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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]

Overview

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 Chogyam 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, 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

References

^ ^a ^b Linrothe 1999, p. 12.
^ Linrothe 1999, p. x.
^ Linrothe 1999, p. 13.
^ Linrothe 1999, p. 25.
^ 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.
^ "Berzin, Alexander; Making Sense of Tantra". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
^ Linrothe 1999, p. xi.
^ Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.
^ Linrothe 1999, pp. 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". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
^ Baroni, Helen Josephine (2002). The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. p. 100. ISBN 0-8239-2240-5.
^ 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]}
^ 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. S2CID 164236937.
^ 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]}
^ Heart Jewel: The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) ISBN 978-0-948006-56-2
^ Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (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. Archived from the original on 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
^ 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

[FOOTNOTELinrothe199912-1] Linrothe 1999, p. 12.

[FOOTNOTELinrothe1999x-2] Linrothe 1999, p. x.

[FOOTNOTELinrothe199913-3] Linrothe 1999, p. 13.

[FOOTNOTELinrothe199925-4] 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". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2018-01-12.

[FOOTNOTELinrothe1999xi-7] Linrothe 1999, p. xi.

[8] Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.

[FOOTNOTELinrothe1999xi–xii-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". Archived from the original on 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2007-06-30.

[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. S2CID 164236937.

[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. Archived from the original on 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2008-08-31.

[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]}

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [[Image:Tibet, mahakala, guardiano della dottrina sotto l'aspetto gur-gyi mgon-go, 1292.JPG|thumb|[[Mahakala]] statue, holding a [[Kartika (knife)|flaying knife]] (''kartika'') and [[kapala|skullcup]] (''kapala'')]]
-In [[Buddhism]], '''fierce deities''' or  '''wrathful deities'''  are the fierce, wrathful or forceful (Tibetan: ''trowo'', Sanskrit: ''krodha'') forms (or "aspects", "manifestations") of enlightened [[Buddha]]s, [[Bodhisattva]]s or [[Deva (Buddhism)|Devas]] (divine beings). Because of their power to destroy the obstacles to enlightenment, they are also termed ''krodha-vighnantaka'', "fierce destroyers of obstacles".<ref>Linrothe, Rob. ''Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early  Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art'', 1999, page 12.</ref> Fierce deities are a notable feature of the [[iconography]] of [[Mahayana]] and [[Vajrayana|Vajrayana Buddhism]]. 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.<ref>Linrothe, Rob. ''Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early  Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art'', 1999, page x, 12.</ref>
+In [[Buddhism]], '''wrathful deities''' or '''fierce deities''' are the fierce, wrathful or forceful (Tibetan: ''trowo'', Sanskrit: ''krodha'') forms (or "aspects", "manifestations") of enlightened [[Buddha]]s, [[Bodhisattva]]s or [[Deva (Buddhism)|Devas]] (divine beings); normally the same figure has other, peaceful, aspects as well. Because of their power to destroy the obstacles to [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]], they are also termed ''krodha-vighnantaka'', "Wrathful onlookers on destroying obstacles".{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=12}} Wrathful deities are a notable feature of the [[iconography]] of [[Mahayana]] and [[Vajrayana|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.{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=x}}{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=12}}
 ==Overview==
 [[Image:Vajrayogini from Thangka.jpg|thumb|[[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.<ref>Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page 13, 25.</ref> 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.<ref>Thurman, Robert. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between, page 149.</ref> They also represent the energy and power that is needed in order to transform negative mental factors into wisdom and compassion.<ref>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</ref><ref>Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page xi.</ref> 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."<ref>Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.</ref>
+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.{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=13}}{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=25}} 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thurman |first1=Robert |title=The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between |date=2011 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-78402-5 |page=149 }}</ref> They also represent the energy and power that is needed in order to transform negative mental factors into wisdom and compassion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/tantra-theory/making-sense-of-tantra/tantric-imagery#peaceful-and-forceful-figures |title=Berzin, Alexander; Making Sense of Tantra |access-date=2018-01-12 |archive-date=2020-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517080157/https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/tantra-theory/making-sense-of-tantra/tantric-imagery#peaceful-and-forceful-figures |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|p=xi}} 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 [[yidam]]s work more directly and forcefully with passion, aggression, and delusion — conquering and trampling them on the spot."<ref>Chögyam Trungpa. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 3, Shambala, 2003, page 438.</ref>
-In Tantric Buddhist art, fierce deities are presented as terrifying, demonic looking beings adorned with 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".<ref>Linrothe, Rob. Ruthless Compassion, 1999, page xi-xii.</ref>
+In Tantric Buddhist art, fierce deities are presented as terrifying, demonic-looking beings adorned with bone ornaments ({{lang-sa|aṣṭhimudrā|italics=yes}}) 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".{{sfn|Linrothe|1999|pp=xi-xii}}
+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===
+{{main article| Yidam}}
-In Indo-Tibetan [[Vajrayana]], [[Yidam]]s are divine forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The tantric practitioner is initiated into the mandala of a particular chosen deity (Sanskrit: ''Iṣṭa-devatā'') and practices complex [[sadhana]]s (meditations) on the deity for the purpose of personal transformation.<ref>[[Robert Buswell Jr.|Buswell, Robert E.]]; [[Donald S. Lopez, Jr.|Lopez, Donald S.]] (2013). ''The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism''. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-691-15786-3}}.</ref> This [[Deity Yoga]] practice is central to tantric forms of Buddhism such as [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. Yidams can be peaceful, fierce and "semi-fierce" (having both fierce and peaceful aspects). Fierce deities can be divided into male and female categories.<ref>[http://www.khandro.net/deities_wrathful.htm Wrathful Deities]</ref> The [[Heruka]]s ([[Standard Tibetan|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]], [[Cakrasaṃvara Tantra|Cakrasamvara]], [[Mahākāla]], or [[Kīla (Buddhism)|Vajrakilaya]]. [[Dakini]]s ([[Standard Tibetan|Tb]]. ''khandroma'', "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathful [[dakini]]s are [[Vajrayogini]] and [[Vajravārāhī]].
+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 [[sadhana]]s (meditations) on the deity for the purpose of personal transformation.<ref>[[Robert Buswell Jr.|Buswell, Robert E.]]; [[Donald S. Lopez, Jr.|Lopez, Donald S.]] (2013). ''The Princeton dictionary of Buddhism''. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-691-15786-3}}.</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.khandro.net/deities_wrathful.htm |title=Wrathful Deities |access-date=2007-06-30 |archive-date=2020-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517094639/http://www.khandro.net/deities_wrathful.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Heruka]]s ([[Standard Tibetan|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]], [[Cakrasaṃvara Tantra|Cakrasamvara]], [[Mahākāla]], or [[Kīla (Buddhism)|Vajrakilaya]]. [[Dakini]]s ([[Standard Tibetan|Tb]]. ''khandroma'', "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathful [[dakini]]s are [[Vajrayogini]] and [[Vajravārāhī]]. A common form of imagery is the [[yab-yum]] of a Buddha and consort in sexual union.
 ====Gallery====
-<gallery>
+<gallery mode="packed">
 File:Yamantaka Vajrabhairav.jpg|[[Yamantaka]], also known as Vajrabhairava.
-File:Yamantaka, Fear-Striking Vajra, Lord of Death on a water buffalo, Vajrayana Buddhism.jpg|[[Yamantaka]] statue
-File:Yamantaka.jpg|Yamantaka [[thangka]]
 File:Ekajati.jpg|[[Ekajati]], also known as Blue Tara or Ugra Tara.
 File:Chakrasamvara - Google Art Project.jpg|[[Chakrasamvara]], a semi-wrathful deity, depicted in [[yab-yum]] with consort
-File:Chakrasamvara 01.jpg|Tibetan statue of standing [[Chakrasamvara]] and consort
-File:6-armiger Mahakala.jpg|6-arm [[Mahakala]]
-File:Lhasa 1996 190.jpg|Painted statue of [[Mahakala]]
 File:Vajrakilaya (8557221604).jpg|[[Vajrakilaya]]
 File:Dancing Vajravarahi (Dorje Pagmo) LACMA M.90.195.jpg|Dancing [[Vajravarahi]] (''Dorje Pagmo'')
-File:Vajrayogini statue from Nepal, 18th century, gilt bronze, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG|[[Vajrayogini]]
+File:Troma Nagmo closeup.jpg|[[Vajrayogini|Troma Nagmo]]
-File:Troma Nagmo closeup.jpg|Troma Nagmo
 File:Hevajra-Tibetan.jpg|[[Hevajra]]
 File:The Wrathful Deities of the Guhyagarbha Tantra.png|The Herukas of the [[Guhyagarbha Tantra]]
-File:Kalachakra_and_his_Core_Assembly_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg|[[Kalachakra]] and Core Assembly.
+File:Beijing 2009-1027.jpg|[[Kalachakra]] statue
-File:Beijing 2009-1027.jpg|[[Kalachakra]] statue
 File:Samye16.JPG|[[Kurukullā]]
 File:Yamari, Rakta (Buddhist Deity) 16th century Boston MFA.jpg|[[Rakta Yamari]]
 </gallery>
 ===Wisdom Kings===
-In [[East Asian Buddhism]], [[Wisdom King]]s ([[Sanskrit]] ''vidyarāja''), are seen as divine manifestations of the Buddhas, who act as protectors, messengers, and defenders of the Buddhist Dharma.<ref>Baroni, Helen Josephine (2002). ''The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism''. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. p. 100. {{ISBN|0-8239-2240-5}}.</ref> In East Asian [[Vajrayana]] and [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism]] the five wisdom kings are manifestations of the [[Five Tathagatas]].
+In [[East Asian Buddhism]], [[Wisdom King]]s ([[Sanskrit]] ''vidyarāja''), are seen as divine manifestations of the Buddhas, who act as protectors, messengers, and defenders of the Buddhist Dharma.<ref>Baroni, Helen Josephine (2002). ''The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism''. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. p. 100. {{ISBN|0-8239-2240-5}}.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Hong |first1=Tsai-Hsia |date=2007 |title=The Water-Land Dharma Function Platform Ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance Ritual |oclc=64281400 |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/1e7f2eadff4d9baec078f55f48fd3dc7/1 |access-date=2021-08-27 |archive-date=2023-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311182146/https://www.proquest.com/openview/1e7f2eadff4d9baec078f55f48fd3dc7/1 |url-status=live }}{{pn|date=June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Howard |first1=Angela F. |title=The Eight Brilliant Kings of Wisdom of Southwest China |journal=Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics |date=March 1999 |volume=35 |pages=92–107 |doi=10.1086/RESv35n1ms20167019 |s2cid=164236937 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Bloom |first1=Phillip Emmanual |date=2013 |title=Descent of the Deities: The Water-Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song-Dynasty (960-1279) Buddhism |id={{ProQuest|1422026705}} |oclc=864907811 }}{{pn|date=June 2023}}</ref>
 <gallery>
@@ Line 47: / Line 43: @@
 </gallery>
-==The Protectors==
+==Protectors==
-The Protectors ([[Sanskrit]] ''pāla'') or [[Dharmapala|Dharmapāla]] (Dharma protectors), are powerful beings, often [[Deva (Buddhism)|Devas]] or [[Bodhisattva]]s who protect the Buddhist religion and community from inner and outer threats and obstacles to their practice.<ref>''Heart Jewel'': The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) {{ISBN|978-0-948006-56-2}}</ref> A Dharmapala can also be a [[Garuda]], [[Nāga]], [[Yaksha]], [[Gandharva]], or [[Asura]].<ref>Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DXN2AAAAQBAJ ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'']. Princeton University Press. pp. 249–250. {{ISBN|978-1-4008-4805-8}}.</ref> Other categories of Protectors include the [[Four Heavenly Kings|Lokapālas]] or "Four Heavenly Kings" and [[Kshetrapala|{{IAST|Kṣetrapālas}}]] or "Protectors of the Region".
+The Protectors ([[Sanskrit]] ''pāla'') or [[Dharmapala|Dharmapāla]] (Dharma protectors), are powerful beings, often [[Deva (Buddhism)|Devas]] or [[Bodhisattva]]s who protect the Buddhist religion and community from inner and outer threats and obstacles to their practice.<ref>''Heart Jewel'': The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) {{ISBN|978-0-948006-56-2}}</ref> A Dharmapala can also be a [[Garuda]], [[Nāga]], [[Yaksha]], [[Gandharva]], or [[Asura]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Buswell |first1=Robert E. |last2=Lopez |first2=Donald S. |title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |date=2013 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4805-8 |pages=249–250 }}</ref> Other categories of Protectors include the [[Four Heavenly Kings|Lokapālas]] or "Four Heavenly Kings" and [[Kshetrapala|{{IAST|Kṣetrapālas}}]] or "Protectors of the Region".
 ===Eight Dharmapalas===
-A common Tibetan grouping of Dharmapāla is 'The Eight [[Dharmapala]]s' ({{bo|t=དྲག་གཤེད|w=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".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exoticindiaart.com/wrathful.htm|title=Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology|date=February 2001|access-date=2008-08-31}}</ref> The Eight Dharmapala are:<ref>Pearlman, Ellen. ''Tibetan Sacred Dance: A Journey into the Religious and Folk Traditions'', page
+A common Tibetan grouping of Dharmapāla is 'The Eight [[Dharmapala]]s' ({{bo|t=དྲག་གཤེད|w=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".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exoticindiaart.com/wrathful.htm|title=Wrathful Guardians of Buddhism: Aesthetics and Mythology|date=February 2001|access-date=2008-08-31|archive-date=2020-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602114207/https://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/wrathful/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Eight Dharmapala are:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pearlman |first1=Ellen |title=Tibetan Sacred Dance: A Journey Into the Religious and Folk Traditions |date=2002 |publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co |isbn=978-0-89281-918-8 }}{{pn|date=June 2023}}</ref>
-</ref>
 * [[Yama (East Asia)|Yama]], the god of death
@@ Line 61: / Line 56: @@
 * [[Hayagriva (Buddhism)|Hayagriva]], the Horse-necked one
 * [[Palden Lhamo]], female protectress of Tibet
-* White [[Brahma]] or ''Tshangs pa''
+* White [[Brahma (Buddhism)|Brahma]] or ''Tshangs pa''
 * [[Begtse]], a war god from Mongolia.
@@ Line 67: / Line 62: @@
 <gallery>
-File:Buddha-Vajrapani-Herakles.JPG|Greco-Buddhist [[Vajrapani]]-[[Heracles]]
+File:Vajrapani American Museum of Natural History.jpg|[[Vajrapani]]
+File:Palden Lhamo, Tawang Monastery.jpg|[[Palden Lhamo]]
-File:Vajrapani_American_Museum_of_Natural_History.jpg|[[Vajrapani]]
+File:Todaiji13s4592.jpg|[[Vaiśravaṇa]] (Bishamonten), one of the four Heavenly Kings, at [[Todaiji]]
-File:Palden_Lhamo,_Tawang_Monastery.jpg|[[Palden Lhamo]]
-File:Todaiji13s4592.jpg|Japanese [[Vaiśravaṇa]] (Bishamonten), one of the four Heavenly Kings, at [[Todaiji]]
 File:Guardian of Phra Meru Mas of Bhumibol Adulyadej - Vessavana (left side).jpg|A thai depiction of [[Vaiśravaṇa]] (Vessavana).
 File:GanpatiTibetan.jpg|[[Ganapati]]
 File:Citipati-buddhist-deity.jpg|[[Citipati (Buddhism)|Citipati]]
+File:Yellow Yama (?) and Consort on Bull, Nyingmapa Buddhist or Bon Ritual Card LACMA AC1998.253.1.jpg|[[Yama]], lord of death
-<!--File:Ragaraja_Aizenmyoo_Airanmingwang.jpg|[[Rāgarāja]]-->
+File:Hayagriva Samye Ling July 09.jpg|[[Hayagriva]], the "horse-necked"
-File:Yellow Yama (?) and Consort on Bull, Nyingmapa Buddhist or Bon Ritual Card LACMA AC1998.253.1.jpg|Yama, lord of death
-File:Hayagriva_Samye_Ling_July_09.jpg|[[Hayagriva]], the "horse-necked"
 File:Rahula and his Assembly - Google Art Project.jpg|Rahula, an oath-bound protector of [[Dzogchen]]
 File:Korea-Gangwon-Woljeongsa Heavenly King 1690-07.JPG|Virūpāksa—King of the West, one of the Four Heavenly Kings at Wolijeongsa, Korea
 File:Ho-phap Kuyen-thien.JPG|Dharmapala (Hộ pháp in Vietnamese) statue at [[Bút Tháp Temple]], Vietnam
 </gallery>
@@ Line 88: / Line 81: @@
 * [[Japanese mythology]]
 * [[Korean mythology]]
-* [[Vajrapani]]
+* [[Vietnamese mythology]]
-* [[Vajravarahi]]
+* [[Tibetan art]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+==Sources==
+* {{cite book |last1=Linrothe |first1=Robert N. |title=Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art |date=1999 |publisher=Serindia |isbn=978-0-906026-51-9 }}
 ==External links==
@@ Line 101: / Line 97: @@
 {{Buddhism topics}}
-[[Category:Buddhist deities]]
+[[Category:Wrathful deities| ]]
-[[Category:Buddhist culture]]
+[[Category:Dharmapalas]]
+[[Category:Herukas]]
 [[Category:Lists of deities]]
 [[Category:Vajrayana]]
 [[Category:Yidams]]
-[[Category:Herukas]]
+[[Category:Tibetan art]]
-[[Category:Dharmapalas]]
-[[Category:Wrathful deities]]

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 Eight Great Events Great Renunciation Physical characteristics Life of Buddha in art 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 Puṇṇa Mantānīputta 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 Mental factors Mindstream Parinirvana Pratītyasamutpāda Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Skandha Śūnyatā Taṇhā (Craving) Tathātā Ten Fetters Three marks of existence Anicca Dukkha Anattā Two truths doctrine
Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six Paths Deva realm Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Naraka Three planes of existence
Branches	Mahayana Zen Chinese Chan Japanese Zen Korean Seon Vietnamese Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Huayan Risshū Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism Chinese Esoteric Buddhism Shingon Dzogchen Theravada Navayana Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna
Practices	Bhavana Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Buddhābhiṣeka Dāna Devotion Deity yoga Dhyāna Faith Five Strengths Iddhipada Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha-vipassanā (Vipassana movement) Shikantaza Zazen Tukdam Koan Ganana Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma Merit Mindfulness Mindful Yoga Satipatthana Nekkhamma Nianfo Pāramitā Paritta Puja Offerings Prostration Music Refuge Sādhu 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 Twenty-two vows of Ambedkar
Nirvana	Bodhi Bodhisattva Buddhahood Pratyekabuddhayāna Four stages of awakening Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat
Monasticism	Bhikkhu Bhikkhunī Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagārika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Western tulku Kappiya Donchee Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Achar Śrāvaka Ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery
Major figures	The Buddha Nagasena Aśvaghoṣa Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Kumārajīva Buddhaghosa Buddhapālita Dignāga Bodhidharma Zhiyi Emperor Wen of Sui Songtsen Gampo Xuanzang Shandao Padmasambhava Saraha Atiśa Naropa Karmapa Hōnen Shinran Dōgen Nichiren Shamarpa Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Ajahn Mun B. R. Ambedkar Ajahn Chah Thích Nhất Hạnh
Texts	Early Buddhist texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana sutras Pali 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 Buryatia Kalmykia Tuva (ru) Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Africa Senegal South Africa Central Asia Uzbekistan Middle East Iran Saudi Arabia Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Costa Rica Czech Republic France Germany Italy Mexico New Zealand Norway Poland Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom United States Venezuela
History	Timeline Ashoka Kanishka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Huichang persecution of Buddhism Greco-Buddhism Menander I 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 unanswerable questions
Culture	Architecture Temple Vihāra Kyaung Wat Ordination hall Stupa Pagoda Burmese pagoda Candi Dzong architecture List of Buddhist architecture in China Japanese Buddhist architecture Buddhist temples in Korea Thai temple art and architecture Tibetan Buddhist architecture Art Greco-Buddhist Bodhi Tree Budai Buddha in art Calendar Cuisine Funeral Holidays Vesak Uposatha Māgha Pūjā 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 Iddhi Kalpa Koliya Lineage Māra Siddhi Sacred languages Pāḷi Sanskrit
Comparison	Baháʼí Faith Christianity Influences Comparison East Asian religions Gnosticism Hinduism Jainism Judaism Psychology Science Theosophy Violence Western philosophy
Lists	Bodhisattvas Buddhas Buddhists Suttas Sutras Temples Festivals
Category Religion portal

Revision as of 05:34, 26 June 2023

Overview

Tantric deities

Yidams

Gallery

Wisdom Kings

Protectors

Eight Dharmapalas

Gallery

See also

References

Sources

External links