Protectors
In Himalayan Buddhism, besides the deities, there are references to a spirit world. From such a Template:Wiki, there are three kinds of beings known as protectors. They are called in Sanskrit, Dharmapalas, lokapalas and kshetrapalas. That is, the Template:Wiki beings sworn to support and Template:Wiki the Buddha's Doctrine, the worldly-protectors who guard the directions and the wealth of the world, and the regional or field-protectors. The latter are believed to be attached to physical surroundings such as the places we live.
Advice regarding the class of deities called Protectors.
Wrathful Forms
People who are not accustomed to the "language" of Tibetan Buddhist images are often surprised to see the wrathful deities for the first time.
One category of these is the herukas, a class of Vajrayana deities such as Chakrasamvara that is semi-wrathful with intimidating, even terrible, Template:Wiki. They are represented as partially nude with an upper garment of human Template:Wiki and a Template:Wiki Template:Wiki around their hips. They have a 5-skull headdress and carry bone Template:Wiki, a staff or trident and a Damaru (pellet drum) like the Hindu god, Shiva. Herukas are described in Tibetan books as beautiful, heroic, awe-inspiring, stern and majestic.
From Judith Simmer-Brown's, Dakini's Warm Breath: The Template:Wiki Principle in Tibetan Buddhism (Boston & Template:Wiki: Shambhala Pub., 2001,) 154-156:
"The heruka (tRak-thung) is a Template:Wiki deity, wrathful or semiwrathful, who represents the dynamic of compassion and skillful means in Tibetan tantra. The heruka traces its origin to the same pre-Buddhist traditions of India as the Dakini, in the Template:Wiki of wrathful Template:Wiki or Mahakala in which he served as Template:Wiki Template:Wiki.
Heruka literally means "blood-drinker," and in a Tantric Buddhist setting this refers to drinking the Template:Wiki of self-cherishing, doubt, and dualistic Template:Wiki.* The tantric interpretation of the term heruka derives a further meaning: his Template:Wiki is beyond conventional cause and effect, existence, and duality. He is the ultimate expression of the radiantly selfless qualities of the mind. Having drunk the Template:Wiki, the heruka experiences bliss. He is fearlessly at home in the Charnel ground, and under his gaze it is no longer merely charnel -- it is a palace.
"The heruka is depicted with nine classical moods (Kartap gu) which gives clues about his manifestation. He is said to be charming, with dazzling ornaments; brave, posing and strutting; threatening, with rolling eyes and a wrathful grimace; laughing, a raucous "ha ha"; fierce, with laughter that mocks, "hi, hi, hum, phat"; fearsome, grinding his Template:Wiki and brandishing a weapon; compassionate; with bloodshot eyes and radiant Template:Wiki; outrageous, with gaping Template:Wiki and clicking Template:Wiki; and peaceful, gently gazing at the tip of his Template:Wiki.** The heruka embodies the mountain-like presence of the enlightened Template:Wiki principle in Vajrayana Buddhism, with its range of fierce, hearty, and gentle qualities."
- Template:Wiki (trak) was considered horribly unclean as the rasa of another human being that could pollute one's family line for generations. The "blood-drinker" would ordinarily be unimaginable Template:Wiki.
- This refers in a summary way to the "nine moods of the heruka" in a commentary by Tsewang Kunkhyap, a disciple of Situ Pema Nyinje. Summarized in Chogyam Trungpa's, Sacred Outlook: The Vajrayogini Shrine and Practice, 1982, and in Herbert Guenther's The Life and Teachings of Naropa, 1963.
- This refers in a summary way to the "nine moods of the heruka" in a commentary by Tsewang Kunkhyap, a disciple of Situ Pema Nyinje. Summarized in Chogyam Trungpa's, Sacred Outlook: The Vajrayogini Shrine and Practice, 1982, and in Herbert Guenther's The Life and Teachings of Naropa, 1963.
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Eight Dharmapalas
The eight Dharmapalas, Protectors of the teaching of the Buddhas, have this appearance but in fact they are bodhisattvas -- embodiments of compassion that can manifest out of Emptiness to act in an extremely wrathful way for the sake of Sentient beings. [link is to Nitin's newsletter of Feb. 2001.]
Called in Tibetan, Drag-ched, the Dharmapalas or defenders of Buddhism, are the 8 bodhisattvas: Mahakala, Yamantaka, Kubera, Hayagriva, Palden Lhamo, Changpa, Yama, and Begtse.
Tantric texts describe the very wrathful deities as Template:Wiki. Stout with short but very strong limbs, many have several heads, hands and feet. Their complexions are likened to storm clouds, metals or precious stones: Black as the "cloud which appears at the end of a kalpa,” or “like a mountain of Template:Wiki” or like pure Template:Wiki; of a red as "when the Template:Wiki rises and its rays strike a huge mountain of coral.”
Their Template:Wiki is oiled with sesame in the fashion of Template:Wiki times, or is dusted like that of a sadhu with ashes from a funeral pyre. More horribly, it is covered with spots of Template:Wiki and shiny specks of human fat.
They grimace fiercely with a maw from which protrude fangs of Template:Wiki or Template:Wiki. Often, in profile view the upper Template:Wiki gnash the lower lip. A miasma of Template:Wiki may issue from their mouths; a storm from flattened nostrils. They glower with three bulging, bloodshot eyes.
Mahakala (Great Dark One) is the name given to a number of the wrathful forms, mainly of Chenrezig. But not all wrathful forms of Chenrezig are Mahakala.
The details of Mahakala's form depend on the different lineages and situation contexts. There are several six-armed ones characteristic of the Dharma protector, and there are also four-armed and two-armed ones.
:: white or Sita, Mahakala (Gonpo Karpo.)
As protectors of the different teaching lineages, there are: two-armed, big-mouthed Mahakala Bernachen of the Karma Kagyu, four-armed Mahakala, protector of the Drikung Kagyu, and Gelugpa six-armed Mahakala.
Changpa Karpo (White Brahma) is the Buddhist view of Brahma. In this context, the usually 4-faced, 4-armed deity of Template:Wiki is here mounted on a white horse, brandishing a sword. He is a "defender of the faith" and does not usually have the fearsome attributes of the others. His head-dress is topped by a conch shell jewel and over his robes he wears Mongolian armor.
One Hindu belief is that Brahma had designs on his own daughter, though she managed always to place herself above his four heads so he could not get at her. However, tradition says he did commit incest, and that is why there is only one temple in India remaining to him. At Pushkar in Template:Wiki, it is still one of the most sacred spots.
The Tibetan Buddhist account has a similar motif:
Changpa Karpo rode a wondrous horse that sailed the sky during the day, but at night descended to earth. Once, while in the heavens, he seduced a goddess named Dhersang, and stole a wish-fulfilling jewel. The guardians of heaven grabbed him by his Template:Wiki, flung him to the ground, and took back the jewel along with his very heart.
This naturally resulted in an Template:Wiki in his viciousness -- he murdered men and raped women. He met his match in Ekajati, who when he tried to Template:Wiki her, whipped him so hard on his thigh with her turquoise-bedecked Template:Wiki undergarment that he became Template:Wiki.
This wound, similar to that received by Jacob in the Template:Wiki when he wrestled with the Template:Wiki, transformed "The White King" into a protector or Dharmapala.
Beg-tse or Baiktse (The Master of War) emerged as a Dharmapala after the Template:Wiki under Template:Wiki took Refuge in 1577 via the teachings of the Third Dalai Lama.
Like Changpo Karpo, he is also depicted mounted and in armour. With his right hand he brandishes his scorpion-hilt sword, his left hand clutching his bow is raised to his Template:Wiki as he is about to eat the heart of an enemy.
Hevajra is also known as Heruka, who some consider a form of Chakrasamvara. As Shastradhara, (Weapon-wielder,) he is portrayed in Template:Wiki with his consort, Nairatmya (Self-less.) They display sixteen items, each a Template:Wiki for overcoming Template:Wiki to Awakening. They are: a hook, trident, staff, cup, wheel, arrow, sword, vajra, lasso, gesture of subjugation (tarjani mudra), jewel, skull cup, Template:Wiki staff, bow, lotus, and bell.
Vajrabhairava seems derived from Indian god Shiva in his fierce form of Bhairava (Terrifier.) To Buddhists, this dark bull-headed figure has become Yamantaka, Dorje Jigche (Jigji) the Death-Slayer, who is a fierce form of the gentle Mañjusri, one of the Buddha's disciples. Fearsome in appearance though they be, all of these deities are manifestations of Compassion.
Some Template:Wiki Buddhist deities are particular to that Template:Wiki such as Mahasamber, The Great Defender, a form of Chakrasamvara:
He has seventeen heads in five rows, four in each row and one at the top. The main head of the four in each row faces the front and is blue on the right and green on the left. The heads on the blue side are yellow and the pairs of heads on the green side are blue, green and red. The heads are larger at the bottom and smaller at the top. All the faces are Template:Wiki, ie square shaped with three bulging eyes, heavy eyebrows, gaping mouths and fangs. The Template:Wiki division of the main faces is continued all the way down the body, the right half being blue, the left half green. he has two sets of 17 and 18 arms, ie making 70 arms. Each of Maha Sambara’s feet has six toes and he stands with Template:Wiki astride in alidhasana.
There are also four main arms, besides the four with which he embraces his consort, Vajravarahi.
Nila (midnight blue) Vajravidarana is a manifestation of ultimate Wisdom who is evoked to exorcise evil from Template:Wiki and from nations that arise from inner Template:Wiki. "From the sky of all Buddhas' Wisdom and love, you arise like a band of Template:Wiki summer clouds. Able to shower the rain of healing, nourishing, controlling, and liberating deeds -- I salute you, glorious lord of the fierce!"
Ucchusma (Ususama Myo'o) is a Japanese protector.
Overcoming Hindrances
There is a category of wrathful deities who are believed to help in the removal of obstructions or Template:Wiki. An example of one of these is The Immovable, Achala (or, Acala. Tib.: Mi yo wa, Jap.: Fudo.)
Transmuting Emotion
Ragaraja ( Jap.: Aizen Myo-o) is a Buddhist tantric deity practiced in Japan who is believed to act in such a way as to transform negative habits associated with desire.
In Template:Wiki Form
Gorgeous figure of Palden Lhamo ( Glenbow Museum, Calgary.) Photo by Darquinn.
In her extensive entourage (not depicted) are the 5 Long Life Sisters, along with the Protectrices or 12 Tenma.
Rachigma is described as acting out of wrathful compassion like a mother grabbing her child out of the way of traffic. She is only called upon in the most desperate situations.
Troma (Tronyer Chenma) is a dark Dakini used in a form of the Chod practice.
Other wrathful protectors will be found in Female deities linked below.
Visit Making Offerings for an account of procedures concerning ritual practices of wrathful deities.
Attributes of Wrathful Deities
Some of the attributes (symbolic implements) wielded by Dharmapalas such as Mahakala and other wrathful manifestations can include:
Sword (T. rtse-mdun, Skt. khadga) symbolizes the Wisdom, knowledge or ability to cut through delusion or Template:Wiki.
Flags, standards and banners (Skt. dhvaja) which represent the victory of Buddhist teaching over delusion.
An elephant goad or ankh (Skt. ankusa) for taming desires.
Spears (T. mdun) that fix or pin down.
Hammer (Skt. mudgara) mace or club (Skt. gada) that crush opposition.
Bow (Skt. ripa) and arrows (Skt.sara): action at a distance.
Vajra staff (Skt. vajradanda)
Trident (T. rtse-gsum, Skt. trishula) symbolizing the Three Jewels.
Lasso (Skt. pasa) that constrains negative forces.
~ Mirrors of the Heart-mind at Kaladarshan Arts, Ohio State U. No longer accessible.
Different teachers give variant explanations for these weapons or tools.
The Lokapalas
A belief in Four Guardian Kings defending the Dharma at the quarters of the Template:Wiki arose in association with the early sutras and is common in the Mahayana including Himalayan Buddhism.
The fiercest of the four is the blue, pop-eyed, sword-wielding protector of the South, Virudhaka (Tib. phag pa'i kye po.) He is leader of the Kumbhanda, a class of "titan," or ashura, the opponents of the Indian gods. To some Template:Wiki, he resembles, GuanDi, the "Heavenly General" of the Template:Wiki, but like the other Kings: Vaishravana (or his sometime Template:Wiki Kuvera, Lord of Wealth,) Virupaksha, and Dritarashtra, he is sworn to the protection of the Dharma of Buddha Shakyamuni.
There is a tradition that Virudhaka was the actual name of the King of Kosala, who defeated the Sakyas in a Template:Wiki that was followed by a massacre. In Template:Wiki, he is called Zeng-zhang; in Japanese, Zocho.
In the Template:Wiki tradition, East is usually at the top of a chart, diagram or mandala. Normally we would begin there and continue Template:Wiki, but as we have already discussed the Protector of the South, we will continue Template:Wiki and go to the West.
Red, Virupaksha, (Tib. Mig midang) King of the West, is depicted as a Naga or with a Template:Wiki coiling around him; in China he is called Guangmu. Komoku, in Japanese.
Green, Vaishravana, King of the North, holds an umbrella (as Kubera, he is golden, in association with wealth.) A Template:Wiki source gives his Sanskrit name as Dhanada (Bestower) and as such he is known as Duowen. Then, his animal is considered an ermine or "snow weasel." In Japan, he is called Bishamon or Tamon.
White, lute-playing Dhritarashtra, (Tib. Yul Khorsung) King of the East is called Chiguo in Template:Wiki. Jikoku, in Japanese.
Chapter XXI of The Lotus Sutra includes the dharani of protection associated with each of the 4 Guardians. These "Template:Wiki" are helpful only in the context of Universal Compassion, since they include the Template:Wiki of companies of wrathful Dakinis.