Item: Vajrasattva (Buddhist Deity) - White (with consort)

Vajrasattva with consort (Tibetan: dor je sem pa yab yum. English: Vajra Hero Father-Mother), the buddha of purification, essence of all the peaceful Buddha Families.

Sanskrit: Vajrasattva Tibetan: Dor je sem pa

Tathagata Vajrasattva is white in colour with one face and two hands holding in the right an upright gold vajra to the heart and with the left an upturned vajra handled bell at the left hip. Adorned with a gold crown, earrings and jewel ornaments he wears a blue-orange silk scarf and various coloured silks as a lower garment. With the back swaying slightly to the left Vajrasattva has both legs placed in vajra posture with the consort Vajradhatu-ishvari (Tib.: dor je ying wang chug ma, also known as dor je nye ma, Skt.: Vajra Garvi) seated in the lap. With one face and two hands, a colour naturally pinkish in appearance, she embraces the Lord with a curved knife in the right hand and a skullcup in the left; adorned with jewels and silks.

The faces are framed by a bright red areola and from the body fine rays of alternating patterns radiate out to form a nimbus of rainbow light. Both are seated on a moon disc above a multi-coloured lotus blossom sprung from a green fertile earth strewn with precious objects and wish-fulfilling jewels.

At the top right corner dark swirling clouds rain down with showers of wishing jewels and ornaments of gold as offerings to Vajrasattva Father-Mother.

"To the divine illusion of the clear light of pristine awareness blazing with the glorious complete marks and examples of the spontaneous three bodies of perfect buddhahood; to Vajrasattva I bow." (Nyingma liturgical text).

In the Sarma Schools this form of Vajrasattva with consort arises from the class of Anuttarayoga Tantra, specifically from the Abhidhanottara Tantra 25th chapter, and is known as Heruka Vajrasattva. As the inner form of the buddha Vajradhara he represents all the peaceful buddha families. In the Nyingma Tradition Vajrasattva is an important tutelary deity with many Kama (oral) and Terma (treasure) traditions.

Jeff Watt 9-98