The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c20.1

c20.1

It has been pointed out earlier that the Buddhists, in the medieval age started an unrelenting process of deification by turning all objects, cosmic principles, literature, letters of the alphabet, the directions and even the desires into gods and goddesses, with forms, colour, poses of sitting, and weapons. In this manner the ten directions, eight kinds of head-dress, the different kinds of protection, the dances, musical instruments, components of the door, four kinds of light, important animals, and various other things were all deified with form, colour and weapons. In this chapter these collective deities will be briefly described.