Wrathful deities

Short description: Enlightened beings in Mahayana Buddhism

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

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][1]

## 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 Sources
* 7 External links

## 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][4] 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.[5] They also represent the energy and power that is needed in order to transform negative mental factors into wisdom and compassion.[6][7] 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 Chögyam Trungpa, "wrathful yidams work more directly and forcefully with passion, aggression, and delusion — conquering and trampling them on the spot."[8]

In Tantric Buddhist art, fierce deities are presented as terrifying, demonic-looking beings adorned with bone ornaments (Sanskrit: 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".[9]

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

## Tantric deities

### Yidams

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.[10] 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.[11]

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, Hayagriva, 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

* 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

* Kurukullā

* Rakta Yamari

### 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.[12] 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.[13][14][15]

* 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 Amitābha

* The Wisdom king Kundali, "The Dispenser of Heavenly Nectar"—manifestation of Buddha Ratnasambhava

* Trailokyavijaya, "The Conqueror of The Three Planes"—manifestation of Buddha Akshobhya

## 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.[16] A Dharmapala can also be a Garuda, Nāga, Yaksha, Gandharva, or Asura.[17] 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".[18] The Eight Dharmapala are:[19]

* Yama, the god of death
* Mahakala, the Great Black One
* Yamantaka, the conqueror of death
* Vaiśravaṇa 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

* Vajrapani

* Palden Lhamo

* Vaiśravaṇa (Bishamonten), one of the four Heavenly Kings, at Todaiji

* A thai depiction of Vaiśravaṇa (Vessavana).

* Ganapati

* Citipati

* Yama, lord of death

* Hayagriva, the "horse-necked"

* Rahula, an oath-bound protector of Dzogchen

* Virūpāksa—King of the West, one of the Four Heavenly Kings at Wolijeongsa, Korea

* Dharmapala (Hộ pháp in Vietnamese) statue at Bút Tháp Temple, Vietnam

## See also

* Buddhist deities
* Chinese mythology
* Hindu mythology
* Japanese mythology
* Korean mythology
* Vietnamese mythology
* Tibetan art

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Linrothe 1999, p. 12.
2. ↑ Linrothe 1999, p. x.
3. ↑ Linrothe 1999, p. 13.
4. ↑ Linrothe 1999, p. 25.
5. ↑ Thurman, Robert (2011). The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between. Random House Publishing Group. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-307-78402-5.
6. ↑ "Berzin, Alexander; Making Sense of Tantra". https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/tantra-theory/making-sense-of-tantra/tantric-imagery#peaceful-and-forceful-figures.
7. ↑ Linrothe 1999, p. xi.
8. ↑ Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.
9. ↑ Linrothe 1999, pp. xi–xii.
10. ↑ Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2013). The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
11. ↑ "Wrathful Deities". http://www.khandro.net/deities_wrathful.htm.
12. ↑ Baroni, Helen Josephine (2002). The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. p. 100. ISBN 0-8239-2240-5.
13. ↑ Hong, Tsai-Hsia (2007). The Water-Land Dharma Function Platform Ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance Ritual (Thesis). OCLC 64281400. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2021-08-27.[page needed]
14. ↑ Howard, Angela F. (March 1999). "The Eight Brilliant Kings of Wisdom of Southwest China". Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics 35: 92–107. doi:10.1086/RESv35n1ms20167019.
15. ↑ Bloom, Phillip Emmanual (2013). Descent of the Deities: The Water-Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song-Dynasty (960-1279) Buddhism (Thesis). OCLC 864907811. ProQuest 1422026705.[page needed]
16. ↑ Heart Jewel: The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) ISBN 978-0-948006-56-2
17. ↑ Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 249–250. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
18. ↑ "Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology". February 2001. http://www.exoticindiaart.com/wrathful.htm.
19. ↑ Pearlman, Ellen (2002). Tibetan Sacred Dance: A Journey Into the Religious and Folk Traditions. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 978-0-89281-918-8. [page needed]

## Sources

* Linrothe, Robert N. (1999). Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art. Serindia. ISBN 978-0-906026-51-9.

## 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

* v
* t
* e

Topics in Buddhism

* Outline
* Glossary
* Index

Foundations|

* Four Noble Truths
* Three Jewels
* Buddha
* Dharma
* Sangha
* Noble Eightfold Path
* Nirvana
* Middle Way

The Buddha|

* Tathāgata
* Birthday
* Four sights
* Physical characteristics
* Footprint
* Relics
* Iconography in Laos and Thailand
* Films
* Miracles
* Family
* Suddhodāna (father)
* Māyā (mother)
* Mahapajapati Gotamī (aunt, adoptive mother)
* Yaśodharā (wife)
* Rāhula (son)
* Ānanda (cousin)
* Devadatta (cousin)
* Places where the Buddha stayed
* Buddha in world religions

Bodhisattvas|

* Avalokiteśvara
* Guanyin
* Mañjuśrī
* Mahāsthāmaprāpta
* Ākāśagarbha
* Kṣitigarbha
* Samantabhadra
* Vajrapāṇi
* Skanda
* Tārā
* Metteyya/Maitreya

Disciples|

* Kaundinya
* Assaji
* Sāriputta
* Mahamoggallāna
* Ānanda
* Mahākassapa
* Aṅgulimāla
* Anuruddha
* Mahākaccana
* Nanda
* Subhūti
* Punna
* Upāli
* Mahapajapati Gotamī
* Khema
* Uppalavanna
* Asita
* Channa
* Yasa

Key concepts|

* Avidyā (Ignorance)
* Bardo
* Bodhicitta
* Buddha-nature
* Dhamma theory
* Dharma
* Enlightenment
* Five hindrances
* Indriya
* Karma
* Kleshas
* Mindstream
* Parinirvana
* Pratītyasamutpāda
* Rebirth
* Saṃsāra
* Saṅkhāra
* Skandha
* Śūnyatā
* Taṇhā (Craving)
* Tathātā
* Ten Fetters
* Three marks of existence
* Anicca
* Dukkha
* Anatta
* Two truths doctrine

Cosmology|

* Ten spiritual realms
* Six realms
* Deva realm
* Human realm
* Asura realm
* Hungry Ghost realm
* Animal realm
* Naraka
* Three planes of existence

Branches|

* Theravada
* Vajrayana
* Tibetan Buddhism
* Shingon
* Dzogchen
* Mahayana
* Zen
* Chinese Chan
* Japanese Zen
* Korean Seon
* Vietnamese Thiền
* Pure Land
* Tiantai
* Nichiren
* Madhyamaka
* Yogachara
* Navayana
* Early Buddhist schools
* Pre-sectarian Buddhism
* Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna

Practices|

* Bhavana
* Bodhipakkhiyādhammā
* Brahmavihara
* Mettā
* Karuṇā
* Mudita
* Upekkha
* Buddhābhiṣeka
* Dāna
* Devotion
* Dhyāna
* Faith
* Five Strengths
* Iddhipada
* Meditation
* Mantras
* Kammaṭṭhāna
* Recollection
* Smarana
* Anapanasati
* Samatha
* Vipassanā (Vipassana movement)
* Shikantaza
* Zazen
* Kōan
* Mandala
* Tonglen
* Tantra
* Tertön
* Terma
* Merit
* Mindfulness
* Satipatthana
* Nekkhamma
* Pāramitā
* Paritta
* Puja
* Offerings
* Prostration
* Chanting
* Refuge
* Satya
* Sacca
* Seven Factors of Enlightenment
* Sati
* Dhamma vicaya
* Pīti
* Passaddhi
* Śīla
* Five precepts
* Eight precepts
* Bodhisattva vow
* Pratimokṣa
* Threefold Training
* Śīla
* Samadhi
* Prajñā
* Vīrya
* Four Right Exertions

Nirvana|

* Bodhi
* Bodhisattva
* Buddhahood
* Pratyekabuddha
* Four stages of enlightenment
* Sotāpanna
* Sakadagami
* Anāgāmi
* Arhat

Monasticism|

* Bhikkhu
* Bhikkhunī
* Śrāmaṇera
* Śrāmaṇerī
* Anagarika
* Ajahn
* Sayadaw
* Zen master
* Rōshi
* Lama
* Rinpoche
* Geshe
* Tulku
* Householder
* Upāsaka and Upāsikā
* Śrāvaka
* The ten principal disciples
* Shaolin Monastery

Major figures|

* Gautama Buddha
* Buddhaghosa
* Nagasena
* Bodhidharma
* Nagarjuna
* Asanga
* Vasubandhu
* Buddhapālita
* Atiśa
* Padmasambhava
* Nichiren
* B. R. Ambedkar
* Songtsen Gampo
* Emperor Wen of Sui
* Dalai Lama
* Panchen Lama
* Karmapa
* Shamarpa
* Naropa
* Xuanzang
* Zhiyi

Texts|

* Early Buddhist Texts
* Tripiṭaka
* Mahayana sutras
* Pāli Canon
* Chinese Buddhist canon
* Tibetan Buddhist canon
* Dhammapada
* Sutra
* Vinaya
* Madhyamakālaṃkāra
* Abhidharmadīpa

Countries|

* Afghanistan
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Cambodia
* China
* India
* Indonesia
* Japan
* Korea
* Laos
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Russia
* Kalmykia
* Buryatia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Tibet
* Vietnam
* Middle East
* Iran
* Western countries
* Argentina
* Australia
* Brazil
* France
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Venezuela

History|

* Timeline
* Ashoka
* Buddhist councils
* History of Buddhism in India
* Decline of Buddhism in India
* Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
* Greco-Buddhism
* Buddhism and the Roman world
* Buddhism in the West
* Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
* Persecution of Buddhists
* Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal
* Buddhist crisis
* Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism
* Buddhist modernism
* Vipassana movement
* 969 Movement
* Women in Buddhism

Philosophy|

* Abhidharma
* Atomism
* Buddhology
* Creator
* Buddhism and democracy
* Economics
* Eight Consciousnesses
* Engaged Buddhism
* Eschatology
* Ethics
* Evolution
* Humanism
* Logic
* Reality
* Secular Buddhism
* Socialism
* The unanswered questions

Culture|

* Architecture
* Temple
* Vihara
* Kyaung
* Wat
* Stupa
* Pagoda
* Burmese pagoda
* Candi
* Dzong architecture
* Japanese Buddhist architecture
* Korean Buddhist temples
* Thai temple art and architecture
* Tibetan Buddhist architecture
* Art
* Greco-Buddhist
* Bodhi Tree
* Budai
* Buddharupa
* Calendar
* Cuisine
* Funeral
* Holidays
* Vesak
* Uposatha
* Magha Puja
* Asalha Puja
* Vassa
* Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
* Kasaya
* Mahabodhi Temple
* Mantra
* Om mani padme hum
* Mudra
* Music
* Pilgrimage
* Lumbini
* Maya Devi Temple
* Bodh Gaya
* Sarnath
* Kushinagar
* Poetry
* Prayer beads
* Hama Yumi
* Prayer wheel
* Symbolism
* Dharmachakra
* Flag
* Bhavacakra
* Swastika
* Thangka
* Temple of the Tooth
* Vegetarianism

Miscellaneous|

* Abhijñā
* Amitābha
* Brahmā
* Dharma talk
* Hinayana
* Kalpa
* Koliya
* Lineage
* Māra
* Ṛddhi
* Siddhi
* Sacred languages
* Pāḷi
* Sanskrit

Comparison|

* Bahá'í Faith
* Christianity
* Influences
* Comparison
* East Asian religions
* Gnosticism
* Hinduism
* Jainism
* Judaism
* Psychology
* Science
* Theosophy
* Violence
* Western philosophy

Lists|

* Bodhisattvas
* Books
* Buddhas
* named
* Buddhists
* Suttas
* Sutras
* Temples
* Festivals

* Category

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrathful deities. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Religion:Wrathful_deities&oldid=4168026"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template