Mahamayuri

Cave 155, 1126 AD
Beishan Grottoes

Mahamayuri is one of five Wisdom Kings (Skt. Vidyarajas, Jp. Myo-o, Ch. Mingwang), esoteric deities who protect the Buddhas. Generally these deities are fierce and male; Mahamayuri, benign and sometimes female, is the exception. His vehicle is the peacock; in this cave, he is surrounded by a Thousand-Buddha Motif that expresses the omnipresence of the Buddha.