The Buddhist guardian Mahakala Legden

Atop an open lotus and inside a mass of wisdom flames, the great Buddhist guardian Mahakala Legden brandishes his red-tipped spear in victory over the negative forces he tramples underfoot. Wearing a green robe and a garland of skulls, this dharma guardian, oathbound by Padmasambhava, presides over eleven horizontal registers. Set off from others by green hills over which pink clouds are just climbing, each register contains scenes of Buddhist visionary life where Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and images of stupas and offerings populate the landscape.

Along the right-hand side of the painting, and spanning multiple horizontal registers, appear eight more guardians. They can be recognized by the lions and horses they are riding. These figures include the Four Guardian Kings who ward the lowest levels of the heavenly realms at the foot of Sumeru, the mountain at the center of Buddhism’s imaginal cosmos. Terra-cotta sculptures of these guardian kings may be seen in the case at the back of this gallery.