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Red ground is appropriate for all deities that are classified in Buddhist Ta**ra as Power Deities, along with peaceful d...
06/05/2026

Red ground is appropriate for all deities that are classified in Buddhist Ta**ra as Power Deities, along with peaceful deities, powerful teachers and religious leaders. Red ground compositions often include gold outlining, or gold fill for the figures. Red ground paintings began to appear as a popular art form in the 17th century. The popularity can be traced to Central Tibet and the art patronage of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. Some scholars believe that red ground paintings in Tibet were influenced during the Yongle Period with the introduction of red book covers for decorating the Chinese Buddhist Tripitika, Kangyur and Tangyur.

Study Topics:
- Origin: Yongle Period Lacquer Book Covers
- Styles: Primarily New Menri of Lhasa
- Purpose: Decorative
- Subjects: Red Deities, Power, Peaceful, Teachers

Sometimes red ground and gold ground paintings can be very difficult to distinguish as later artists began to combine the two colours into single compositions. The ground of one painting might be red while all of the figures in the composition are gold filled. The artist might also employ the opposite technique. Even though the ground is red the majority of the composition and all of the figures can be gold filled.

Database Search: All Images

Jeff Watt 7-2008 [updated 6-2017]

(Images in order from 1st to last) : HAR 73736, 612, 135)

Yamari (gshin rje gshed) is a male wrathful meditational deity (yidam, ishtadevata) of the Anuttayoga Class of Ta***ic l...
06/01/2026

Yamari (gshin rje gshed) is a male wrathful meditational deity (yidam, ishtadevata) of the Anuttayoga Class of Ta***ic literature. There are three divisions or sections of literature and deity forms: Rakta (red) Yamari, Krishna (black) Yamari and Vajrabhairava (terrifying). The Krishna Yamari can be divided first into two main types: New Ta**ras (Sarma) and Old Ta**ras (Nyingma). Both of these traditions have numerous forms and appearances of the deity as well as numerous lineages of practice descending from those forms. In the Nyingma Tradition the two terms ‘Yamari’ (gshin rje gshed) and ‘Yamantaka’ (gshin rje thar byed) are often used interchangeably and the majority, if not all, of the different forms of Krishna Yamari arise from the ‘Revealed Treasure’ Tradition (Terma) rather than the Oral Tradition (K**a). For the Sarma Traditions of Sakya, Kagyu, Jonang, etc., the Krishna Yamari lineages of practice arise from the Ta***ic literature of India, namely the Krishna Yamari Ta**ra [Toh 467].

The text below which describes the role of Yama Dharmaraja in the Yamari literature also gives a clear and succinct description of the subject of Yamari. “In the special, noble, Vajra Vehicle [Vajrayana], among the numerous four tantras [kriya, charya, yoga and anuttara] this protector is of the Anuttarayoga. Of those, from the three [classes], Method, Wisdom and Non-dual, this is Method Ta**ra. From the three famous Father Ta**ras of the Yamari Cycle, Rakta [Red], Krishna [Black], and Bhairava [Terrifying], this is the uncommon protector of the Vajrabhairava.” (Ngor Ponlop Ngagwang Legdrup, 19th century).

The Three Yamari Lineages, the Three Mahamandalas, Abhisheka, Sadhana, together with the Branches: Vajradhara, Jnana Dakini, Acharya Lalitavajra, Amoghavajra, Yeshe Jungne Bepa, Padmavajra, Dipamkara Raksh*ta, Lama Rwa Dorje Drag, Rwa Lotsawa Chorab, Rwa Yeshe Sengge, Rwa Bum Seng, Lama Lokkyapa Wangchug Dragpa, Lama Ngong, Lama Chokyi Gyalpo (Chogyal Pagpa 1235-1280).

Jeff Watt 4-2007 [updated 1-2013, 5-2017, 1-2019, 1-2020]

See the HAR web page on Krishna Yamari (set ID 522) for more details on this deity.

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