The guardian Vaishravana

Mounted on a snow lion, Vaishravana, guardian king of the north, carries a victory banner and a gem-spouting mongoose; in this capacity he is an aspect of the Indian wealth deity Kubera. The mongoose symbolizes generosity, for it conquers the snakes of greediness. Vaishravana is accompanied by the Eight Horsemen, who hold mongooses and weapons.

Above center, the Buddha Vajradhara holds a thunderbolt and bell. The guardian Vajrapani (on the Buddha’s right) carries a thunderbolt, while an Indian mystic, one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, or “great adepts” (on the Buddha’s left), holds a skull bowl. Below them are monks of the Shalu Temple in Tibet.

Vaishravana is also known as the god of wealth in Himalayan Buddhism.