Vajrasadhu Dharmapala

Vajrasadhu Dharmapala (in Tibetan: rdo rje legs pa; in Mongolian: dorlig), the “Diamond Saint”, was a guardian of Buddhist doctrine,one of the deities from folk religion who were defeated by Padmasambhava (seen here above the head of the central figure). The protagonist, painted with red contours on a black canvas, is riding a snow lion, dressed in Mongolian attire, and wearing a round hat that holds a skull and half-vajra. On the verso of the painting is a six-line Tibetan prayer. Black bases thangka (in Tibetan: nag thang) without border.