Himalayan Art Resources

Mahakala: Maning (Eunuch) Main Page

Maning Mahakala Masterworks

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Solitary Figure
- with Consort
- with Retinue
- Bhagavat Mahakala
- Mahakala Main Page
- Nyingma Protectors Outline
- Confusions
- Others...

Eunuch Lord (Tibetan: pal ye she gyi gon po ma ning nag po. English: The Glorious Lord of Pristine Awareness, Black Eunuch): the body emanation of Mahakala and lord of all enlightened and worldly protectors of the Nyingma School. Maning Mahakala belongs to the Bhagavat Class of Mahakala.

According tp the example lineage below (it is possible there are many lineages of discovery) Maning originated with Guru Chowang as a 'Revealed Treasure' teaching of the Nyingma Tradition. The name 'maning,' a Tibetan word comes out of Buddhist Madhyamaka philosophy and refers to being 'neither' male nor female.

"...Glorious Lord of Pristine Awareness, Black Eunuch, with a body blue-black in colour, one face and two hands. Holding aloft in the right, pointed to the sky, a flaming lance, and in the left a poisoned heart and lasso. With three round red eyes, a curled tongue and hanging black snakes for hair. Having a crown of five dry skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh. Adorned with a garland of hearts and piles of snakes, dressed in silk cloaks, black and layered. Having a gold belt and a girdle of fresh human skin. From the three doors of a great stick of sandalwood, fastened at the waist, an army of snakes is dispersed. Decorated with varieties of colourful flowing streamers and all the frightful ornaments. Standing with the left leg extended atop a corpse seat..." (Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje 1646-1714 and Minling Lochen Dharmashri 1654-1718. Tibetan source text 'dod 'jo bum bzang, Part II, page 121-123).

"Glorious great emanation of the body of the Great Black One,
Trustee of the king of the wrathful, executioner of enemies and hindrances,
Great deity, glorious and blazing, lord of all Dharma protectors;
homage to the glorious lord, Black Eunuch." (Nyingma liturgical verse).

Lineage of Teachers: Kuntu Zangpo, Chemchog, Palgon, Orgyan Yab-yum, Terton Chowang, Manlungpa, Dagton, Nyenton, Sedingpa Khupon, Paljor Wangchug, Chokyi Wangpo, Karma Guru, Nyadag Trulku, Chowang Kunzang, Rigdzin Tinle Lhundrup, etc. Also see the variant lineages of Dorje Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa, Pema Lingpa and Jatson Nyingpo.

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Jeff Watt 7-1999 [updated 5-2017, 8-2017, 1-2020]