In Buddhism, the eagle is considered to be the riding bird of Buddha Amoghasiddha. The eagle, like the garuda, symbolized the mind, following the path of enlightenment. In many cultures, the eagle appears as a messenger, and in the works of N.K. and E.I. Roerich, the eagle is a symbol of the coming era of Maitreya, which Nikolay Roerich reflected later in the painting "The Order of the Teacher". Perhaps, the view of the Buddhist caves, among which eagles and vultures flew, suggested to the artist the scene of the painting. "On the mountain roads to Khotanu, we saw several caves that used to be the abodes of Buddhist hermits. Sometimes, their dark holes loomed on steep cliffs, so that there was no approach to them. During earthquakes and landslides, all steps have disappeared, and now these hidings have remained in the air, sharing their secrets only with eagles and vultures".
N. Roerich. Remains.
In the picture we see one of the teachers of the Gelug school, probably, Atisha or Tsong-Kha-Pa, sitting in meditation with a bowl.