Mahayana deities
Mahayana deities. Mahayana and Vajrayana (tantric) Buddhism incorporate a pantheon of deities that can be generally classified in two ways:[1]
Peaceful and wrathful deities
The Vajrayana tradition emphasizes forms of deities that are peaceful or wrathful (or "semi-wrathful", combining the two forms). In summary:[2]
- peaceful deities represent a calm, peaceful energy. They have peaceful, calm demeanors and are generally shown with serene expression on their faces
- wrathful deities represent a forceful direct energy that cuts through obstacles. They have fierce demeanors and typically appear with terrifying faces, hold an arsenal of weapons, and stand surrounded by flames.
In Tibetan Buddhism, these deities are often depicted in tantric practices and mandalas. They serve symbolic roles representing different energies and qualities, addressing various aspects of the mind in meditation.[3]
Worldly and enlightened deities
In Vajrayana Buddhism, we can also broadly categorized deities into two kinds based on their mundane/supramundane qualities:[1]
- worldly deities are powerful beings revered as protectors of the Dharma who dwell in different realms
- enlightened deities are supramundane beings such as buddhas and bodhisattvas who transcend worldly existence.
Worldly deities
Worldly deities include:
- dharmapālas, a form of wrathful deity whose role is to protect the teachings and practitioners.[1][4]
Dharmapalas can be divided into:
- the four great kings, the four "guardians of the world" (lokapāla) who reside on Mount Meru
- kṣetrapālas, local protectors of a specific region
Enlightened deities
Enlightened deities are supramundane beings such as buddhas and bodhisattvas who transcend worldly existence.[1] Types of enlightened deities include yidams and ming wang (vidyārāja).
Yidams
A yidam (Skt. iṣṭadevatā) is a deity that serves as a focus for meditation within tantric practice. Yidams are considered to be manifestations of buddhahood or enlightened mind.
Yidams can be peaceful, wrathful or "semi-wrathful" (having both wrathful and peaceful aspects). They can also be male or female. Male deities are known as daka; female deities are called dakini (T. khandroma; "sky-goer").
Wrathful deities in male form are called herukas (T. khrag 'thung; lit. "blood drinker").[5]
Vidyarāja (wisdom kings)
In East Asian Esoteric Buddhism, the term ming wang (明王, vidyārāja) refers to a class of wrathful deities who are the messengers and manifestation of Vairocana.[6] In this context, the term ming wang is translated as "wisdom kings," "guardian kings," "luminous kings," etc.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
Gegye Yongyal Tulku Rinpoche, Wrath in the Buddhist Tradition, Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
- ↑
Tantric Imagery, StudyBuddhism
- ↑
Significance of Peaceful and wrathful deities, Wisdom Library
- ↑ Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. dharmapāla.
- ↑ Harvey 2013, Chapter 6.
- ↑
明王, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (to sign in, see DDB sign-in)
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Harvey, Peter (2013), An Introduction to Buddhism (Second ed.), Cambridge University Press- Linrothe, Rob (1999), Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art, Shambhala. Archive version
External links
- Tantric Imagery, StudyBuddhism
Peaceful and Wrathful Deities, Himalayan Art Resources- A Viewer’s Guide to Wrathful Iconography in Himalayan Art, Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Hundred peaceful and wrathful deities, Rigpa Shedra Wiki- Sacred visions : early paintings from central Tibet, fully digitized text from The Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries
