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Wrathful deities

May 07, 2023

In Buddhism, wrathful deities or fierce deities are the fierce, wrathful or forceful (Tibetan: trowo, Sanskrit: krodha) forms (or "aspects", "manifestations") of enlightened Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Devas (divine beings); normally the same figure has other, peaceful, aspects as well. Because of their power to destroy the obstacles to enlightenment, they are also termed krodha-vighnantaka, "Wrathful onlookers on destroying obstacles".[1] Wrathful deities are a notable feature of the iconography of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, especially in Tibetan art. These types of deities first appeared in India during the late 6th century, with its main source being the Yaksha imagery, and became a central feature of Indian Tantric Buddhism by the late 10th or early 11th century.[2]

Mahakala statue, holding a flaying knife (kartika) and skullcup (kapala)

Overview

 
Vajrayogini, a semi-wrathful dakini who is also known as sarvabuddhaḍākiṇī, the all-buddha Dakini.

In non-Tantric traditions of Mahayana Buddhism, these beings are protector deities who destroy obstacles to the Buddhas and the Dharma, act as guardians against demons and gather together sentient beings to listen to the teachings of the Buddhas.[3] In Tantric Buddhism, they are considered to be fierce and terrifying forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas themselves. Enlightened beings may take on these forms in order to protect and aid confused sentient beings.[4] They also represent the energy and power that is needed in order to transform negative mental factors into wisdom and compassion.[5][6] They represent the power and compassion of enlightened activity which uses multiple skillful means (upaya) to guide sentient beings as well as the transformative element of tantra which uses negative emotions as part of the path. According to Chogyam Trungpa, "wrathful yidams work more directly and forcefully with passion, aggression, and delusion—conquering and trampling them on the spot."[7]

In Tantric Buddhist art, fierce deities are presented as terrifying, demonic looking beings adorned with bone ornaments (Skt: aṣṭhimudrā) such as human skulls and other ornaments associated with the charnel ground, as well as being often depicted with sexually suggestive attributes. According to Rob Linrothe, the sensual and fierce imagery represents "poison as its own antidote, harnessed obstacles as the liberating force" and notes that they are "metaphors for the internal yogic processes to gain enlightenment".[8]

They often carry ritual implements, or some of the ashtamangala, or "Eight Auspicious Symbols", and are depicted trampling on the (much smaller) bodies of figures, who usually personify the "obstacles" that the deity defeats.

Tantric deities

Yidams

Main article: Yidam

In Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana, Yidams are divine forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The tantric practitioner is initiated into the mandala of a particular meditational deity (Sanskrit: Iṣṭa-devatā) and practices complex sadhanas (meditations) on the deity for the purpose of personal transformation.[9] This Deity Yoga practice is central to tantric forms of Buddhism such as Tibetan Buddhism and the Generation stage of the practice is dependent on visualisation based on the vivid iconography associated with their yidam. Yidams can be peaceful, fierce and "semi-fierce" (having both fierce and peaceful aspects), with each category having its own particular set of associated imagery. Fierce deities can be divided into male and female categories.[10] The Herukas (Tb. khrag 'thung, lit. "blood drinker") are enlightened masculine beings who adopt fierce forms to express their detachment from the world of ignorance, such as Yamantaka, Cakrasamvara, Mahākāla, or Vajrakilaya. Dakinis (Tb. khandroma, "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathful dakinis are Vajrayogini and Vajravārāhī. A common form of imagery is the yab-yum of a Buddha and consort in sexual union.

Gallery

Wisdom Kings

In East Asian Buddhism, Wisdom Kings (Sanskrit vidyarāja), are seen as divine manifestations of the Buddhas, who act as protectors, messengers, and defenders of the Buddhist Dharma.[11] In East Asian Vajrayana and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism the Five Wisdom Kings are regarded as manifestations of the Five Tathagatas. In Chinese Buddhism, the Eight Wisdom Kings and Ten Wisdom Kings are regarded as manifestations of different bodhisattvas and buddhas.[12][13][14]

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.[15] A Dharmapala can also be a Garuda, Nāga, Yaksha, Gandharva, or Asura.[16] 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".[17] The Eight Dharmapala are:[18]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art, 1999, page 12.
  2. ^ Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art, 1999, page x, 12.
  3. ^ Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page 13, 25.
  4. ^ Thurman, Robert. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between, page 149.
  5. ^ Berzin, Alexander; Making Sense of Tantra
  6. ^ Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page xi.
  7. ^ Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.
  8. ^ Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page xi-xii.
  9. ^ Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2013). The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
  10. ^ Wrathful Deities
  11. ^ Baroni, Helen Josephine (2002). The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. p. 100. ISBN 0-8239-2240-5.
  12. ^ "The Water -Land Dharma Function Platform ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance ritual - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  13. ^ Howard, Angela F. (1999-03-01). "The Eight Brilliant Kings of Wisdom of Southwest China". Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics. 35: 92–107. doi:10.1086/RESv35n1ms20167019. ISSN 0277-1322. S2CID 164236937.
  14. ^ "Descent of the Deities: The Water-Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song-Dynasty (960-1279) Buddhism - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  15. ^ Heart Jewel: The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) ISBN 978-0-948006-56-2
  16. ^ Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 249–250. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
  17. ^ "Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology". February 2001. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  18. ^ Pearlman, Ellen. Tibetan Sacred Dance: A Journey into the Religious and Folk Traditions, page

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

May 07, 2023
wrathful, deities, buddhism, wrathful, deities, fierce, deities, fierce, wrathful, forceful, tibetan, trowo, sanskrit, krodha, forms, aspects, manifestations, enlightened, buddhas, bodhisattvas, devas, divine, beings, normally, same, figure, other, peaceful, a. In Buddhism wrathful deities or fierce deities are the fierce wrathful or forceful Tibetan trowo Sanskrit krodha forms or aspects manifestations of enlightened Buddhas Bodhisattvas or Devas divine beings normally the same figure has other peaceful aspects as well Because of their power to destroy the obstacles to enlightenment they are also termed krodha vighnantaka Wrathful onlookers on destroying obstacles 1 Wrathful deities are a notable feature of the iconography of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism especially in Tibetan art These types of deities first appeared in India during the late 6th century with its main source being the Yaksha imagery and became a central feature of Indian Tantric Buddhism by the late 10th or early 11th century 2 Mahakala statue holding a flaying knife kartika and skullcup kapala Contents 1 Overview 2 Tantric deities 2 1 Yidams 2 1 1 Gallery 2 2 Wisdom Kings 3 Protectors 3 1 Eight Dharmapalas 3 2 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksOverview Edit Vajrayogini a semi wrathful dakini who is also known as sarvabuddhaḍakiṇi the all buddha Dakini In non Tantric traditions of Mahayana Buddhism these beings are protector deities who destroy obstacles to the Buddhas and the Dharma act as guardians against demons and gather together sentient beings to listen to the teachings of the Buddhas 3 In Tantric Buddhism they are considered to be fierce and terrifying forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas themselves Enlightened beings may take on these forms in order to protect and aid confused sentient beings 4 They also represent the energy and power that is needed in order to transform negative mental factors into wisdom and compassion 5 6 They represent the power and compassion of enlightened activity which uses multiple skillful means upaya to guide sentient beings as well as the transformative element of tantra which uses negative emotions as part of the path According to Chogyam Trungpa wrathful yidams work more directly and forcefully with passion aggression and delusion conquering and trampling them on the spot 7 In Tantric Buddhist art fierce deities are presented as terrifying demonic looking beings adorned with bone ornaments Skt aṣṭhimudra such as human skulls and other ornaments associated with the charnel ground as well as being often depicted with sexually suggestive attributes According to Rob Linrothe the sensual and fierce imagery represents poison as its own antidote harnessed obstacles as the liberating force and notes that they are metaphors for the internal yogic processes to gain enlightenment 8 They often carry ritual implements or some of the ashtamangala or Eight Auspicious Symbols and are depicted trampling on the much smaller bodies of figures who usually personify the obstacles that the deity defeats Tantric deities EditYidams Edit Main article Yidam In Indo Tibetan Vajrayana Yidams are divine forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas The tantric practitioner is initiated into the mandala of a particular meditational deity Sanskrit Iṣṭa devata and practices complex sadhanas meditations on the deity for the purpose of personal transformation 9 This Deity Yoga practice is central to tantric forms of Buddhism such as Tibetan Buddhism and the Generation stage of the practice is dependent on visualisation based on the vivid iconography associated with their yidam Yidams can be peaceful fierce and semi fierce having both fierce and peaceful aspects with each category having its own particular set of associated imagery Fierce deities can be divided into male and female categories 10 The Herukas Tb khrag thung lit blood drinker are enlightened masculine beings who adopt fierce forms to express their detachment from the world of ignorance such as Yamantaka Cakrasamvara Mahakala or Vajrakilaya Dakinis Tb khandroma sky goer are their feminine counterparts sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities The most prevalent wrathful dakinis are Vajrayogini and Vajravarahi A common form of imagery is the yab yum of a Buddha and consort in sexual union Gallery Edit Yamantaka also known as Vajrabhairava Ekajati also known as Blue Tara or Ugra Tara Chakrasamvara a semi wrathful deity depicted in yab yum with consort Vajrakilaya Dancing Vajravarahi Dorje Pagmo Troma Nagmo Hevajra The Herukas of the Guhyagarbha Tantra Kalachakra statue Kurukulla Rakta YamariWisdom Kings Edit In East Asian Buddhism Wisdom Kings Sanskrit vidyaraja are seen as divine manifestations of the Buddhas who act as protectors messengers and defenders of the Buddhist Dharma 11 In East Asian Vajrayana and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism the Five Wisdom Kings are regarded as manifestations of the Five Tathagatas In Chinese Buddhism the Eight Wisdom Kings and Ten Wisdom Kings are regarded as manifestations of different bodhisattvas and buddhas 12 13 14 Acala The Immovable One manifestation of Buddha Mahavairocana Vajrayaksa The Devourer of Demons manifestation of Buddha Amoghasiddhi Vajrabhairava The Defeater of Death manifestation of Buddha Amitabha The Wisdom king Kundali The Dispenser of Heavenly Nectar manifestation of Buddha Ratnasambhava Trailokyavijaya The Conqueror of The Three Planes manifestation of Buddha AkshobhyaProtectors EditThe Protectors Sanskrit pala or Dharmapala 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 15 A Dharmapala can also be a Garuda Naga Yaksha Gandharva or Asura 16 Other categories of Protectors include the Lokapalas or Four Heavenly Kings and Kṣetrapalas or Protectors of the Region Eight Dharmapalas Edit A common Tibetan grouping of Dharmapala is The Eight Dharmapalas Tibetan ད ག གཤ ད 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 17 The Eight Dharmapala are 18 Yama the god of death Mahakala the Great Black One Yamantaka the conqueror of death Vaisravaṇa or Kubera the god of wealth Hayagriva the Horse necked one Palden Lhamo female protectress of Tibet White Brahma or Tshangs pa Begtse a war god from Mongolia Gallery Edit Vajrapani Palden Lhamo Vaisravaṇa Bishamonten one of the four Heavenly Kings at Todaiji A thai depiction of Vaisravaṇa Vessavana Ganapati Citipati Yama lord of death Hayagriva the horse necked Rahula an oath bound protector of Dzogchen Virupaksa King of the West one of the Four Heavenly Kings at Wolijeongsa Korea Dharmapala Hộ phap in Vietnamese statue at But Thap Temple VietnamSee also EditBuddhist deities Chinese mythology Hindu mythology Japanese mythology Korean mythology Vietnamese mythology Tibetan artReferences Edit Linrothe Rob Ruthless Compassion Wrathful Deities in Early Indo Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art 1999 page 12 Linrothe Rob Ruthless Compassion Wrathful Deities in Early Indo Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art 1999 page x 12 Linrothe Rob Ruthless Compassion 1999 page 13 25 Thurman Robert The Tibetan Book of the Dead Liberation Through Understanding in the Between page 149 Berzin Alexander Making Sense of Tantra Linrothe Rob Ruthless Compassion 1999 page xi Chogyam Trungpa The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa Volume 3 Shambala 2003 page 438 Linrothe Rob Ruthless Compassion 1999 page xi xii Buswell Robert E Lopez Donald S 2013 The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism Princeton and Oxford Princeton University Press ISBN 978 0 691 15786 3 Wrathful Deities Baroni Helen Josephine 2002 The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism New York Rosen Pub Group p 100 ISBN 0 8239 2240 5 The Water Land Dharma Function Platform ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance ritual ProQuest www proquest com Retrieved 2021 08 27 Howard Angela F 1999 03 01 The Eight Brilliant Kings of Wisdom of Southwest China Res Anthropology and Aesthetics 35 92 107 doi 10 1086 RESv35n1ms20167019 ISSN 0277 1322 S2CID 164236937 Descent of the Deities The Water Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song Dynasty 960 1279 Buddhism ProQuest www proquest com Retrieved 2021 08 27 Heart Jewel The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism pages 71 3 Tharpa Publications 2nd ed 1997 ISBN 978 0 948006 56 2 Robert E Buswell Jr Donald S Lopez Jr 2013 The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism Princeton University Press pp 249 250 ISBN 978 1 4008 4805 8 Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism Aesthetics and Mythology February 2001 Retrieved 2008 08 31 Pearlman Ellen Tibetan Sacred Dance A Journey into the Religious and Folk Traditions pageExternal links EditWrathful 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wrathful deities amp oldid 1153472742, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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