by Indian Pala style models in a great variety of forms and atelier traditions. However, a closer look at all these “Pala-Newari” and “Pala-Tibetan” or Nepalo-Tibetan artistic traditions will naturally help identifying specific stylistic groups beyond a simple Pala pattern which I feel characterises – in different degrees – the great majority of “Himalayan” art works of that period. " (Read the full article on the Asian Art website. See images of the Aniko Stupa in Beijing on the HAR website).

The subject of this painting visually relates a narrative about the 2nd Shamar Kacho Wangpo who traveled to a group of eight mountains (or peaks), Namlha Gye Kang Gi Rawa, accompanied by two attendant students. At the foot of the mountains Shamar performed a Khandro Chitor offering followed by a 'sang' smoke offering ritual. At the time he spontaneously composed a new liturgy for offering - still used today. Tseringma, a mountain goddess and Buddhist protector with a long history of close relations with the Karma Kagyu Tradition was pleased with the offering and smoke ritual and appeared to the three - lama and students.

Above the head of Shamar Rinpoche, three rays of emanated light, rainbow-like, twisting upward, spread from smaller to larger, bottom to top, indicating the inspiration in the composition of the new liturgical text of the Khandro Chitor. The five rainbow ribbons frame Manjushri, seated, orange in colour, with the two hands at the heart holding the stems of two flowers supporting a sword and book - attributes of scholarship and wisdom.

The basic compositional form of the central figure and some details have been borrowed and used to depict the Tai Situpa in a later lineage painting set. (See a comparison with painting HAR #51885. Note the divot in the hat generally a characteristic unique to the Tai Situpas). Borrowings of this type are quite common in Tibetan art.

A Buddha is known for having thirty-two major and eighty minor distinguishing physical characteristics (marks) based on the Indian cultural description of a Universal Monarch (Chakravartin) - the highest and most developed male form. Only a few of these 112 marks are depicted in art such as the ushnisha on the top of the head, the urnakesha between the eyes, three curved horizontal lines on the neck and a Dharma Wheel impression on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

Shakyamuni Buddha is generally depicted as formal in appearance, he gazes forward with partially closed eyes and the blue-black hair on the head is piled in a tuft on top with a single gold ornament adorning the crown. Between the eyebrows is a white dot representing a curled white hair (urna) and adorning the neck are three curved horizontal lines. The earlobes are long and pierced. With the right arm bare the right hand is extended across the knee in the earth touching gesture (mudra). The left performs the gesture (mudra) of meditation - palm upward in the lap. Across the left shoulder is a saffron coloured patchwork robe. A similar lower garment is tied at the waist with a cloth belt. The legs are folded in vajra posture.

The primary function of Ganapati in Tantric Buddhism is that of a wealth deity - a practice done for the purposes of obtaining wealth for religious reasons such as building temples, helping the poor or sustaining spiritual practice.

Most forms of Ganapati belong to the Kriya classification of Buddhist Tantra. In the 11th century Jowo Atisha popularized at least two forms of Ganapati in Tibet and the Indian Pandita Gayadhara introduced numerous others which came down through the Sakya Tradition. In the following centuries the Nyingma Tradition gave rise to numerous forms through the process of Revealed Treasure.

Mountain Gods and Goddesses of Tibet and the Himalayan regions are spirits indigenous to a specific geographic region and considered worthy, for various reasons, of worship by the local populace. All of the gods and local deities represented here are generally considered Worldly Deities as oppsoed to Wisdom Deities - deities that are enlightened in a Buddhist or Bon sense of the word enlightenment. The gods can be either Bon, Buddhist or regional - as well as equally worshiped by all. The more famous of these various gods have been incorporated into religious traditions, often losing their local flavour as they move outside of their regions and are generically worshiped throughout Tibet and the Himalayas. Also note that some followers of the protector deity Dorje Shugden maintain that he is a Wisdom Protector and fully enlightened. Also, the Gelug Monastery of Dragyab in Kham, Eastern Tibet, holds that Dorje Setrab is also an enlightened Wisdom Protector.

The Gongkar Chode Monastery is believed to have been established in 1464. The principal founder of the Dzongpa Tradition was Dorje Chang Kunga Namgyal (born 1432). The main monastery of the Dzongpa is Gongkar Chode just south-west of Lhasa on the south side of the Tsangpo River. This monastery is especially famous for the artist Kyentse Wangchug and the development of the Kyenri style of painting. The Hevajra Chapel and the Old Gonkang, both on the 2nd floor, have wonderful murals and stand as the best early examples of the Kyenri style of drawing, composition and use of colour.