Dharmapala

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For other uses, see Dharmapala (disambiguation).
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A dharmapāla (

wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "dharma protector" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of dharmapala, Worldly Guardians (lokapala) and Wisdom Protectors (jnanapala). Only Wisdom Protectors are enlightened beings.[2]

Description

A protector of Buddhist

Aṣṭagatyaḥ (the eight kinds of nonhuman beings) is one category of dharmapālas, which includes the Garuda, Deva, Naga, Yaksha, Gandharva, Asura, Kinnara, and Mahoraga.[3]

In Vajrayana iconography and thangka depictions, dharmapala are fearsome beings, often with many heads, many hands, or many feet. Dharmapala often have blue, black, or red skin, and a fierce expression with protruding fangs. Although dharmapala have a terrifying appearance, they only act in a wrathful way for the benefit of sentient beings.

The devotional worship of dharmapālas in the Tibetan tradition is traceable to early 8th-century.[3]

Tibetan Buddhism

Mahākāla
)

There are many different dharmapalas in

Avalokiteshvara.[citation needed] Kalarupa and Yamantaka are considered by practitioners to be emanations of Manjushri[citation needed] the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
.

Principal wisdom protector dharmapalas include:[citation needed]

Other dharmapalas include:[citation needed]

The main functions of a dharmapāla are said to be to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent spiritual practitioners from attaining spiritual realizations, as well as to foster the necessary conditions for their practice.[4]

Chinese Buddhism

In Chinese Buddhism, the Twenty-Four Protective Deities or the Twenty-Four Devas (Chinese: 二十四諸天; pinyin: Èrshísì Zhūtiān) are a group of gods who are venerated as dharmapālas. In addition, Wisdom Kings such as Acala, Ucchusma, Mahamayuri, and Hayagriva are venerated as dharmapālas as well.

Shingon Buddhism

In Japanese

Tangmi, or Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, dharmapālas such as Acala and Yamantaka are classified as Wisdom Kings. Other dharmapālas, notably Mahakala, belong to the Deva realm
, the fourth and lowest class in the hierarchy of honorable beings.

Related deities

In Tibetan Buddhism, there are two other classes of defender, the lokapālas and Kshetrapala Papiya.[5] Guan Yu and Hachiman are also known as defenders.

See also

References

  1. ^ 「梵天帝釋二大天王 日本國中大小神祇 諸天善神 諸大眷屬」（般若心經奉讚文）
  2. ^ Buddhist Protectors, Wisdom Deities: Dharmapalas at Himalayan Art Resource
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-948006-56-2
  5. ^ 曼荼羅 GIALABA

Bibliography

External links

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