Red-and-Black-Faced Yamari

Dharma protectors are often invoked not only to wield their power aggressively but also to resist and repel other powers defensively. Tibetans sought to repel the powers of foreign armies, especially those of the Mongols, who were a major force in Tibetan politics from the time of Genghis Khan (1162–1227) to his successors in the 13th and 14th centuries and into the 20th century. The Mongols supported their favored traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, like Geluk, but rival traditions like Drigung Kagyu felt compelled to defend themselves against the invaders. Thus began the tradition of “Mongol-repelling” by magical means. Later, in the 17th century, Tibet was wracked by regional warfare, which took on sectarian overtones, pitting the Dalai Lama’s Geluk school against other traditions including the Drigung Kagyu. Mongolian armies intervened on behalf of the Geluk, threatening their adversaries with foreign domination and religious persecution. These conflicts eventually brought the Dalai Lamas to power with Mongol backing.

The Drigung lineage masters are portrayed at the top of this thangka. The final one, Rigdzin Chokyi Drakpa (1595–1659), commissioned the painting of an image of Red-and-Black-Faced Yamari to repel the invasion of his monastery by Mongol forces. Yamari’s name means “enemy of the god of death”—a deity who can resist death and combat any threatening force. Yamari is shown emerging from a cloud of flames, wielding vajra-tipped axes in his three right hands and holding the hearts of enemies in his left hands. His lower body (and those of some of his attendant protector deities) is shaped as a kila, a ritual peg used to pin down opposing spirits. Repelling rituals did not necessarily have militaristic aims; Yamari is a deity suited to remove any kind of obstacle. Rigdzin Chokyi Drakpa also used these rites to repel smallpox and other harmful threats.

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