Vajrabhairava and Dharma Protectors of the
Gelukpa Order (Image)
Thangka, painting
Cotton support with opaque mineral pigments in waterbased (collagen) binder
Ca. 19th century
Museum #: 97.276
By Cathleen Cummings
26 May, 1998
This painting represents the most important transformative deities of the
Gelukpa order. At center is Vajrabhairava, a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri,
the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, with his consort Vajravetalia. To his left is
Cakrasamvara in union with his consort Vajravarahi, and to his right is
Guhyasamaja, in union with Sparsavajra. These three deities, Vajrabhairava,
Guhyasamaja, and Cakrasamvara, represent three of the four main tantric
meditations practiced in the Gelukpa school. The Guhyasamaja-tantra
emphasizes the generation of an illusory or subtle body through yoga; the
Cakrasamvara-tantra emphasizes the generation of Clear Light, associated
with the cultivation of wisdom; the Vajrabhairava-tantra emphasizes
both in balance.
Like sutras, tantras are often considered to be the teachings of the Buddha
Sakyamuni; unlike sutras, which were taught by the Buddha directly during
his lifetime, the tantras were taught secretly to special disciples while
the Buddha was in the form of one or another meditational deities or ideal
forms. Tantric Buddhism practiced in Tibet, while incorporating the non-secret
teachings of the sutras, teaches paths for liberation from cyclical existence,
or the attainment of one's own Buddhahood, based upon the discourses found
specifically in tantric literature.
The group of tantras which describe the meditations of Vajrabhairava belong
to the class of tantras called annuttara-yoga-tantra, the highest
yoga tantra class. Tantras of this type involve deity yoga -- the self-generation
of the meditator as the deity, the "transformation of one's mind and
body into the mind and body of a Buddha." Tantras in this class are
further subclassed as either male (yogin) or female (yogini) tantras according
to the path taken to achieve this union with the deity. Yogini tantras emphasize
practices related to recognition of and identification with Clear Light;
the tantras of Heruka-Cakrasamvara are the primary tantras of the yogini
class. Yogin tantras emphasize practices related to the generation or experience
of the "illusory body" through deity yoga. Yogin tantras are further
divided according to the path of transformation used: desire, hatred, or
ignorance. The tantras of Vajrabhairava (and other forms of Yamantaka) are
the primary yogin tantras that use hatred as the path of transformation.
The rituals for the invocation and yoga of Vajrabhairava aim at the attainment
by the yogin of superhuman powers related to the Vajrabhairava path of hatred,
particularly powers of killing, subduing, driving away, and controlling.
Since the performance of yoga results in the union of the devotee and the
deity, the rituals performed by the devotee in yogic meditation are in fact
performed by Vajrabhairava himself. Some of these rituals work through the
yogin's powers over Yama, since Vajrabhairava is considered the overcoming
of Yama.
Tenets specific to Vajrabhairava-tantra were revealed to Tsong kha-pa,
the founder of the Gelugpa sect, by the bodhisattva Manjusri. According
to this revelation, doctrines of bliss and emptiness as explained in the
Samvara-tantra (the primary yogini tantra), as well as illusory body
doctrines as expounded in the Guhyasamaja- tantra (the primary yogin
tantra using desire as the path) are included in the Vajrabhairava-tantra.
Thus, the Vajrabhairava-tantra brings together the many practices
of the tantric deities important to the Gelugpa sect.
At the top of the mandala is a representation of Tsong-kha-pa, the founder
of the Gelukpa order, flanked by his two principle disciples. Other Dharmapala,
Protectors of the Teachings, are also illustrated here, including Six-Armed
White Mahakala, Six-Armed Black Mahalaka, Vajrapani, Yama, Vaisravana, and
Palden Lhamo.
References:
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