Five Great Kings

Five Great Kings, in Tibetan Buddhism, a group of five deified heroes popularly worshiped as protection against enemies. Some accounts suggest they were five brothers who came to Tibet from northern Mongolia, and they are usually shown wearing broad-rimmed helmets. Diverse traditions exist, but they are generally identified as the following: (1) Pe-har, chief of the Five Great Kings and described as “king of the karma,” who resides in the northern quarter, is white in colour and rides a white lion; (2) Brgya-byin, the “king of the mind,” who resides in the centre, is dark blue and rides an elephant; (3) Mon-bu-pu-tra, the “king of the body,” who resides in the eastern quarter, is black and rides a white lioness; (4) Shing-bya-can, the “king of virtue,” who resides in the southern quarter, is black and rides a black horse; (5) Dgra-lha skyes-gcig-bu, the “king of speech,” who resides in the western quarter, is red and rides a black mule.