Thangka refers to religious scroll paintings that are mounted with colorful silk and hung for worship. Thangka is a unique form of painting in Tibetan culture, with themes encompassing Tibetan history, politics, culture, and social life. Most of the surviving Thangkas are works of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon traditions.
The Eight Protector Deities correspond to protection:
Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara – compassion, salvation, and protection.
Manjushri – wisdom and enlightenment, learning and practice.
Akasagarbha Bodhisattva – wisdom and merit.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva – great vows, perfect virtue, and the practice of cultivation.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva – wisdom, power, and light.
Vairocana Buddha – the universal truth and wisdom.
Acala (Immovable Wisdom King) – unwavering wisdom, the power to subdue evil, and compassionate protection for all beings.
Amitabha Buddha – infinite light, infinite life, and boundless compassion.
