Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Chakrasamvara (Buddhist Deity) - Sahaja Heruka

འཁོར་ལོ་བདེ་མཆོག། ནང་ལྷ། 勝樂金剛 (全图)
(item no. 65438)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1300 - 1399
Lineages Buddhist
Material Metal
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Semi-Peaceful

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Chakrasamvara Sahaja Heruka (Tibetan: khor lo dem chog, English: Wheel of Supreme Bliss): the foremost meditational deity of the Wisdom-mother classification of Anuttarayoga Tantra of Tantric Buddhism.

Tibetan: Khor lo dem chog

"Chakrasamvara, blue in colour, the right foot is extended pressing on red Kalaratri and the left drawn in [pressing] on black Bhairava. With one face and two hands, three eyes, the right hand holds a vajra and the left a bell; embracing the consort, with a crown of five dry human heads as a crown, a necklace of fifty wet, and adorned with the six bone ornaments. [Chakrasamvara is] embraced by the consort Vajravarahi, red in colour, with one face and two hands. The right hand holds a curved knife pointed to the ten directions. The left holds a skullcup filled with the five nectars and embraces the Father. [She is] adorned with a crown of five dry human heads, a [necklace] of fifty dry [heads] and the five bone ornaments." (Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892).

The meditational deity Chakrasamvara is common to all the New Schools of Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhism (Sarma: Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug). Within the Gelug School the deity is commonly referred to as Heruka. Among the many different forms and mandalas of practice, this form with one face and two hands entered Tibet with the great translator Rinchen Zangpo in the 11th century.

Jeff Watt 9-2006

The Sensuous Immortals. P.Pal. LACMA, 1977.

Secondary Images
Related Items
Publications
Publication: Selection of Works - Sculpture (RMA)

Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara Iconography
Sculpture: Metal
Subject: Art Evaluation Criteria (Sculpture)
Collection of RMA: Sculpture Masterworks Page
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Info
Collection of RMA: Videos
Subject: Heruka Meaning & Forms
Subject: Semi-peaceful/Semi-wrathful Appearance
Sculpture: Famous Works
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara (Sculpture Masterworks Miscellaneous)
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Collection of RMA: Best of Collection (Sculpture)
Subject: Wrathful Ornaments (Scarf)
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Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara, Heruka (Sculpture Masterworks)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Sculpture (Gallery 1)
Sculpture: Main Page (Three-dimensional Art)
Tibet: Densatil (Masterworks)
HAR: Types of Art
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Sculpture Main Page
Collection of RMA: Best of Collection 1
Collection of RMA: Selected Sculpture
Tibet: Densatil Monastery Style Sculpture
Collection of Jourdan-Barry
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara, Heruka
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara (Sculpture)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Densatil Sculpture