Deities of the three seats

The forty-two deities peaceful deities of the three seats or categories (Tib. den sum tsangwé kyilkhor; Wyl. gdan gsum tshang ba'i dkyil 'khor or gdan gsum tshang ba) are as follows:

1. the aggregates (skandhas) and elements (dhatus) are the seats of the five male and five female buddhas, and is called the seat of the buddhas;
2. the sense faculties and their objects are the seats of the eight male and the eight female bodhisattvas together with the six munis, and is called the seat of the bodhisattvas;
3. the limbs are the seats of the male and female wrathful deities, or the four male and the four female gatekeepers (who are part of the forty-two peaceful deities even though they are in a wrathful form), and is called the seat of the wrathful deities.

Alternative Terms/Translations

• mandala of the three bases of completeness (Erik Pema Kunsang)
• or three seats of completeness