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Naga Thai Buddha Measures 5" x 2 3/4" x 1 1/2" Traditions about nagas are very common in all the Buddhist countries of Asia. In many countries, the naga concept has been merged with local traditions of large and intelligent serpents or dragons. In Tibet, the naga was equated with the klu (pronounced lu), spirits that dwell in lakes or underground streams and guard treasure. In China, the naga was equated with the laoacuteang or Chinese dragon. The Buddhist naga generally has the form of a large cobra-like snake, usually with a single head but sometimes with many. At least some of the nagas are capable of using magic powers to transform themselves into a human semblance. In Buddhist painting, the naga is sometimes portrayed as a human being with a snake or dragon extending over his head. One naga, in human form, attempted to become a monk; when telling it that such ordination was impossible, the Buddha told it how to ensure that it would be reborn a man, able to become a monk. Gigantic naga protecting Buddha amongst the other sculptures of Bunleua Sulilat's Sala Keoku. Gigantic naga protecting Buddha amongst the other sculptures of Bunleua Sulilat's Sala Keoku. Nagas are believed to both live on Mount Sumeru, among the other minor deities, and in various parts of the human-inhabited earth. Some of them are water-dwellers, living in rivers or the ocean; others are earth-dwellers, living in underground caverns. Some of them sleep on top of anthills. Their food includes frogs and they love milk.[citation needed] The nagas are the servants of Virupaksa (Pali: Virupakkha), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guards the western direction. They act as a guard upon Mount Sumeru, protecting the devas of Trayastrimsa from attack by the Asuras. Among the notable nagas of Buddhist tradition is Mucalinda, protector of the Buddha. In the Vajrayana and Mahasiddha Traditions many notable fully-enlightened naga also transmitted and/or transported terma into and out of the human realm that had been elementally encoded by adepts.

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