Buddhist Creatures

Buddhist settings frame creatures as guardians of shrines, protectors of doctrine, guides at bridges and caves, and tempters who test compassion and discipline. Iconography shows parasols, wheels, jewels, flames of insight, and lotus seats that mark authority and sanctuary. Stories from sutras, commentaries, and jataka cycles record encounters on mountains, riverbanks, and city gates. Cards explain roles within pilgrimage, relic veneration, and monastic life and how beings mediate vows, oaths, and safe travel. Transliteration follows IAST and regional forms with notes on hybrid terms from trade and translation. Browse tiles by function, place type, or narrative genre and open entries for sources and images.