6 Demons in Tibetan Buddhism

Demons form an essential part of the type of Buddhism practiced in Tibet. Derived from the native Tibetan religion, these negative forces were absorbed into the Mahayana Buddhism that took hold in Tibet.

In Tibetan mythology, these demons were conquered by the Buddhas, who made the demon protectors of Dharma, which is universal truth or cosmic law. Consequently, in Tibetan Buddhism, they take on the role of powerful but wrathful gods that maintain the world order. Tibetan Buddhism is animist, so there is no limit to the number of demons in existence, but the most important demons conquered by the Buddhas have complex mythologies.

Yama, or Shinje, oversees the afterlife, where souls go after they are separated from their bodies. He is responsible for judging how good a person was in life and, therefore, their next step on the karmic wheel of reincarnation. He is wrathful and may send disease and disaster into the human world to remind everyone to behave.

Yama sometimes holds the wheel of life, also known as the wheel of becoming, in his hands. He is often shown with the head of a buffalo or alongside a bull that is crushing a man.

According to legend, one day robbers stole a buffalo or a bull and cut off its head. Entering a cave, they found an ascetic monk meditating. They cut off his head to leave no witnesses. The ascetic seized the buffalo’s head and placed it upon his neck, then killed the robbers and went on a rampage of fury. The terrified people appealed to Manjushri (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) for protection, and he tamed Yama.

Yama has three eyes and a crown of skulls, horns, and flames. He holds a stick topped by a skull in one hand and a lasso in the other.

2. Mahakala: The Great Black One

The demon Mahakala was unleashed upon the world, tormenting even the gods with his greed and aggression. The Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara teamed up, transformed themselves into a horse and a pig, entered his mouth and anus, and then began to expand in size. When the demon, about to explode, begged to surrender, the Bodhisattvas chained him up and then began a process of converting him to gentleness and compassion.

Mahakala is now the protector of education and Dharma and he helps to guide us on our best life path. He appears in many different forms depending on the different schools of Buddhism but always wears a crown of five skulls, which represents the transformation of the five kleshas (negative afflictions) into the five wisdoms. The negative afflictions are ignorance, will to live, ego, attachment, and repulsion. He is often seen as a protective deity.

He is usually depicted as black or dark blue, which represents his ability to absorb and embrace all things in existence. He can appear with two, four, or six arms. He may also be depicted with a trident, the symbol of the Hindu god Shiva.

Vaisravana is one of the four heavenly kings and is considered the guardian of the northern quadrant of the world. His home is on the mythical Mount Sumeru, which is a five-peaked mountain believed to be at the center of the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes. He is the leader of the Yaksas, nature spirits that inhabit trees, rivers, and so on.

Vaisravana is associated with wealth but is the antithesis of greed. He represents wealth sufficient to allow a person to focus on their spiritual path and also generosity with what they have.

He is usually represented as a man with a yellow face holding an umbrella or parasol. He often rides a snow lion. He is sometimes shown with a mongoose spewing jewels. The Mongoose is the nemesis of the snake, which represents greed. He often appears with a citron, the fruit of the Jambhara plant, in one hand.

4. Hayagriva: The Horsenecked One

The name Hayagriva means horse-necked, and he was originally depicted with the body of a man and the neck and head of a horse but is also often depicted with three demonic heads. He sometimes has wings. He tends to have a scowling countenance with three penetrating eyes and a raised sword.

He is the demon of the passion at the heart of anger and represents powerful emotions, which are both a source of power and trouble. He can help Buddhists channel their frustrations to overcome obstacles. He is also the protector of the realm of animals.

Hayagriva is known for curing ailments, especially skin diseases such as leprosy. He confronts potent adversaries, as exemplified by his cosmic battles with Rudra. The two engaged in nine mighty battles until Hayagriva made himself very small, entered Rudra’s anus, and destroyed him from the inside out. Hayagriva is also said to have imitated Rudra to impregnate his wife, and then devoured him, purified him in his stomach, and excreted Rudra in a new, more benevolent form.

Born a human woman known as Magzor Gyalmo or Remati, she was married to the evil king of Lanka. She vowed to either convert the king to Buddhism and prevent him from killing Dharma practitioners or to end his line. She felt like she failed when her son was raised to kill Buddhists. As a result, she killed her son, eating his flesh, drinking his blood, and making his skin into a saddle.

When she died, she found herself in hell, but she fought her way out by stealing a bag of diseases and a sword. When she escaped hell, she felt like she had no reason to live and prayed for guidance. The Buddha appeared to her and charged her with becoming the protector of Buddhism.

Palden Lhamo is shown riding a mule with an eye on its haunch and with reins made from poisonous snakes. She also became the protector of all Dalai Lamas by promising aid to the first Dalai Lama, Gendun Drupa, at Lhama Ta-tso, or Oracle Lake. This lake is held in high regard and is visited by Lamas when they wish to receive visions that will help them find the next Dalai Lama.

6. Begtse: Demon of War

Begtse is sometimes called Chamsing, which means the Great Coat of Mail, or red Mahakala. He has red skin and hair, two arms, three bloodshot eyes, and is dressed like a Tibetan warrior.

In his right hand, he holds a sword with a black scorpion-shaped handle. In his left hand, he clutches a fresh heart with a bow and arrow held in the bend of his elbow and a long lance and banner leaning against his shoulder. Aside from his armor, he wears wrathful vestments such as the crown of five skulls and a necklace of 50 freshly severed heads common to many demons.

According to legend, many ages ago two sons were born into the family of King Sergyi: Shugchen and Queen Upale Ke. The two brothers had different religious beliefs and they could not agree with each other.

The older brother unsuccessfully tried to force the younger brother to follow his religion. The younger brother convinced his brother not to kill him by promising that, in the future, when his brother had reached enlightenment, he would protect his brother’s religion. The older brother gave his younger brother armor and weapons and let him go.

In another lifetime, the older brother became Buddha (Shakyamuni). Meanwhile, the younger brother was reborn inside an egg. When the egg was broken open, the younger brother emerged in the armor that his brother had given him and took up his role as Begtse, a demon of war and protector of Buddhism.

While the Buddhas overcame these great demons and made them protectors of Buddhism, normal people on the path to Nirvana are constantly confronted by their own demons, which can be internal afflictions such as illness and fear, or external.

Again, since there is no concept of pure evil, these are simply obstacles to be overcome through ritual action, offerings of appeasement, and meditative detachment. They generally appear to warn practitioners to be more diligent in their spiritual efforts.

Tibetan shamans are mediators who have a stronger connection with the spiritual realm and therefore are better able to understand and deal with the demons. They can also use their vision to detect demons that may be negatively influencing a person. They help that person to communicate with that demon to figure out what they want, and either come to an agreement with the demon or engage in activities to exorcize the demon. They can also perform other shamanic services such as divination. Buddhist philosophy, demonic religion, and magic and ritual practices coexist with little friction in Tibet.