The Cult of Tara

WORSHIP 49
once again in contradistinction to the Karma Kajii, whose teachings
are guarded by the misshapen and dwarf like Black-cloaked Lord;
similarly the Sacha devote their rituals to the two-handed Lord of
the Tent, bearing across his bent arms the magic stick, and the Gelug
worship the Hastening Six-handed Lord of Knowledge.
Fig. 9. The type of Mahakala: the Four-handed Lord. From an
iconographic sketch by Tendzin yongdtt.
The pervasive "ancient" influence upon the Dragon Kajii (as in
the case of Yamantaka) may be noted here: in the afternoon assemblies
and in the "house of the Lord" they address their prayers as
well to the traditional Nyingma protector, the Four-headed Lord.
Indeed, the Dragon Kajii share the entire panoply of "ancient"
guardians, who lie completely outside the range of the Mahakala type
and incorporate into the pantheon the native gods of Tibet. Here
we find the protectress and "guardian of mantras" Ekajata, the
goddess "with a single plait of hair," one-eyed, one-toothed, sometimes
one-breasted; the god Za, half a serpent, covered with a thousand
eyes, a fierce face gaping from his belly; and Damchen Doje