Demons in Tibetan Buddhism

Demons form an integral part of Buddhism practiced in Tibet. Originating from the original Tibetan religion, these negative forces have been absorbed into Mahayana Buddhism, which has established itself in Tibet.

In Tibetan mythology, these demons were defeated by the Buddhas, who made them protectors of the Dharma, which is the universal truth or cosmic law. Thus, in Tibetan Buddhism, they play the role of powerful but malevolent gods who maintain the world order. Tibetan Buddhism is animistic, so the number of demons is unlimited, but the most important demons subdued by the Buddhas have a complex mythology.

Yama, or Shinje, oversees the afterlife, where souls go after parting with the body. He is responsible for evaluating how good a person was while alive, and therefore their next step in the karmic wheel of reincarnation. He is wrathful and can inflict disease and calamity on the human world to remind everyone to behave with humility and righteousness.

Sometimes Yama holds the wheel of life, also known as the wheel of becoming. He is often depicted with the head of a buffalo or next to a bull that is crushing a man. According to legend, robbers once stole a buffalo or bull and cut off its head.

When they entered the cave, they found an ascetic monk who was meditating. In order not to leave any witnesses, they cut off his head. The ascetic grabbed a buffalo head and put it around his neck, then killed the robbers and went into a rage. The frightened people turned to Manjushri (Bodhisattva of wisdom) for protection and he tamed Yama. Yama has three eyes and a crown of skulls, horns and flames. He holds a stick crowned with a skull in one hand and a lasso in the other.

The demon Mahakala was released and tormented even the gods with his greed and aggression. Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara united, transformed into a horse and a pig, entered him, and then began to increase in size. When the demon, ready to explode, begged to surrender, the Bodhisattvas put it in chains and then began the process of turning it into a gentle and compassionate being.

Mahakala is now the protector of education and Dharma and helps guide people to a better way of life. He appears in different forms according to the different schools of Buddhism, but always wears a crown of five skulls, which symbolizes the transformation of the five kleshas (obscuration of the mind, its pollution, affect) into the five wisdoms.

He is often seen as a protective deity. He is usually depicted as black or dark blue, symbolizing his ability to absorb and encompass all things. He may be depicted with two, four or six arms. He may also be depicted with a trident, a symbol of the Hindu god Shiva.

Vaishravana is one of the four celestial kings who is considered the guardian of the northern quadrant of the world. His home is on the mythical Mount Sumeru, a five-pointed mountain believed to be at the center of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. He is the leader of the Yakshas, the nature spirits that inhabit trees, rivers, etc.

Vaishravana is associated with wealth, but is the opposite of greed. It represents wealth sufficient to enable one to focus on one's spiritual path, as well as generosity with what one has.

He is usually depicted as a yellow-faced man holding an umbrella. He often rides a snow lion. Sometimes he is depicted with a mongoose spewing jewels. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, which represents greed. He often appears with a citron, the fruit of the Jambhara plant, in one hand.

The name Hayagriva means "horse's neck" and the demon was originally depicted with the body of a man, neck and head of a horse, but is also often depicted with three demonic heads. Sometimes he has wings. He usually has a scowling face with three penetrating eyes and a raised sword.

He is the demon of passion, underlying anger, and represents strong emotions that are both a source of strength and trouble. He can help Buddhists channel their frustration and annoyance into overcoming obstacles. He is also the patron saint of the animal kingdom.

Hayagriva is known for healing ailments, especially skin diseases such as leprosy. He confronts powerful opponents, exemplified by his cosmic battles with Rudra. They fought nine times until Hayagriva became very small, entered Rudra and destroyed him from within. It is also believed that Hayagriva imitated Rudra to impregnate his wife, and then consumed him, purified him in his stomach, and brought out Rudra in a new, more benevolent form.

Born an ordinary woman known as Magzor Gyalmo or Remati, she was married to the evil king of Lanka. She vowed to either convert the king to Buddhism and stop him from killing Dharma practitioners or to end his lineage. She felt she had failed when her son was raised to kill Buddhists. As a result, she killed her son by eating his flesh, drinking his blood, and making a saddle out of his skin.

When she died, she went to hell, but escaped by stealing a bag of diseases and a sword. After getting out of hell, she felt that she had nothing to live for and begged for guidance. The Buddha appeared to her and instructed her to become an advocate of Buddhism.

Palden Lhamo is depicted riding a mule with an eye on its side and with reins made of poisonous snakes. She also became the protector of all the Dalai Lamas by pledging help to the first Dalai Lama, Gendun Dube, at Lhama Ta-tso, or Lake of Oracles. This lake is held in high esteem and is visited by Lamas when they wish to receive visions to help them find the next Dalai Lama.

Beg-tse is sometimes called Chamsing, meaning "Great Cover," or the red Mahakala. He has red skin and hair, two hands, three bloodshot eyes, and is dressed like a Tibetan warrior. In his right hand he holds a sword with a black hilt in the shape of a scorpion. In his left hand he clutches a fresh heart, his bow and arrows are held in the bend of his elbow, and his long spear and banner are leaning against his shoulder. In addition to his armor, he wears fearsome garb such as a crown of five skulls and a necklace of 50 freshly severed heads, typical of many demons.

According to legend, many centuries ago, two sons were born into the family of King Sergi. The brothers had different religious beliefs and could not agree with each other.

The older brother tried unsuccessfully to force the younger brother to follow his religion. The younger brother convinced his brother not to kill him, promising that in the future, when his brother attained enlightenment, he would protect his religion. The older brother gave the younger brother his armor and weapons and let him go.

In another life, the elder brother became Buddha (Shakyamuni). Meanwhile, the younger brother was reborn in an egg. When the egg was broken, the younger brother appeared in the armor that the elder brother had given him and assumed the role of Beg-tse, the demon of war and protector of Buddhism.

While the Buddhas defeated these great demons and made them the protectors of Buddhism, ordinary people on the path to nirvana are constantly confronted with their own demons, which can be internal, such as illness and fears, or external.

Again, since there is no concept of pure evil, these are simply obstacles to be overcome through ritual actions, peace offerings, and meditative detachment. They generally warn practitioners to be more diligent in their spiritual endeavors.

They can also use their sight to detect demons that may be negatively affecting a person. They help the person communicate with the demon to find out what they want, and either come to an agreement with the demon or take part in actions to exorcise the demon. They may also provide other shamanic services such as divination. Buddhist philosophy, demonic religion, and magic and ritual practices coexist in Tibet without much friction.