Nyingma Protectors Outline Page
Jonang Protectors Outline Page
Gelug Protectors Outline Page
Protector Deities Main Page
Wrathful Deities Page
Wisdom Deity Protectors Page
Worldly Deities Protector Page
Protectors That Are Not Wrathful
Wrathful Deities That Are Not Protectors
Wisdom Protectors That Can Also Be Ishtadevata
Worldly Deities Considered by Some as Wisdom Deities
Common Confusions Concerning Protectors
The designation of 'Protector Deity' is common within the Buddhist and Bon religions of the Tibetan and Himalayan regions. The term is one designation in a rather fluid yet elaborate set of religious hierarchies in the various pantheons. (See the Protector Deities: Traditions & Schools Outline Page. Many additional pages have been both added and updated).
There are two basic types of Protector Deity, 1. worldly and 2. beyond worldly. The latter is typically called wisdom or enlightened protector, meaning that they are beyond samsara or worldly existence. How this actually works is for example the Buddhist protector deity Mahakala - Mahakala is a wrathful form of the primordial Buddha Vajradhara - therfore he is enlightened. In various other forms Mahakala can be an emanation of Akshobhya Buddha or any number of other Buddhas. The three main Anuttarayoga Tantra deities of Hevajra, Chakrasamvara and Guhyasamaja each have a specific Mahakala associated with the particular tantra such as: Panjara Mahakala - Panjarnata Tantra (Hevajra), Chaturmukha Mahakala - Guhyasamaja Tantra and the Chaturbhuja Mahakala associated with the various Chakrasamvara Tantras. The same system of logic and textual sources applies to Shri Devi.
Worldly protectors are not enlightened and not considered completely trustworthy. There is a bias in Tibetan Buddhism to treat all or almost all protectors coming from India to be wisdom protectors. The exception here are the Four Guardian Kings and what might be considered the traditional Hindu Gods, often referred to in the Tantras as worldly gods, or protectors.
Numerous mountain gods and indigenous Tibetan and Himalayan deities (often claimed by the Bon Religion) have been incorporated into the Tantric Buddhist pantheon as worldly deities with the function of a protector. Their job is to safe-guard Buddhism in general, geographic regions, specific monasteries, religious traditions or even a specific text as in the Nyingma 'Treasure' Tradition.
Amongst the group of protector deities of the Bon Religion (bon skyongs srung ma) it is said that only Sipai Gyalmo is regarded as an enlightened deity. All of the rest are classified as worldly deities. Sipai Gyalmo is the wrathful aspect of Satrig Ersang (Sherab Chamma), one of the Four Transcendent Lords of the Bon Pantheon and foremost deity/god of the Bon Religion.
The most important group or set of guardians of Bon are known as the Three Protectors, Ma, Du, Tsen: meaning the female protector Sipai Gyalmo, Midud, male, who rides atop an otter and Tsen Apse, male, red in colour, in the appearance of a warrior. The protectors listed are only the most important or most common as found in art. There are many other special protectors unique to specific practice cycles such as the Tiger-face Protector unique to the deity Tagla Membar pictured on the Outline Page.
It is with a very sad heart that I announce that Gene Smith has passed away, Thursday, December the 16th, 2010. I have known of Gene through his writings and publications since 1973, visited his home in New Delhi, India, in 1980 and worked closely with him since 2001 to the present in New York City.
What always struck me most about Gene was his drive to not have students undergo the difficulties that he went through in learning and studying Tibetan literature and associated subjects. This is what was close between us and came up most often in conversation, the next generation - the future - making the literature and tools accessible. Gene and I shared a very important teacher, Dezhung Rinpoche Lungrig Tenpai Nyima. Dezhung Rinpoche was maybe the most important influence for what was to become the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center, the second crowning jewel of Gene's career. The first great accomplishment, the first great crowning jewel, was of course the publication of thousands upon thousands of rare Tibetan texts and manuscripts while he worked in the New Delhi office of the U.S. Library of Congress.
As just one individual, Gene has been the most important single figure in the last half century working for the preservation of Tibetan literature. Gene has been the singular figure to galvanize the most important Tibetan scholars in the last 45 years in the preservation of Tibetan literature. In a half century, again, Gene has been the most important single figure to tirelessly work for the literary culture of Tibet and the Himalayan regions - to publish, to modernize, to digitize and to electronically archive for the present and future generations. Gene was truly a man suited for his time, an individual that accomplished what he set out to accomplish, responding to the needs of others. His passing is not a time for sadness but a time to celebrate the truly enormous accomplishment of his life that has benefited so many of us and in so many ways.
Jeff Watt
Director & Chief Curator
Himalayan Art Resources
Footprints of the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339): belonging to the Karmapa incarnation lineage of the Karma Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The footprints are accompanied by the early Marpa Kagyu lineage, predecessors to the Karma Kagyu (Kamtsang) lineage, along with Buddhas, protectors and wealth deities.
This painting is an early Tibetan depiction of Manjushri as the leader of the Three Lords a popular grouping of the bodhisattvas Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani. The Seven Buddhas of the Past are depicted in the top register along with eight different forms of Manjushri placed throughout the composition.
Manjushri is a popular Buddhist figure commonly represented in art. He first arises from the Mahayana Sutra literature where he is regarded as a bodhisattva, a principal student of the Buddha, specializing in the subject of wisdom.
In the Tantric literature of Northern Buddhism he is seen as a completely enlightened Buddha with a great number of manifestations and appearances spanning all classes of Tantra. He can appear both simple or complex in form. All of these various forms function as Tantric meditational deities. (View more of the various forms of Manjushri as a Tantric deity).
A new Vajrayogini Outline Page for the Naropa Tradition has been added to the site. Numerous specialty pages have been added along with new images both painting and sculpture.
The Textiles Outline Page has been updated as have many of the individual types pages such as applique, embroidery and weaving. (See the Outline Page).
There are three main types of textile art: embroidery, weaving and applique. Often the embroidery and applique types are combined together in a single composition making it difficult to catalogue as precisely one or the other. Appliques are created in all sizes and are well known as the giant 'tangkas' hanging from the sides of large architectural structures such as the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Embroidered 'tangkas' can be either small or in a medium sized composition. Woven works, generally from China, are very intricate and refined and can be quite large in size.
See the Textile Masterworks Page
Torana Definition: The word 'torana' is from the Sanskrit language and is used commonly as the term to describe the stylized decorative framework surrounding sculptural and painted figures in Indian art specifically and Asian art in general. A torana can be described as a gate, gateway, arch, throne-back, backrest, or decorative niche surrounding a deity, god, buddha, bodhisattva or religious hierarch, teacher or saint. A decorative torana can also be employed above a temple doorway or decorating temple windows as found in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.
See the Torana Main Page
Krodharaja Achala (English: the Immovable One, King of the Wrathful). Achala is found in two Tantras from the Kriya classification along with the Siddhaikavira Tantra - catalogued by the Sakyas as a Charya Tantra - also known as the White Manjushri Tantra. From this last Tantra Achala takes on his primary role as a remover of obstacles and secondly as the special protector for the meditational practices related to Manjushri. The continuation of this practice of linking the two deities is still found in the Sakya Tradition and likely others as yet undocumented.
Of the two Kriya Tantra practices, the Achala depicted in a kneeling posture was continued through many traditions but specially through the Sakya Tradition following the commentary by Lobpon Sonam Tsemo (1142-1182). The commentary is still in use today as the principal explanatory text. The practice of Achala in a standing posture was popularized by both Lord Atisha (982-1054) the founder of the Kadampa School followed by Mitra Yogin (12th - 13th century) famous for the text known as the Mitra Gyatsa.
In the higher Tantras of Anuttarayoga there are three, possibly more, Tantras specific to Achala. The most famous of these Tantras is the Chandamaharoshana where the deity is in a kneeling posture while embracing a consort, surrounded by a retinue of eight mandala figures.
Achala Types:
1. Kneeling, Blue (Sakya Tradition & Various)
2. Kneeling, White (Sakya & Jonang traditions)
3. Standing, Solitary Form (Kadam Tradition)
4. Standing with 11 Deity Retinue (Mitra Yogin Tradition)
5. Chandamaharoshana with Consort & Retinue
6. Red, One Face & Six Arms, Embracing a Consort
7. Blue with Four Faces & Four Arms (Sakya Tradition)
8. Black with Four Legs (Sakya Tradition)
9. Black with Three Faces & Six Arms, Eight Monkeys (Jetari Tradition)
10. Others.....
(See the Achala Main Page, Outline Page and Masterworks Page).
A page of Selected Masterworks for Vajrapani including depictions as both a bodhisattva and a meditational deity has been linked to the Vajrapani Main Page.
There are many deities in both the Hindu and Buddhist Traditions that are associated with violence, aggression, conquest and war. In most cases it is not their primary function but there are enough deities and enough stories to make it an interesting subject. (See the Outline Page).
Shakyamuni Buddha & the Defeat of Mara: one of the important events in the life of the Buddha is his attainment of enlightenment after defeating the armies of Mara. The depiction of this event is standard for almost all visual presentations of the life story.
Indra: as an early Indian god of war and weather Indra is probably best known for wielding the great vajra scepter weapon - related to the lightning bolt of Zeus.
Durga: a female goddess of India, most famous for defeating the demon Mahisha and his vast army of followers. She is commonly portrayed as a warrior holding all of the various weapons of the most important Hindu gods.
Hevajra: a principal meditational deity and Tantric system in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism using the metaphor of war. Hevajra with the name 'Hail Vajra!' is related to the Hindu god Indra in a number of ways. Many of the minor associated rituals are concerned with destroying enemies and enemy armies.
Vajrabhairava: generally regarded as the most terrific and horrific of the Tantric Buddhist meditational deities he was also the means used by Rwa Lotsawa to ritually assassinate numerous Tibetan Lamas of the 11th and 12th century - most notably Dharma Dode - the son of Marpa the Translator.
Krodha Vajrapani: the wrathful form of Vajrapani who wields the vajra scepter in the upraised right hand - ready to throw - figures prominently in narratives related to the subjugation and defeat of the Naga races.
Mahakala: the most wrathful and the highest of all protectors (Dharmapala) of Tantric Buddhism, he has numerous rituals devoted to wrathful activity and destruction - notably of enemies and enemy armies. In 11th century India, at Bodhgaya, the human skin of a general leading an invading army was dried and used to make a Mahakala mask. In the 13th century, during the Yuan dynasty, the Mongolians under Kublai Khan and his descendants used the face of Mahakala as a war banner.
Sitatapatra: a female deity that since the 17th century - the time of the 5th Dalai Lama - has taken on the role as a state protector of the empire. Sitatapatra rituals were emplyed by Tibet, Mongolia and China.
Shambhala Kings & the Future War: an interesting part of the Kalachakra and Shambhala narrative is the prognostication of a future war and a battle to end all battles led by the last King of Shambhala.
A page of Selected Masterworks for the meditiational deity Vajrakila has been linked to the Vajrakila Main Page.
Dance is a common theme in Indian and Himalayan art and well represented in Tantric Iconography - Buddhist and Hindu. A well known form of Shiva is in the appearance of 'The Lord of Dance' (Shiva Nataraja). Many forms of Avalokiteshvara are in a dancing posture as are Hevajra, Vajrayogini, Kurukulla and many other Buddhist deities. The Tibetan teacher Machig Labdron is depicted in a dance posture imitating Vajrayogini. A number of Tibetan biographical paintings depict narrative scenes including dance (Tibetan: cham).
Dance appearance is easy to recognize. Typically a simple dancing figure has two legs, one of the legs is raised up and the standing leg is somewhat curved and pressed to the ground. Males in a dance posture generally stand on the right leg and females on the left. It does become increasingly more complicated as the number of legs increase as with some forms of Hevajra.
The Buddhist Tantric texts speak of nine emotions of dancing, three of body, three of speech and three of mind. In Anuttarayoga Tantra a dancing figure (deity) must express physically these nine emotions through posture, gesture, facial expression and attire. (See the Dance Outline Page).
A page of Selected Masterworks depicting Vajrabhairava - a form of Manjushri.
Vajrabhairava is a wrathful form of Manjushri and functions as a meditational deity of the Anuttarayoga Classification in Tantric Buddhism. As a principal meditational deity, Vajrabhairava belongs to the Vajrabhairava and Yamari class of Tantras and specifically arises from the Vajrabhairava Root Tantra.
A page of Selected Masterworks depicting Vajravarahi - a form of Vajrayogini.
Vajrayogini is the principal female deity of the Chakrasamvara Cycle of Tantras. There are many forms of her each having a unique name and appearance. Some names are descriptive such as Varahi meaning the 'sow,' or Krodha Kali meaning 'black wrathful' yogini. Other names refer to the Indian or Tibetan lineage associated with a particular Yogini form and practice. The most common forms found in art are the Naropa (Naro Khacho) form, Vajravarahi (with the pig face at the side), Krodha Kali (the black form) and Dechen Gyalmo (of the Longchen Nyingtig).
There are many other forms of the deity besides those mentioned above but they are not as commonly found in art as a central subject or sculpture. Besides those painted and sculptural representations, there are also many different mandala configurations for the various forms.
Shakyamuni Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats are again shown to be the most common painting subject found in Himalayan and Tibetan art. In this set there are seven compositions making up the full complement of the twenty-five required figures. The set is from the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. The composition of the seven is somewhat unusual as they appear to be either copied from a set of block prints used as a model or painted directly onto the prints after carved blocks were inked and printed on cloth. (See the Arhats Painting Sets Outline).
Vajrakila, also known as Vajrakilaya or Vajra Kumara (Vajra Youth) , is the activity aspect from the set of Eight Herukas (Tib.: ka gye) of the Mahayoga Tantras of the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and a principal meditational deity for both the Nyingmapa and Sakyapa, later taken up by the Jonang and many of the various Kagyu Traditions. The study of Vajrakila can be divided into three major subjects: (1) the early Nyingma and Sakya Traditions, (2) the later 'Revealed Treasure' (Terma) traditions and (3) the Purba Drugse Chempa of the Bon Religion.
See the updated Vajrakila Main Page.
The unique iconographic feature of Vajrakila is the three-sided peg (purba) that is held, pointed downward, with the two principal hands at the heart. Typically Vajrakila has three faces, six hands, four legs and wide outstretched wings behind. He embraces the consort Dipta Chakra who has one face, two hands and two legs.
There are two basic forms of the deity Vajrakila. The first is as described above with the lower body having four legs. An alternate to this is with a lower body shaped as a triangular peg with three blades (purba). In the 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition a variety of other forms developed such as the Nine-headed Vajrakila. There are dozens and dozens of 'Revealed Treasure' Traditions for Vajrakila and it can probably be said that he is the most popular meditaional deity of the Nyingma Tradition. Another deity form sometimes confused for Vajrakila is the deity Guru Dragpur, a form of Padmasambhava, an early Buddhist teacher in Tibet. Numerous wrathful meditational deities and protectors hold the purba (peg) as a hand attribute but they should not be confused with Vajrakila. Examples of these other deities are: Guru Dragpo, Shri Devi Dudsolma of the Naropa tradition, etc.
Copper load of this! Company digging mine in Afghanistan unearths 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery - By Daily Mail Reporter.
The dating may be a little off but the find is certainly sensational.
