Garuda: The King of Birds and Maitreya’s Mount
The provided materials focus primarily on the fact that Garuda—the king of birds—is the mount of Maitreya in Buddhist mythology. For example, one source explains: "Let’s start with Buddhism. ... This is because Garuda is the vahana (mount) of Maitreya. Garuda is the king of birds. In Buddhist mythology, Garuda is a huge bird, constantly at war with snakes..." (source: link txt)Another source also notes: "Regarding speculations about the 'white horse,' one can say the following: in Buddhism, Maitreya is not depicted riding a white horse... This is because Garuda is the vahana (mount) of Maitreya. Garuda is the king of birds..." (source: link txt)However, none of the presented quotes mention the concept of tat-purusha or provide an explanation for the association of Garuda specifically with this concept. Thus, according to the available data, the connection between Garuda and tat-purusha is not clarified, and the reason for such an association is not explained in the provided sources.Supporting citation(s):"Let’s start with Buddhism. ... This is because Garuda is the vahana (mount) of Maitreya. Garuda is the king of birds. In Buddhist mythology, Garuda is a huge bird, constantly at war with snakes..." (source: link txt)"Regarding speculations about the 'white horse,' one can say the following: in Buddhism, Maitreya is not depicted riding a white horse... This is because Garuda is the vahana (mount) of Maitreya. Garuda is the king of birds..." (source: link txt)