Balaha

Balaha (Tib. བ་ལ་ཧ་, Wyl. ba la ha) or Balahaka or Valaha is the fabulous, talking and flying white king of horses, who is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. He is also one of the past incarnations of Buddha Shakyamuni. His story is told in the Valahassa Jataka. It bears a wish-fulfilling jewel on its back, and is drawn at the centre of windhorse flags.

Further Reading

• Reference to Balaha is made in Chandrakirti's commentary to Aryadeva's Four Hundred Verses
• The story of Avalokiteshvara's manifestation as Balaha is also told in chapter six of The Clear Mirror: A Royal Geneaology by Sakyapa Sönam Gyaltsen.
• Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Karma Chakme’s Mountain Dharma, vol 4, Ch. 5 Riding the Supreme Steed Balaha: Reaching a Pure Realm, 2010