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Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhism is generally described as being composed of the three 'Yana' or vehicles, or paths, of Buddhism - the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. In painting and sculpture the Hinayana path, the foundation of the other paths, is represented by Shakyamuni Buddha as the central figure surrounded by various students and followers most notably the Sixteen Great Arhats.

The full group, unique to Himalayan and Tibetan style art, has twenty-five figures: the Buddha Shakyamuni, together with the two foremost disciples - Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, the Sixteen Great Arhats, the attendant Dharmatala, the patron Hvashang and the Four Guardian Kings of the Directions: Vaishravana, Virupaksha, Dhritarashtra and Virudhaka. In all an extensive set of paintings would comprise twenty-three individual compositions. The two foremost disciples are generally portrayed in the same painted composition with Buddha Shakyamuni. In sculpture sets the total number of pieces is twenty-five. Early paintings of the group prior to the 14th century generally do not include Hvashang - who was added to the group later.

Twenty-five Figures:

- Shakyamuni Buddha

- Shariputra & Maudgalyayana

- Sixteen Great Arhats

- Dharmatala (attendant)

- Hvashang (patron)

- Four Guardian Kings of the Directions

In the Tibetan tradition of training young artists there are three basic figurative forms that must be learned. The student is first taught how to draw the form of the [1] Buddha. Here the Buddha represents the basic human form. The second figurative form is that of [2] Green Tara, peaceful with jewelry and ornaments, a slight curve to the body and head, with the right leg extended. The third figurative form is [3] Wrathful Vajrapani with a fierce countenance, thick limbed, adorned with wrathful ornaments, or a combination of peaceful and wrathful, and in a standing posture surrounded by flames. Working with colour is only taught after the basic skills of drawing have been mastered.

From the basic forms of these three figures of Buddha, Tara and Vajrapani all of the various figurative depictions in Tibetan iconography can be created simply with the addition of extra heads, arms and legs, ornaments and attributes.

An Outline Page listing the most important topics and characters for the subject of Ling Gesar has been added. The Outline still requires additional work and more images will added to the Gesar Main Page.

Vajrabhairava is a complex meditational deity found in all of the new (Sarma) Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. There are two different iconographic traditions for depicting the nine faces. Knowing how the faces are depicted is important in identifying the lineage or Buddhist tradition of a painting or sculpture.

There are two different systems for depicting the nine faces of Vajrabhairava. The first system is called [1] Stacked Faces (zhal tseg) and the second is called [2] Circular Faces (zhal kor). The first, Stacked Faces is considered the older system and can be found depicted primarily in the paintings and sculpture of the Sakya, Marpa Kagyu, Jonang and Shangpa Kagyu Traditions. The second system of Circular Faces is depicted in the Gelug Tradition.

There are occasions where Circular Faced depictions of Vajrabhairava can be found in the Bodong and Ngor Traditions of Sakya. However these instances are rare and isolated to the minor registers or secondary figurative depictions in a larger painting with a central figure of Vajrabhairava or another Anuttarayoga meditational deity. These compositions typically contain dozens of secondary deity figures.

Vajrabhairava with nine Stacked Faces is defined by the central face of the deity having a buffalo head with a single wrathful face placed to the right and left sides. Stacked above that are three more wrathful faces. Again above that are three faces. The top level has two wrathful faces at the sides and the middle top face is that of Manjushri, orange in colour, slightly peaceful and slightly wrathful. This orientation, or configuration, of three levels of three faces is called Stacked Faces.

Vajrabhairava with nine Circular Faces is defined by the central face being that of a buffalo with three additional faces placed to the immediate right side and three more faces placed to the immediate left side. Above the central buffalo face are two more faces one above the other. The orange face of Manjushri is identified as the uppermost face. This orientation is called Circular Faces.

In the 15th and 16th centuries there were a number of dialectic exchanges between teachers of the Sakya and Gelug traditions claiming the orthodoxy of one system over the other. Early examples of paintings and sculpture from both India and Nepal use the Stacked Face system. Early Tibetan paintings can be identified that also depict both forms of Vajrabhairava with examples of minor figures that also depict the deity with the circular faces. Both appear to be old Tibetan iconographic forms with one more dominant than the other.

It was Tsongkapa in the 14th century that popularized the deity Vajrabhairava with Circular Faces as one of the three principal (Anuttarayoga) meditational practices in the Gelug Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As a general rule in the study of Buddhist Tantric iconography - any depiction of Vajrabhairava with the faces in a circular orientation means that it most likely belongs to a Gelug iconographic program. Depiction of Vajrabhairava with a stacked face orientation belong to a Sakya, Marpa Kagyu or Jonang iconographic program.

It has been very difficult to track down the earliest painted images or sculpture of Ling Gesar. 'Epic Literature Gesar' arises relatively early on in Tibetan history however 'Religious Gesar' is a late development with the first few ritual texts appearing in the late 17th century and then a larger promotion by Do Khyentse and Mipam Gyatso in the 19th century. The majority of Gesar art is from the 19th and 20th centuries - possibly all of the art.

The image depicted here is considered by some scholars to be painted by Hor Namkha Gyan an artist of the mid 18th century working in the region of Kangdze, Kham, Tibet. The painting depicts the form known as Gesar Norbu Dradul. There are some stylistic similarities found in paintings also believed to be painted by Hor Namkha Gyan, however a full inventory of Namkha Gyan's known paintings and suspected works have not yet been collected. At this time, this painting is possibly the earliest Gesar composition.

Drala Yesi Gyalpo: a worldly protector. The founder of the Bon Religion, Tonpa Shenrab, sits above and various human, daemon-like and animal figures encircle the central protector.

Dressed as a warrior (Drala Appearance) with chain mail and a helmet, Drala Yesi Gyalpo holds upraised in the right hand a riding crop and the left held at the side firmly grasps upright a long spear decorated with a pendant. A sword, bow and quiver of arrows hang at the waist. Atop a galloping white horse he is surrounded by billowing white clouds and wild animals.

At the upper corners, sides and along the bottom are numerous animals, attendants mounted on various animals and warriors riding horses. Each figure is accompanied by a Tibetan name inscription.

There are three groups of figures that surround the central deity.

The first group of four figures are found at the top and bottom corners. They each have an animal face and ride the same animal as represented by the face of the rider. At the top left is Dudul Kyung Chen with a Kyung (bird) face riding a kyung. At the top right is Kundul Drag Chen with a dragon face riding a dragon. At the bottom right is Pa-ngam Darchen with a tiger face and riding a tiger. At the bottom left is Kadrag Dradul with a lion face and riding atop a lion.

The second group, below the central figure, consists of four human-like warriors in Drala Appearance riding horses. At the center of this group is Domgo Lang Nying, a Kyung faced figure with bird wings, also riding a horse.

The third and last group consists of various animals, birds and four legged creatures, eleven in number, surrounding the central figure and interspersed with the other two groups. Some of the animals are easily recognizable such as the golden-eyed kyung, the black kyung, pheasant, wolf (?), tiger, leopard, conch lion, snow lion, golden lion, flying mouse and marmot (?). These eleven animals appear very similar in function to the Thirteen Werma that accompany Ling Gesar when he appears in the Gesar Norbu Dradul form.

This painting has previously been identified in a Chinese publication (2003) as Ling Gesar. However, no textual evidence of any kind or explanation was offered. The publication by Jampal Gyatso also dates the painting to 1696 despite the 19th century Eastern Tibetan painting style.

The HAR staff have both inspected the painting and photographed the front and back - no inscriptions have so far been found. Also, no reference or description for this figure has been found in the Gesar ritual text of Ju Mipam, 1846-1912, (ge sar rgyal po'i gsol mchod skor).

There is however a new possibility. It appears that Ju Mipam and Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, 1893-1959, were influenced by the writings of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje , 1800-1866. There is now a possibility that a form of Gesar matching the depiction of this Drala Warrior might be found in the ritual texts of Do Khyentse.

Further to that, a teacher of Ju Mipam by the name of Ngagwang Palzang wrote about Gesar and is well known as the author of the Gesar Arrow Divination and ritual practices. His writings now need to be looked at with reference to the image of the painting above.

The search for an accurate identification of this warrior figure continues...

In Himalayan and Tibetan art the word 'buddha' can have two meanings. The first meaning belongs to the religious definition within Buddhism where 'buddha' means a completely enlightened being having reached the top of the Ten Bodhisattva Grounds (levels, stages) and progressed further to a 13th level known as complete Buddhahood.

In art 'Buddha Appearance' refers to figures that have the form of a buddha as defined by the early Buddhist literature describing the characteristics of a buddha such as the Thirty-two Major and Eighty Minor Marks of a Buddha. Typically buddha figures are facing forward, with a dot between the eyebrows, an ushnisha on the top of the head marked with a gold ornament, three lines under the neck, elongated earlobes, wearing the patchwork robes of a fully ordained monk and seated in the vajra posture with the right leg over the left. Buddhas can have different colours. Shakyamuni is usually depicted as golden in colour, Amitabha is red, Medicine Buddha appears blue, etc.

In Tantric Buddhist art there are many deities that are buddhas but do not appear in Buddha Appearance, such as Vajradhara, Vajrasattva and all of the meditational deities (ishtadevata) such as Hevajra, Chakrasamvara and Kalachakra. In Tantra well known subjects such as Tara are regarded as fully enlightened buddhas that have chosen to a appear in a peaceful goddess like form rather than Buddha Appearance.

Buddha Figures with Buddha Appearance:

- Shakyamuni Buddha

- Medicine Buddha

- Amitabha/Amitayus Buddha

- Vairochana Buddha

- Nagaraja Buddha

- Meru Shikara Buddha

- Muni Trisamaya Vyuha

- Buddhas of the Three Times (Dipamkara, Shakyamuni, Maitreya)

- Maitreya: Buddha of the Future

- Buddha's of the Six Realms (Wheel of Life Paintings & the Guhyagarbha Tantra)

- Seven Supreme Buddhas

- Buddhas of the Ten Directions

- Thirty-five Confession Buddhas (Three Systems of Depiction)

- One Thousand Buddhas of this Age

Buddhas that DO NOT have typical Buddha Appearance:

- Five Symbolic Buddhas of the Vajrayana Tantra System (when depicted with crowns, jewel ornaments, fine clothes & consort deities)

---- Vairochana

---- Amitabha

---- Akshobhya

---- Ratnasambhava

---- Amoghasiddi

- Vajradhara

- Vajradharma (including Vira Vajradharma)

- Vajrasattva

- Samantabhadra (Kuntu Zangpo)

Human Figures with Buddha Characteristics:

- Rahula (arhat): commonly depicted with an ushnisha on the crown of the head

- Nagarjuna: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Garab Dorje: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Sakya Pandita: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

In Buddhist iconography there are a small number of Animal Headed Deities. Generally deities appear as peaceful, semi-peaceful/wrathful or wrathful in appearance. The animal headed deities are categorized outside of this general system and appear with either the central face as an animal or an animal head placed atop their own central face. For example Hayagriva has one or more horse heads atop his main wrathful face. Vajravarahi either has a sow's head on the proper right of her own face, or placed on the top of the head, or in some cases the main face is that of a sow.

Depending on the general mood and disposition of the deity the animal face can be either in the normal animal appearance or wrathful such as with Vajrabhairava and Simhamukha. A number of Anuttarayoga deities have retinue figures with animal heads such as are found in the various Chakrasamvara Tantras of the Sarma Traditions. In the Guhyagarbha Tantra of the Nyingma Tradition there are the famous sets of peaceful and wrathful deities with many of the minor retinue figures having animal faces. These deities are also known as, or referred to as, the Bardo deities.

- Chakrasamvara Retinue Figures

- Chakrasamvara Vajradaka Retinue Figures

- Donkey-faced Chakrasamvara

- Donkey-faced Hevajra

- Donkey-faced Protector (Sera Monastery)

- Ganapati

- Garuda

- Guhyagarbha Tantra Retinue Figures

- Hayagriva

- Kinnara (Heavenly musician)

- Marichi

- Simhamukha

- Vajrabhairava

- Vajravarahi

- Yama Dharmaraja

- Yutog Nyingtig Protectors

- Others...

There are two human figures that are also depicted with animal characteristics. The first is the Indian teacher of the famous Madhyamaka system of philosophy - Nagarjuna - who is typically shown with five or seven snakes above the head. The second is Gyalwa Chogyang, one of the twenty-five famous students of Padmasambhava, that is typically depicted with a green horse head atop his own head.

The The Five Pehar Gyalpo Ku Nga (Kings) of the Terma (Treasure) Lineage of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are worldly protector deities. Although one individual deity, Pehar has five forms representing body, speech, mind, quality and activity. Each of the five has a different appearance. The most common form to appear in art is Activity Pehar with three faces, white in colour and riding a lion.

1. King of Body - Monbu Putra

2. King of Speech - Dra Lha Kye Chigbu

3. King of Mind - Gya Jin

4. King of Qualities - Shing Cha Chen

5. King of Activities - Pehar

"In former times at Glorious Red Rock, Acharya Padmasambhava, inviting the profound vast protector, Had bound by an oath as the entrusted steward of all Dharma Establishments; To Pehar I bow." (Nyingma liturgical verse).

Pehar is a non-Tibetan spirit who is believed to have been subjugated by Guru Rinpoche and bound by an oath to protect all the Buddhist temples and monasteries of Tibet. Other stories relate how Pehar was a local protector in the northern regions of Bata-Hor, conquered by Tri Songtsen Gampo, and brought back to Tibet hidden in the horde of plundered wealth. This group of five Pehar figures, originally belonging to the Nyingma 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition, was later incorporated into the Gelugpa School at the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, and can be found in other Tibetan Buddhist schools depending on the preferences of individual monasteries. Some traditions claim that, like the Direction King Vaishravana, Pehar Gyalpo Ku Nga has attained the 10th level Bodhisattva ground - a Mahayana level of attainment - immediately preceding the full enlightenment of a Buddha.

The 'King Appearance' in Himalayan art is a specific type of figurative form. The principal characteristics are the face often with a stern look achieved by upturned eyebrows accompanied by a mustache and goatee. The clothing is heavy and layered with multiple colours, a cloth head covering or hat sometimes with a small jeweled crown, and boots on the feet.

The specific group of Shambhala Kings have two systems of depiction. The traditional system, most commonly found in  painting and sculpture, depicts the individual Shambhala Kings in 'King Appearance.' The second system originating with the Jonang Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism depicts the Shambhala Kings in 'Deity Appearance' with either peaceful, semi-peaceful/wrathful or wrathful forms depending on the specific king and their associated bodhisattva or Tantric deity.

In Tibetan Buddhist narratives there are also kings that are not depicted in 'king appearance.' There is also a category of worldly spirits called 'King Spirits' (gyalpo). These spirits are included in a larger group called the 'Eight Types of [harmful] Worldly Spirits.' From this group of 'King Spirits' some have been subjugated and added to the class of Worldly Protectors of Tibetan Buddhism. The most famous of these is Pehar Gyalpo.

Number Sets for Kings:

1. Three Kings of Tibet

2. Four Guardian Kings

3. Seven Kings of Shambhala

4. Twenty-five Shambhala Vidyadhara

Names of the Kings in Himalayan Art:

- Shakyamuni Buddha (as a prince as depicted in life story paintings)

- Four Direction Guardian Kings

- Tri Songtsen Gampo

- Trisong Detsen

- Tri Ralpachen

- (other Tibetan Kings and Ministers)

- Gar Tongtsen (Minister to Songtsen Gampo)

- Ligmincha (last King of Zhangzhung)

- Indrabhuti (also included in the 8 and 84 Mahasiddha sets)

- Gesar Dorje Tsegyal

- Konchog Bang (Dalai Lama Incarnation Set)

- Yashas (Panchen Lama Incarnation Set)

- Shambhala Kings (Sets of 25, 32 or 37 figures)

- Rudracharin (the last Shambhala King)

- Kadam Legbam Text (various Kings)

- Jataka & Avadana Stories (various Kings)

- Others....

Many have heard of the famous black hat of the Karmapa and the red hat of the Shamarpa, maybe the lotus hat of Padmasambhava and the yellow hat of the Gelugpa Tradition. What about a white hat that is identical to the black hat of Gyalwa Karmapa?

In East Tibet there is a Kagyu Lama named Tsatsa Drubgon Rinpoche. He wears a white hat identical to the Karmapa black hat. This white hat according to the Tibetan biography of Tsatsa Rinpoche is said to have come about as a gift of the 8th Karmapa Mikyo Dorje. In his vision Karmapa saw that Tsatsa Rinpoche had four great characteristics: outer, inner, secret and very secret. The outer characteristic is that Karmapa saw Tsatsa as being very white, of a pure white colour - like the appearance of the goddess of wisdom and learning, Sarasvati. Another of the characteristics was that he embodied the Mahamudra - the highest philosophical view found in the new Tantras from India in the 11th century.

It would seem that it was the outer characteristic that led to the gift of the white hat given by the 8th Karmapa, of the Karma Kagyu Tradition, along with a seal that that has two different styles of lettering. The first with the letters in Tibetan script found in the four corners of the square seal reads Karma pa'i Tsatsa Lama. The central area of the seal in the shape of a cartoche atop a lotus with five visible petals is written in Pagpa'i Script and reads Tsatsa Lama.

Actually it is said that this Tsatasa was one of the principal students of the 7th Karmapa. Prior to that time the earliest documented pre-incarnation was a student of Pagmodrupa and Tstsa followed Pagdru Kagyu Tradition. After the time of the 8th Karmapa the Tsatsa Lamas became more closely assoiciated with the Karma Kagyu Tradition. The name tsatsa of Tsatsa Rinpoche occurred because at one time he spent time making many tsatsa offering molds of all types. When he made water tsatsa they would turn into crystal. After that he was known as Tsatsa Rinpoche.

Tsatsa Monastery is the principal temple in the Lingtsang region of Kham, Tibet (Dege, Sichuan, China). Very close to this location is the birth place of Ling Gesar - within walking distance. Although the region of Lingtsang is now included within the greater Dege region, in the past Lingtsang was the principal kingdom with the Lingtsang Gyalpo as the King of the entire region. At that time the area of Dege was included as Lingtsang territory. In the later history a small portion of Lingtsang land was given to a deserving subject of the Lintsang Kingdom. That portion of land, not considered very good, but considered quite auspicious and imbued with blessing, became known as Dege and again later, as the Dege kingdom with its own King.


In the past there have been eight Tsatsa incarnate Lamas. Recently the 9th was recognized as a small child in the area of Lingtsang, Kham. The 7th Tsata Drubgon lived during the exciting time of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul in the 19th century. From the time of Kongtrul the 7th and 8th Drubgon have maintained the history, teachings, initiations and special precepts of the Shangpa Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism according to the teachings of Jamgon Kongtrul. During tha last half of the 20th century, in India Kalu Rinpoche maintained the Shangpa Tradition and in Tibet Tsatsa Drubgon maintained the Shangpa Kagyu. Today in the region of Lingtsang and Kangdze there are both monasteries and retreat centers following the Shangpa Tradition albeit under the overall supervision of the Karma Kamtsang Tradition to which Jamgon Kongtrul belonged.

It is not presently known if the white hat shown in the image above is believed to be the original white hat or a replacement hat to symbolize the original. Only one painting so far is known to depict a figure wearing a white hat identical to that of Karmapa.

Tibetan Source Text: sgrub sprul brgyad pa'i mdzad rnam dang gsung gces bsdus.

The Punstog Ling Cave complex in Upper Mustang, Nepal, is one of four special Buddhist monastic/retreat complexes located in the region. The four sites starting in the West and moving East are: [1] Ganden Ling, [2] Puntsog Ling, [3] Ritseling and [4] Konchogling. Of the four, Puntsog Ling is the most damaged externally by the environment and internally by human action. The complex is a great study in the erosion of such caves in Mustang. The most stunning image is the first encountered at the site and shows a figure recessed only inches from the outer walls - hillside - of the cave but in fact what is being seen is a mural originally located at the back wall of a cave that existed 100s of years ago. Erosion has removed the entrance and side walls of the hillside so much that the image is almost completely exposed and at the mercy of constant weathering.

The Ritseling Cave is located in Upper Mustang on a peak West of the Konchog Ling Cave. Prior to the last few years it appears as though no one has entered the small cave complex in several hundred years. It has an assortment of murals with a large mandala close to the entrance along with several Buddha figures. Towards the back of the cave there is a mural depicting narrative scenes possibly of one of the occupants of the cave and his travels through Tibet and especially to Lhasa. Various protector deities are found along with a stunning image - large in size - of the nine faced, eighteen armed Garuda. The only other image of this Garuda in a Buddhist context is found in Phyang Monastery, Ladakh, India.

The Luri Cave in Mustang, Nepal, has some of the earliest and most beautiful Buddhist wall murals. A set of the Eight Great Mahasiddhas stands out for the fine line and early iconographic features.

The Mustang region of West Nepal is filled with hundreds if not thousands of caves cut into the mountainsides. They have been used as homes, storage facilities, burial sites, refuge from invasion, and retreat dwellings for Bon and Buddhist practitioners. The age of some of the caves date back several thousand years while others - more recent - may have been created as late as five hundred years ago.

Some of the many caves are decorated with beautiful murals. The Konchog Ling Cave in Upper Mustang depicts Vajradhara, Chaturbhuja Avalokiteshvara and Tara as the largest figures and then a portion of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas according to the Vajrasana system of enumeration. Each siddha figure is accompanied by the famous four line verse (unique for each siddha) composed by Vajrasana - an abbot of Bodhgaya in the 11th century.

The cave has suffered damage from natural erosion and the remainder of the Eighty-four siddhas have been lost due to the outer walls of the cave crumbling away. The date of the paintings is believed to be the 13th or 14th century.

Images of Dzongsar Institute in North India. The murals painted on the walls at the entrance of the main temple are of interest because they depict both the new Temple in India and the original Dzongsar Monastery in Kham, Tibet. On another section of wall are King Gesar and several attendant figures along with a quote from the Manjushri Namasangiti Tantra which Khyentse Chokyi Lodro believed was phrophetic and heralding the coming of Gesar to Tibet.

Avalokiteshvara, Arya Lokeshvara (Tibetan: pag pa chen re zi. English: the Noble All Seeing Lord) commonly referred to in English as Pagpa Lokeshvara. This is a unique sculptural form of Avalokiteshvara which is believed to have its origins in the famous Pagpa Lokeshvara statue of the Red Fort of Marpo-ri, later to be known as the Potala Palace of Lhasa, Tibet. There are many versions of this sculpture in both wood and ivory found in collections around the world. One of the largest of these sculptures is from Kyirong in Southern Tibet, now housed in Dharamsala, India. Another large sculpture with a full torana is in a palace chapel in Mustang, Nepal.

Ian Alsop in his article Phagpa Lokes'vara of the Potala identifies and provides images for over 17 of these unique forms. Since the publishing of the article many more have been identified in other collections.

(For additional information see Phagpa Lokes'vara of the Potala by Ian Alsop. Orientations, 1990).

Drala, worldly protector: accompanied by Brahma, Vishnu and six warrior attendants. The central figure riding a horse, currently unidentified, in Drala appearance, has some similarities to King Gesar but the retinue does not correspond well with the writings on Gesar popularized by Mipam Rinpoche in the 19th century. It is possible that this form of Gesar is based on a 'Revealed Treasure' or 'Pure Vision' of some other teacher from Kham in the 19th century. The painting is beautifully drawn and coloured with all of the figures placed in a forward focussed direction - indicating that the composition likely stands alone and does not belong to a set of paintings.