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~ Thursday, April 21, 2005
 
TERRIBLE WORK

In Tibetan Buddhism, the 'Eight Terrible Ones' are wrathful deities (the dharmapala) who battle evil. They are...

1 Lha-Mo (Goddess) who rides a mule sideways, with snakes for reins, murdered her own son as penance for not converting enough people to Buddhism.
2 Tshangs-pa Dkar-po (White Brahma) rides a white horse and has a conch shell in his turban.
3 Beg-tse (Hidden Sheet of Mail) is a sword-carrying, armoured deity, who often sports an oversized crown and is followed by a retinue of miniature butchers.
4 Yama (god of death) sometimes has a water buffalo's head; he wears the wheel of law on his chest.
5 Kubera (god of wealth) is a short, three-legged deity who displays the trappings of richness.
6 Mahakala (Great Black One) is a black deity who often carries a trident to protect the religion.
7 Hayagriva (Horse Neck) wears a head-dress adorned with a horse's head and wings; he neighs (or his hat does) to frighten demons; he can also cure skin diseases.
8 Yamantaka (Conqueror of Yama) has the wisdom of ultimate reality and therefore can conquer evil and death.

Source: various

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