关公曾被藏传佛教格鲁派四大活佛之一的章嘉国师认定为智慧护法，并有修持仪轨收录于土观？洛桑曲吉尼玛的著作《三界伏魔大帝关云长之历史和祈供法？激励事业雨流之雷声》中。据此仪轨记载，关公曾是密宗本尊马头明王之眷属红面狱主，又称红司命主；也曾示现过藏地护法“尚论多杰东都”等很多护法形象。
关公在汉传佛教中被奉为伽蓝菩萨，即寺院和守护城关的神。藏传佛教则认为他是密宗护法赤东赞的化身，道教尊之为关圣帝君，并赋予司财的职能。
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Guan Yu (died 220) is a Chinese General from the Eastern Han Dynaty that became deified and absorbed into folk Buddhism and Taoism. As a subject in Himalayan style art, he was primarily popularized in the 18th century by Changkya Rolpai Dorje (1717-1786).
