About Guru Dragpo

Guru Dragpo, a fierce manifestation of the revered guru-saint Padmasambhava, is depicted standing with one foot on a flaming halo. He holds a ritual tool called a vajra and a black scorpion. He is adorned with the skin of a tiger around his waist and the flayed skin of an elephant over his shoulders. His crown is decorated with skulls and he wears a garland made of severed heads. This form of Guru Dragpo is a powerful protector deity of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. In the upper part of the artwork, there are depictions of Manjushri, Shadakshari Lokesvara, Amitabha, Padmasambhava, and the wrathful deity Hayagriva. In the lower part, we can see the angry deities who are part of Guru Dragpo's retinue, including blue Vajrapani on the left and Jambhala, the god of wealth, in the center.