Wrathful deities
In
Overview
In non-Tantric traditions of
In Tantric Buddhist art, fierce deities are presented as terrifying, demonic-looking beings adorned with bone ornaments (
They often carry ritual implements, or some of the ashtamangala, or "Eight Auspicious Symbols", and are depicted trampling on (much smaller) bodies personifying the "obstacles" that the deity defeats.
Tantric deities
Yidams
In Indo-Tibetan
Gallery
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Yamantaka, also known as Vajrabhairava.
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Ekajati, also known as Blue Tara or Ugra Tara.
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yab-yumwith consort
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DancingVajravarahi(Dorje Pagmo)
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The Herukas of theGuhyagarbha Tantra
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Kalachakra statue
Wisdom Kings
In
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Acala, "The Immovable One"—manifestation of Buddha Mahavairocana
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Vajrayaksa, "The Devourer of Demons"—manifestation of Buddha Amoghasiddhi
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Vajrabhairava, "The Defeater of Death"—manifestation of Buddha Amitābha
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The Wisdom king Kundali, "The Dispenser of Heavenly Nectar"—manifestation of Buddha Ratnasambhava
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Trailokyavijaya, "The Conqueror of The Three Planes"—manifestation of Buddha Akshobhya
Protectors
The Protectors (Sanskrit pāla) or Dharmapāla (Dharma protectors), are powerful beings, often Devas or Bodhisattvas who protect the Buddhist religion and community from inner and outer threats and obstacles to their practice.[16] A Dharmapala can also be a Garuda, Nāga, Yaksha, Gandharva, or Asura.[17] Other categories of Protectors include the Lokapālas or "Four Heavenly Kings" and Kṣetrapālas or "Protectors of the Region".
Eight Dharmapalas
A common Tibetan grouping of Dharmapāla is 'The Eight Dharmapalas' (Tibetan: དྲག་གཤེད, Wylie: drag gshed), who are understood to be the defenders of Buddhism. They are supernatural beings with the rank of bodhisattva who "are supposed to wage war without any mercy against the demons and enemies of Buddhism".[18] The Eight Dharmapala are:[19]
- Yama, the god of death
- Mahakala, the Great Black One
- Yamantaka, the conqueror of death
- Vaiśravaṇa or Kubera, the god of wealth
- Hayagriva, the Horse-necked one
- Palden Lhamo, female protectress of Tibet
- White Brahmaor Tshangs pa
- Begtse, a war god from Mongolia.
Gallery
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Todaiji
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A thai depiction of Vaiśravaṇa (Vessavana).
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Ganapati
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Yama, lord of death
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Hayagriva, the "horse-necked"
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Rahula, an oath-bound protector of Dzogchen
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Virūpāksa—King of the West, one of the Four Heavenly Kings at Wolijeongsa, Korea
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Dharmapala (Hộ pháp in Vietnamese) statue at Bút Tháp Temple, Vietnam
See also
- Buddhist deities
- Chinese mythology
- Hindu mythology
- Japanese mythology
- Korean mythology
- Vietnamese mythology
- Tibetan art
References
- ^ a b Linrothe 1999, p. 12.
- ^ Linrothe 1999, p. x.
- ^ Linrothe 1999, p. 13.
- ^ Linrothe 1999, p. 25.
- ISBN 978-0-307-78402-5.
- ^ "Berzin, Alexander; Making Sense of Tantra". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ Linrothe 1999, p. xi.
- ^ Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.
- ^ Linrothe 1999, pp. xi–xii.
- ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
- ^ "Wrathful Deities". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ISBN 0-8239-2240-5.
- ]
- S2CID 164236937.
- ProQuest 1422026705.[page needed]
- ISBN 978-0-948006-56-2
- ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
- ^ "Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology". February 2001. Archived from the original on 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ISBN 978-0-89281-918-8.[page needed]
Sources
- Linrothe, Robert N. (1999). Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art. Serindia. ISBN 978-0-906026-51-9.
External links
- Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism—Aesthetics and Mythology
- Wrathful Deities
- Sacred visions : early paintings from central Tibet, fully digitized text from The Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries