A Refuge Field is a particular type of thangka painting composition that arranges the most important teachers and deities of a particular Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Called also Field of accumulation of merit or refuge tree, the Refuge Fields thangkas are the basis for visualization and meditation practice common to Tantric Buddhism. The function of a Refuge Field is to be a reminder for the devotee of all of the most sacred deities and objects belonging to the tradition.

In this thangka painting Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava with his consort are the central figures of the Refuge Field of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism according to the Longchen Nyingtig practices as taught by Jigme Lingpa.
This field of accumulation of merit was explained in detail by Patrul Rinpoche in the famous text The Words of My Perfect Teacher.
Several refuge field compositions of this lineage were also designed by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Padmasambhava and his consorts are at the center of the composition. Guru Rinpoche embraces Yeshe Tsogyal in yab-yum. Above them Mandarava and on the sides Shakyadevi and Kalasiddhi.
Seated above the center of the thangka are the lineage most important deities and Lamas with Buddha Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri on the very top.
Seated on the left and right upper part are the Nyingma lineage teachers. On the left are the the bodhisattvas of the Sangha and on the right are the disciples (shravaka) followers.
Several meditational deities and protectors depicted on the bottom complete the composition.