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Protectors in Tibetan Buddhism
Protectors in Tibetan Buddhism
I have recently been fascinated by the existence of protectors and oracles in Tibetan Buddhism, apart from being awed by its scholarly texts about mind.
Here, I would like to share some of my readings online with those who are curious about protectos in Tibetan Buddhism.
In general, there are mundane and supra?mundane Dharma protectors, both of their main "functions" are to dispel practitioners' inner and outer hindrances.
Some mundane protectors are actually transcendent wisdom supra?mundane protectors just exhibiting the form of a worldly deity, while others are actually mundane deities, in fact.
Popular supra mundane or transcendent wisdom Protectors include:
Six Armed Swift Wisdom Mahakala - who is of a nature of Arya Avalokiteswara
Tent Mahakala - who is of a nature of Hevajra
Palden Mag Zor Ma- who is the goddess Saraswati revealing a wrathful aspect, and many more.
There are protectors who exhibit worldly aspects yet is in fact are enlightened. These include the more popular Protector Setrab Chen; Gyalpo Ku Nga, the Five Kings, who show a 5 worldly aspect although they are, in fact, the Buddhas of the five families.
Actual worldly protectors include those such as Ode Gung Gyel, and Yarlha Shampo, who were bound under oath by many previous holy beings and committed themselves to protecting the Teachings. There are many, many powerful worldly protectors such as these.
I have recently been fascinated by the existence of protectors and oracles in Tibetan Buddhism, apart from being awed by its scholarly texts about mind.
Here, I would like to share some of my readings online with those who are curious about protectos in Tibetan Buddhism.
In general, there are mundane and supra?mundane Dharma protectors, both of their main "functions" are to dispel practitioners' inner and outer hindrances.
Some mundane protectors are actually transcendent wisdom supra?mundane protectors just exhibiting the form of a worldly deity, while others are actually mundane deities, in fact.
Popular supra mundane or transcendent wisdom Protectors include:
Six Armed Swift Wisdom Mahakala - who is of a nature of Arya Avalokiteswara
Tent Mahakala - who is of a nature of Hevajra
Palden Mag Zor Ma- who is the goddess Saraswati revealing a wrathful aspect, and many more.
There are protectors who exhibit worldly aspects yet is in fact are enlightened. These include the more popular Protector Setrab Chen; Gyalpo Ku Nga, the Five Kings, who show a 5 worldly aspect although they are, in fact, the Buddhas of the five families.
Actual worldly protectors include those such as Ode Gung Gyel, and Yarlha Shampo, who were bound under oath by many previous holy beings and committed themselves to protecting the Teachings. There are many, many powerful worldly protectors such as these.
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In Vajrayana iconography and thangka depictions, dharmapālas are fearsome beings, often with many heads, many hands, or many feet. Dharmapālas often have blue, black or red skin, and a fierce expression with protruding fangs. Though dharmapālas have a terrifying appearance and countenance, they are all bodhisattvas or buddhas, meaning that they are embodiments of compassion that act in a wrathful way for the benefit of sentient being.
In Tibet every monastery had its own Dharma Protector, but the tradition did not begin in Tibet; the Mahayanists of ancient India also relied upon Dharma Protectors to eliminate hindrances and to fulfil their spiritual wishes.
Does anyone know about Dharma Protectors of the Mahayanists of ancient India?
As far as I know the samaya bound guardians are a more recent development.
Hi Pathseeker,
I follow the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden. He is the wrathful emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom. There are many resources online about this great protector, including the following website. I like this site because the info is objectively presented and there is an active forum there too:
http://www.dorjeshugden.com
There are other links available from their site too.
Good luck and hope you find the info you are seeking
love
Kate
http://dorjeshugden.com/articles/musicdelighting.pdf
I think this is very interesting and a complete texts on Dorje Shugden. Perhaps Kate you will know more about this?
I'm kinda confused about the whole situation, but I guess it has nothing to do with me, or my journey into the finer points of Buddhism
It may not have anything to do with you but it may also have everything to do with you ...
It said in CHAPTER XXII THE STATE ORACLE that:
The southern gate(1) is held closed in accordance with an old tradition that the chos skyong rDo rje shugs ldan is waiting at this entrance for the day to come on which he will be allowed to enter the monastery, to succeed Pe har as the chief dharmapala of Tibet after the former has become a ‘jig rten las ‘das pa’I srung ma and has vacated the temple.
(From: Rene De Nebesky-Wojkowitz (1956). Oracles and Demons of Tibet: The Cult and Iconography of the Tibetan Protective Deities. London: Oxford University Press.
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Dorje Shugden will be the chief Dharmapala of Tibet to replace Pe har/ Nechung. And by Tibet, it should mean "Tibetan Buddhism". So Dorje Shugden will be BIG as Tibetan Buddhism is growing.
I think Pehar/ Nechung is one that is samaya bound by Padmasambhava. Do you know of any that is earlier than this?