Fangs and Fur of the Divine: Tigers, Snow Lions and the Four Dignities

This piece is translated from Sorang Wangqing’s blog. Are you interested in our crafts featuring the Four Dignities = Garuda, Tiger, Dragon, Snow Lion?

Dante's reflection—"It protects everything when it is present; chaos accompanies wailing when it is absent"—reveals how deeply mythology and religion engage the human imagination concerning beasts, their majesty and power. View the amulets by clicking the link: they include the 18th-century "Nyingma Pa Mahakala Riding Tiger" at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, a Tiger and a Snow Lion (see our amulets), two "Lifting Snow Lion" pieces (18th and 19th centuries) in private collections, the 19th-century "Vaisravana" at the Rubin Museum in New York, and the 19th-century "Bon God - Wi se en pa" at the Rubin Museum in New York. A separate 20th-century "Tiger" amulet belongs to a private collection. Multiple animal visages appear across these amulets, including garuda, dragon, capricorn, snow lion, tiger, and leopard.

Having always inhabited severe environments while retaining their dignity, they may hold the belief that their bodies are impervious to any injury. Buto Rinchenkung (བུ་སྟོན་རིན་ཆེན་གྲུབ་, 1290-1364) additionally said, "Still images resemble the universe, ferocious images resemble flames, these are the beasts,". In people, this inspires both fear and wonder at the survival capability reflected in their looks and behaviors.

In Himalayan and Tibetan art, several felines—tiger, lion, leopard, and cat—appear frequently, and this discussion examines both the distinct meaning of each in visual representations and the ways these creatures are often merged into conceptual hybrids. The 18th-century work "The Portrait of Buton Rinpoche," held in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, serves as a touchstone for these considerations.

In the context of this imagery, the tiger serves as a symbol of the Great Master Tsongkhapa, while both male and female deities are depicted wearing tiger and leopard skins. Additionally, there is the highly intricate symbolism found in "Mongolians driving away the tiger" (སོག་པོ་སྟག་ཁྲིད་), which carries at least three distinct levels of meaning—serving as a political allegory, a vehicle for the transmission of religious history, and a medium for visualizing Buddhist concepts. The artwork "The Mongol Hunters," dating to the 18th century, is held at the Erie Art Museum.

Despite being a species endemic to Asia rather than native to Tibet, the tiger has long held an important place in Tibet's political system as a symbol of bravery and martial skill. Its Tibetan name is སྟག་ (stag), while the ancient Tibetan form is *stak. The Tiger and the Leopard: moving forward surrounded by flames.

The "Six Symbols" (རྐྱེན་དྲུག་) served as a classification of social attributes in the Tibetan Empire, under which tigers and snow leopards (གུང་དང་སྟག་) represented elite warriors, while a fox tail marked those individuals and families who lacked martial spirit. Additionally, the tiger's martial importance was echoed in the dress regulations of the Tibetan army.

Tiger-related attire comprised three types within the "Six Symbols of Warriors" (དཔའ་མཚན་དྲུག་): tiger fur garments (སྟག་སློག་), tiger fur jackets (སྟག་སྟོད་), and tiger fur skirts (སྟག་སྨད་). In Tibet's daily political life, tiger seals (དཔའ་རྟགས་ཀྱི་ཕྱག་རྒྱ་) additionally served as symbols for government military departments.

In the Tibetan language, the word སྟག་གཟིག་ (stag gzig) is commonly used to mean ancient Persia or Arabia—perhaps more of an imagined space—and also refers to the center of the Bön religion: the holy realm of Vajralonger (འོལ་མོ་ལུང་རིང་), birthplace of Bön's founder, Tonpa Shenrab. The term has an older etymology, ཏ་ཟིག་ (ta zig), and the former is likely a localized variant of the latter. The Tiger Seal is a modern reconstruction.

According to some scholars, including Paul White, the Tibetan word གཟིག་ (gzig), meaning "leopard," may be connected to གཟིགས་ (gzigs), meaning "to watch" in Tibetan. As for the term stag gzig, it is formed from stag (tiger) and gzig (leopard), suggesting how the indigenous religion perceived a region—as dangerous, with wild animal attacks, or perhaps using these animals to represent the area's sacredness. The Rubin Museum of Art in New York, 19th century.

In Tibetan, the snow leopard—also called the mountain leopard—is known as གུང་ (gung) or གསའ་ (gsa’). The particle sa marks a grammatical shift, distinguishing one term as a noun and the other as a verb. Frequently regarded within Tibetan "mountain deity culture" as the embodiment of a mountain deity, the snow leopard’s elusive nature further heightens its sacred aura. "The Mountain God of Maqing," a 19th-century piece, is part of the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.

Within the spiritual domain of the Mountain God, the snow lion mount and leopard skin cushion are elements alongside tigers and leopards. Unfortunately, snow leopard populations fell dramatically in the 1990s, driven by poaching and loss of habitat. In the Tibetan region, the snow leopard is already classified as endangered; even though the IUCN changed its global status from endangered to vulnerable in 2017, the regional situation remains critical. American zoologist Dr.

According to traditional Tibetan discourse, the tiger’s face presents three distinct forms: a compassionate expression, a contemplative expression, and a fierce one. Observant individuals can perceive this difference by examining the deities linked to tigers. “One only sees the snow leopard skin, not the snow leopard,” George Beals Schaller has declared on more than one occasion. Isn’t it so that people often covetously desire to possess and display the sacredness of animals—by wearing them, for instance? Dr. Charlton and the Snow Leopard Cub

The close-up draws of 'Three Types of Tigers' are described by a prayer text in the Nyingma tradition: 'In the midst of paradise, the power of anger burns fiercely, the color brown, the two feet expressive as they dance on top of the mother tiger.' That text depicts the Wrathful Vajra, one of Guru Rinpoche's eight manifestations. Meanwhile, different states in the artwork correspond to fixed scenes, where people and objects create coded messages about art.

For an accurate account of Guru Rinpoche's life, Tibetan traditional scriptures employ his eight manifestations to depict eight crucial events in his 'biographical literature' (for example, the Wrathful Vajra stands for Guru Rinpoche's taming of Tibet's spirits and demons), and they also employ the twelve zodiac signs—whereby each month of the Tibetan calendar bears an animal name, like the Tiger month—to denote his twelve miracles, which align with the twelve months.

To vanquish demons across Tibet and the Himalayan region and to create a meditation environment for practitioners, the Lotus-born Master took the form of the Wrathful Vajrapani, dwelling in thirteen scattered practice sites. In depictions, tigers crush non-humans and evil practitioners beneath them, while countless eyes on the deities keep watch over the world. Within the meditation cave, birds appear to announce the Wrathful Vajrapani's arrival. Versions of "The Wrathful Vajrapani" include an 18th-century one in a private collection, a 20th-century one at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, and a 19th-century one owned by Shelley and Donald Rubin.

In these places, the Master left footprints and handprints on rocks and water surfaces, which can be discerned if one is observant enough to find them in the imagery. "The Wrathful Vajrapani" 18th century, Rubin Museum of Art in New York. Footprint Handprint In the core Buddhist image of "The Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats", there is often a layman with a fierce tiger by his side (upasaka), known as Jushi Damaotara, an incarnation of the Buddha Infinite Light.

Often shown walking with a hunched posture, this layman has Central Asian or Central Plains origins, and is possibly believed to be a high monk of the Tang Dynasty. His right hand holds a khakkhara—the monk’s walking staff—while his left hand carries the strap of a travel chest. The chest primarily contains scriptures that symbolize the imminent arrival of Maitreya Buddha, and it can instantly summon elegant garments, vegetarian meals, and medicinal food for the Arhats. The tiger and the layman have sworn to protect the Sixteen Arhats tirelessly in this fashion.

During the Tubo period, in addition to the traditional South Asian influences, Han Buddhism had a considerable impact on the Tibetan region, with numerous members of the royal family and nobility following it. At the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, two artworks depict Arhat Dharmatala: one from the 16th century and another from the 19th century. The snow lion incense burner bears the infinite light Buddha, and beside the Arhat rest a male and female tiger pair, along with the luggage of the Arhats.

Tubo was a global empire spanning the 7th to 9th centuries, and its religious policies were relatively tolerant. As art history developed, religious texts and visual imagery from various regions were further absorbed and transformed through this process. In Himalayan art, one can see not only depictions of handsome figures and lotus blossoms; rather, upon closer inspection, an expansive ancient world becomes apparent. Dharmatala Arhat, 18th century, in the collection of Navin Kumar.

Dombi Heruka, the renowned adept who rode a tiger and carried a serpent whip, once faced a pivotal decision regarding his emotions. As a king born in Magadha, he governed with wisdom and cherished his subjects like his own children. However, the ruler's heart was captured by a singer of both charm and intellect. To be with her, the king relinquished his throne and lived with her in the mountains for 12 years. In South Asian traditions, these preconceived emotional scenes have always been interpreted as manifestations of the practitioner's "true self.

Subsequently, a prince who proved incapable of ruling the country was compelled to ask Zoe Mi Bu Ba for help. Despite this, the kingdom remained rife with accusations and slanders directed at the king and the singer. To overawe the populace, Zoe Mi Bu Ba and the singer rode a tiger—symbolizing the blessing of the Vajra—to the palace front, where Zoe Mi Bu Ba called out loudly, "To prove the supposed superiority of castes, please burn us with fire." This episode belongs to the 19th-century work "Dombi Heruka," held in the Shelley and Donald Rubin Collection.

I often ponder that apart from emotions, we may possess nothing at all; our permanence and fleetingness are both inscribed in emotion, carrying us forward one step at a time through the unknown. Meanwhile, the blaze endured for seven days and nights, and while the watching crowd outside stood astonished, the couple within remained untouched by the fire. In the heart of those flames, they disclosed their original forms, slowly becoming the yin and yang bodies of the Vajra.

At the Rubin Museum of Arts, there is a 19th-century work titled "Dombi Heruka." Are you familiar with the five sacred forms of Tsongkhapa (ཙོང་ཁ་པ་, 1357-1419), the founder of the Gelug school? In one of these forms, he is depicted as an Indian yogi riding a fierce tiger. After Tsongkhapa's passing, his disciple Khedrup Je (མཁས་གྲུབ་དགེ་ལེགས་དཔལ་བཟང་, 1385-1438) conceived these five forms to visually express the religious sanctity of his teacher, who had during his lifetime established himself as a yogi and accomplished master.

In the years following Tsongkhapa's death, as his prominence continued to expand, his disciples began crafting legends around their master and employing their own perspectives to assert the validity and authority of their comprehension of his doctrines. Tsongkhapa is portrayed as a master astride an elephant, as Manjushri Bodhisattva mounted on a lion, as a teacher seated upon a throne bestowed by the gods, as a yogi perched on a tiger, and as one exhibiting the ideal awakened form.

Lions and Cats: Wise Gaze Cast on the Human World - In the Tibetan region, the lion, though not a native animal, holds a deeper meaning. Khedrup Je, a key disciple of Tsongkhapa and the third leader of the Gelugpa sect (First Panchen Lama), compiled Tsongkhapa's writings prior to his passing and diversified the forms of "Tsongkhapa worship". The 18th-century "Yogin Tsongkhapa and other great achievers" is in a private collection, while the 18th-century "Yogin Tsongkhapa" is housed at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Distinguishing lions from snow lions is important, because the two symbols carry different levels of significance across time and place. If the process by which lions entered the Tibetan region and the evolution of snow lions into their current form is overlooked, one might wrongly assume that snow lions are native creatures, or even that snow lions and lions belong to two entirely separate species. "The Snow Lion Mask," 18th century, Rubin Museum of Art, New York.

The Tibetan word for lion, སེང་གེ་ (seng ge), with གངས་སེང་ (gngs seng) meaning snow lion, is likewise a loanword, as in Chinese. Sanskrit's सिंह (siṃha) is one plausible immediate origin, though a prior source from Central Asia—the Persian shir—cannot be excluded; in that case, determining whether it was Old Persian or Avestan would be significant.

The stone lions flanking the tomb of Chos rgyal Lha btsun, as seen in the image below, stand as a representative example. During the Tubo period, the ruling class in Central Asia held lions in high regard, viewing them as guardians of the grave and protectors of the soul, even as their artistic style reflected Tang Dynasty influences. Across the Tubo era, lion imagery appeared extensively in numerous contexts; already in 657 AD, a Tubo envoy had presented a golden city featuring lion carvings to the Tang monarch.

Furthermore, at least two military flags in the Tibetan military system bear lion imagery. Similar winged lions—the earliest form of the snow lion—appear in Dunhuang manuscript P.T.1083, which could suggest that lions from the Central Asian continent held an important place as a social symbol in Tubo's political life. Photographed by Shangwu Ka-Xian, the stone lions of the Mausoleum of Takamatsu Tokuzan date to 796-800 AD, and winged beast prints are also found in the Dunhuang scrolls.

Among Tibet's eight main armies, the forces stationed in the Upper Left Wing Region (གཡོ་རུ་སྟོད་) and the Upper Border Region (རུ་ལག་སྟོད་) carry lions as the principal emblem on their military banners. The standard of the former is named the "Red Lion" (སེང་གེ་དམར་པོ་), while the standard of the latter is designated the "White Lion Soaring" (སེང་དཀར་གནམ་འཕྱོ་).

Modern restoration images show the military flags "Red Lion" and "White Lion Soaring". Following the collapse of the Tubo Empire, the earlier animal lion was replaced by the snow lion—a divine lion imbued with Buddhist significance (lion + ancient snow mountain divine beast + South Asian tradition). This snow lion possesses distinctive turquoise-colored fur and dwells atop remote snow-capped peaks and in the vicinity of meditation caves.

Despite certain texts narrating sightings of this creature, a careful contextual reading shows those snow lion 'sightings' are all staged with predetermined textual meanings. A snow lion from the 20th century, created as a modern handicraft, serves both as protector of special religious spaces (snow mountains and meditation caves) and as an embodiment of tantric practitioners. The small and lovely cat, meanwhile, is called by various names in Tibetan, commonly བྱི་ལ་ (byi la) and ཞི་མི་ (zhi mi).

The latter may stem from cats being viewed as a kind of deity—the quiet one—which developed into titles such as ཞིམ་བུ་ (zhim bu) and ཞུམ་བུ་ (zhum bu). The former, by contrast, is linked to cats serving as predators of tigers (mice are called བྱི་བ་ [byi wa]), giving rise to dialectal forms like ལ་ལ་ (la la) or ལི་ལི་ (li li) for cats.

When Aryadeva (འཕགས་པ་ལྷ་) debated a non-Buddhist master, a black cat bit the master's assistant—a parrot that served as a messenger of the goddess of wisdom—and thereby secured Aryadeva's victory in the debate. In certain Tibetan areas, however, cats hold a broader role: they are regarded as protectors of the region and its temples, with their eyes seen as having a liberating function (hence the term "eyes of liberation" [རྣམ་གྲོལ་མིག་]), and they also occupy a protective position within homes, where they may be viewed as "elders in the home" [གྲོང་གི་སྤྲེལ་].

At the Rubin Museum of Art in New York are the 19th-century works 'The Debate Between the Sacred and the Profane' and 'Black Cat Parrot'. Durga, also called the warrior goddess or the mother who is difficult to approach, is one of the most prominent goddesses in South Asia. In later texts, she is frequently viewed as a fierce manifestation of Parvati, the snow mountain goddess who is the companion of the main god Shiva.

Every year, followers of Shiva from South Asia come together near the sacred mountain Gang Rinpoche in what is now western Tibet. There they hold celebrations and offer songs of praise, acting out the tales of Shiva and the snow mountain goddess. These stories of divine love, which appear in ancient writings, are set in this very region.

After a fierce battle, the goddess Durga—riding a lion (or tiger) and armed with countless weapons—defeated the demon king Mahishasura. Originally, in certain parts of South Asia, she had been worshiped as an earth deity. Through her integration with the snow mountain goddess system, however, she became a fierce divinity who rescued the other gods from the demon's clutches. At that time, traditional texts regarded her as the sole manifestation of the "ultimate reality" and the mother of all gods.

Among the bodhisattvas in the Buddhist system, it is Manjushri who rides a lion, while Avalokiteshvara possesses a unique incarnation known as "Simhanada" or "Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara". Manjushri, often regarded as the embodiment of a fully enlightened Buddha, holds a central place in the Tibetan and Vajrayana traditions. His lion-riding image is considered the main object of meditation in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly in the Sakya and Gelug schools. "The Lion Rider Goddess Durga", a 15th-century Nepalese artwork, is housed at the Rubin Museum of Art.

In the 14th century, Yarlung Zangpo Jangtsen praised Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara with these words: "In front of a magnificent palace, Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara sits on a lotus on the back of a lion, his body white with a slight smile. His right hand extends above his knee, holding a stem of a red lotus, with the petals blooming by his ears; above is the white sword of wisdom." Two separate artworks titled "Riding on a Lion Manjushri" also exist: an 18th-century version at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and a 17th-century version in a private collection.

The Kriya Tantra division of Buddhism is the source of the belief in Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara. Its formal transmission to Tibet was undertaken by the Indian master Atisha and Manla Zhutozhaba, a Tibetan Buddhist master from the 11th century. Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara's chief purpose is to counteract diseases and threats arising from the dragon race (nagas). The 19th-century "Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara" is also present at the National Museum of India and the Rubin Art of Museum.

In typical iconography of Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara, the naga king Nagaraja and the teacher Nagarjuna are positioned above, while the eight dragon races, tamed by Lion's Roar Avalokiteshvara, are shown below. The composition places the King of the Dragon Clan on the left, the Dragon Tree on the right, and also depicts the kings of the eight dragon clans. The Dharma Protectors' lion mounts—often snow lions—carry a pronounced local character, which serves as a marker of the esoteric or Tibetan transformation of these protectors.

In this category of Dharma Protectors, the representative figures include the Goddess of Auspicious Longevity, King Pehar（པེ་ཧར་རྒྱལ་པོ་）, Dojileba（རྡོ་རྗེ་ལེགས་པ་）, and the Longevity Five Sisters（ཚེ་རིང་མཆེད་ལྔ་）. A 17th-century work titled "The Protector King Pehar," housed at the Rubin Museum of Art, illustrates this. King Pehar is regarded as a protective deity whose influence extends across the entirety of Tibet's political and cultural history.

Documents indicate that, during the expansion of the Tibetan Empire under Tsongkhapa Desen, this protective deity was "captured" and brought to Tibet. Prior to that, he was thought to be either a ruler of a kingdom in North or Central Asia—a rather imprecise identification—or the main deity of a small religious sect. After being tamed by Guru Padmasambhava, he became the guardian deity of Sangye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet.

As the Gelug sect rose in prominence, King Pehar gradually became an important protector of that sect. In the era of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the origin myth of King Pehar within the Gelug tradition—as well as the origin myth of Nechung monastery—began to spread. The Nyingma sect, meanwhile, regards him as an important protector of hidden treasures and holds a belief in five forms of White Hayagriva King, with the "career" White Hayagriva King, who rides a snow lion, being the most common. An artwork titled "The Five Kings Pehar," dated to the 19th century, is part of the collection at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York.

The Ganden Phodrang government designated the embodied manifestation of King Pehar, Nechung, as its primary oracle deity and protector, relying on trance-induced divination. "Dorje Legpa" 18th century, Rubin Art Museum "Dorje Legpa is depicted seated on a white lion that radiates light, with red hair, flowing whiskers, and a venomous breath. In his right hand, he grasps a vajra to smash the heads of foes; in his left, he clutches a human heart. His attire consists of a fierce, angry red silk cloak.

Also among the local deities tamed by the great master Padmasambhava were the Five Sisters of Longevity. As for Dorje Legpa, his pact with Guru Rinpoche transformed him from a native deity into a protector of Buddhism, primarily safeguarding Nyingma practitioners. In many Nyingma masters' autobiographies, he frequently appears as a yogi to assist the lineage holder. Referenced artworks include 'Dorje Legpa' (18th century, private collection) and 'The Five Sisters of Longevity' (19th century, Rubin Art Museum).

Milarepa's three meetings with the Five Sisters of Longevity stand out as especially dramatic in Tibetan writings. These five goddesses were originally part of the local religion's "healing gods" and mountain god system, and they are widely revered across the border regions of Tibet and Nepal.

The five sisters consist of Täkar Drozangma, who rides a dragon and governs livestock; Chöpen Drinzangma, who rides a deer and governs wealth; Miyo Lozangma, who rides a tiger and governs agriculture; and the two named Tashi Tseringma—the principal goddess, mounted on a snow lion and governing longevity, as well as the one mounted on a wild donkey, governing wisdom and serving as the main goddess of Mount Everest.

White Tashi Tseringma (bkra shis tshe ring ma) has one face and two arms; in her right hand she holds a golden nine-pronged vajra, and in her left, a long-life flask decorated with an auspicious knot and a swastika. A white snow-lioness serves as her mount. Blue Tingi Shalzangma (mthing gi zhal bzang ma) likewise has one face and two arms, with a silver mirror in her right hand and a banner of the gods in her left. Her ride is a mare.

Täkar Drozangma (gtal dkar ´gro bzang ma) is green, with one face and two arms; she holds a bushel of durva grass in her right hand and a snake noose in her left. Chöpen Drinzangma (cod dpan mgrin bzang ma) appears red, also with one face and two arms, and she holds a wishfulfilling jewel in her right hand and a jewel encrusted casket in her left, while riding a hind. Miyo Lozangma (mi g.yo blo bzang ma) is yellow, with one face and two arms, holding a bowl filled with delicious foods in her right hand and a mongoose in her left, and her mount is a tigress.

The five sisters conjured illusions to tempt Milarepa, testing how firmly he was committed to his spiritual practice. When they saw that he was not moved, they vowed to guard the Kagyu lineage and presented their essence, offering life force through mantras. Three days later, they departed back to the heavenly realm. In their subsequent encounter, the master instructed the five sisters in teachings such as the Great Seal (ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ཆེན་པོ་). Her steed is a turquoise dragon, female in form.

Tashi Tseringma: in addition to riding lions, certain gods also appeared with lion faces. A few months later, during their third meeting, the five sisters asked master Milarepa to confer upon them the empowerment of the accomplishment of their activities (ལས་ཀྱི་ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ཆེན་པོ་). For this reason, numerous later practices in the Kagyu lineage have connections to the Five Sisters of Long Life. The private collection holds the 18th-century work "Imitation Rhino Horn Carving with Deity from the Ga School.

In the Tibetan region, two lion-bodied deities are found: Simhamukha, the lion-faced mother, and the Black Cloak Mahakala, who is venerated by the Kagyu sect and accompanied by the lion-faced deity, the parents of good fortune. Separately, Vishnu adopted his fourth incarnation as the lion-human hybrid Narasimha to slay the evil demon Hiranyakashipu and safeguard his righteous son Prahlada. The Rubin Art of Museum houses "The Lion Man," a 14th-century piece.

Simhamukha is thought to originate from the Chakrasamvara mandala in Vajrayana Buddhism and is connected with the highest yoga tantra. As a meditative goddess, she is deemed highly significant in the Sakya, Kagyu, and Nyingma traditions. In the Nyingma tradition specifically, Simhamukha is regarded as the secret manifestation of the Lotus-born guru.

Regardless of the kind of feline creature, we seem to experience a certain authentic inner sensation—an endurance that has persisted between heaven and earth and continually moves through the world's impermanence. The relevant works include "The Lion-Faced Dakini" (19th century, Rubin Museum of Art), "The Lion-Faced Dakini" (1514, private collection, bearing the inscription of Emperor Zhengde's name: Daqing Fawang), and "The Lion-Faced Dakini with Parents of Fortune" (Shechen Archives, featuring an upside-down monkey as an offering).

Within the roar—invisible yet audible—the Dharma sound is present, and there the Bodhi flower's teachings unfold.