Your own consciousness, brilliant, empty and inseparable from the Great body of radiation, knows neither birth nor death. It is boundless light – Buddha Amitabha.
Bardo Thödol
The depiction of Buddha calmly sitting in meditation is recognizable even to those who know little about Buddhism. However, early Buddhist art did not depict Buddha as a human being, but through Buddhist symbols such as the wheel of Dharma, an empty throne, lotus, Buddha’s footprints, the Bodhi tree under which he became enlightened, etc. Anthropomorphic representations in Buddhism began to appear only from the 1st century AD in northern India, mostly as serene depictions of Buddha and Bodhisattvas in meditation.
Tibetan art, on the other hand, is teeming with deities, from representations of the historical Buddha Gautama, other Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, divine attendants embodying wisdom, protective deities, to guardians of the directions, etc. Also, in contrast to peaceful Buddhism and expected depictions of gentle facial expressions, Tibetan art is filled with sublime and sometimes wrathful deities.
partly represents fierce, supernatural demonic beings. Although wrathful deities as protectors of Buddhist Dharma can be found throughout Asia, nowhere are they as prominently present and vivid as in Tibet. These terrifying beings, depicted in violent dance on the walls of Tibetan monasteries and temples, on mandalas and thangkas, but also as main characters in masked dances performed by monks during festivals, are a mysterious aspect of Tibetan culture.
Tibetan iconography
According to the canons of Tibetan iconography, these menacing deities are portrayed as figures with stout but powerful bodies, and many of them have multiple heads (some even animal heads) and several pairs of arms and legs. Their faces are distorted with anger, with mouths twisted in a grotesque smile, and sharp fangs protruding from open mouths. Their bulging, bloodshot eyes glower with anger or stare intensely, and they usually have a third eye in the center of their foreheads. Stormy winds blow from their flattened nostrils. , fiery tongues burst out of their hair and eyebrows, and their bodies are surrounded by flames. In addition to their demonic appearance, they also display monstrous attributes. They wear crowns made of human skulls on their heads, black snakes or just severed (human) heads weave a wreath around their bodies, some of them have aprons made of human bones, they drink blood from empty skulls… Swirling deadly weapons, they trample on the bodies of dwarf-like creatures in human form.
These demonic representations simultaneously evoke awe and dread, and seem contradictory to the Buddhist ideal of compassion. However, they are nothing more than wrathful emanations of the Dhyani Buddhas, representing the most enlightened states or levels of awakening.
Indeed, the later Mahayana-tantric tradition speaks of levels of enlightenment that are connected to the embodiment of absolute enlightenment represented by Adi Buddha, who is their source and culmination. Thus, the entire universe is considered the “symbolic body” of Adi Buddha, from which the five Dhyani Buddhas or Buddha meditations emanate. There are five Dhyani Buddhas, also known as celestial Buddhas. They are: Amitabha (Buddha of eternal light), Akshobhya (Immovable), Vairochana (Radiant), Ratnasambhava (Precious), and Amoghasiddhi (Mighty). Each of these five Buddhas is attributed with specific wisdom, color, symbol, syllable, element, and attendant, which are connected to different aspects of wisdom. Dhyani Buddhas are actually the heart of the Buddhist pantheon. From them emanate Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, protective deities, female deities, treasure-bearers, and wrathful deities… thus forming the figures of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon.
The wrathful and intimidating, as well as compassionate and peaceful deities in the highly symbolic Tibetan art, only illustrate different aspects of the Buddha mind or potentials that exist within all of us. Tibetan teachings state that the essence of Adi Buddha is pure consciousness – the same consciousness that is found in the heart of every human being. Therefore, it is said that everyone has a path to Adi Buddha, the highest reality within ourselves. Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup. Therefore, tantric art depicts the invisible. It conveys the contents stored in our subconscious, reminding us of those aspects of our inner self that we have deeply suppressed or concealed. The terrifying depictions are visualizations of our own greatest fears, weaknesses, flaws, or “poisons” in personified form; they allow us to confront them without denial or repression. The tantric approach means becoming aware of flaws and accepting them in a way that transforms darkness into light.
The terrifying ornaments of wrathful deities also have a deep symbolic meaning. The symbolic meaning. The five skulls in the crown are symbols of the five poisons that have been killed, and the decapitated heads in the wreath are trophies from victories over instincts, illusory and negative thoughts. Blood is a symbol of renunciation of a life bound to the wheel of samsara. The flame represents deeply concentrated consciousness that destroys ignorance. The axes or daggers they wave and the lasso they whirl represent their readiness to overcome, cut through, pierce, or trap all that is dark and destructive within us. The dwarf beings they trample upon are not helpless human beings, but rather the demonic and hostile aspect within ourselves that needs to be overcome. The wrathful deities are, in this context, personifications of determination and unbreakable will that removes all obstacles, and through their example, they encourage and empower those on the path to enlightenment.
Tantric Buddhism masters have revealed the mind and all its potentials, all its many faces, both terrifying and compassionate, and depicted them in images that serve as auxiliary tools for those seeking The Tibetan term for thangka, painted scrolls, is “liberation through seeing” because they represent liberation from samsara. Tantric teachings are directly translated into their art, making precise iconography extremely important. Depictions of deities, even wrathful ones, follow strict tantric Buddhist canons. The goal is reproduction, not independent expression or creation. The process itself follows strict guidelines: before starting the actual painting, the monk-artists (usually working in a group) must undergo thorough training on the spiritual meaning and attributes of the deities they are painting. Preparations include fasting and meditation, purifying the participants and making them open channels for manifesting the divine through the specific image. The final process of creating the painting involves consecration, in which it acquires magical power and transformative effects, becoming a living medium for the sacred process: spiritual transformation, enlightenment, and liberation. Diamond Path
Terrifying deities, just like Tibetan Buddhism itself, originated from the intertwining of Mahayana Buddhism and Bon religion, while the distinctive mark was given by the tantric teachings to the unique Tibetan artistic expression. Tantra (Tibetan: gjud) is an Indian word that originally meant “chain” and symbolizes the connection between teacher and student through secret teachings that were transmitted orally, “whispered in the ear”. Tantric teachings represent the highest expression of Buddhist esoteric teachings, the crown jewel of Buddha’s teachings, which is why they are also called Vajrayana or Diamond Vehicle. They were brought to Tibet by the great yogi Padmasambhava in the 8th century.
Tantric Buddhism, as practical mysticism, emphasizes techniques and exercises, grounding itself in mantras, mudras, mandalas, etc., all aimed at elevating consciousness to a higher state. In Vajrayana, one trains the mind and will, which must be unbreakable and strong like a diamond, with the purpose of transcending the boundaries of the egoistic self and approaching In a state of unity – the state of Buddha. However, the goal remains the same as in Mahayana – love, compassion, and wisdom.
Deeper tantric teachings are limited in accessibility because, as Lama Anagarika Govinda says, “they are guarded by the initiated behind the veil of mystery and symbolism,” as they are intended only for those who have advanced on the spiritual path. Tsongkapa, a teacher from the 15th century, introduced a provision as part of his reforms, according to which a devotee, in order to enter the Vajrayana path, must perfect two aspects of spiritual endeavor, compassion, and wisdom, which must be rooted in a fervent desire for liberation, all of which is stimulated by ultimate selflessness.
The fundamental practice in tantric Buddhism is meditation, in which a devotee visualizes oneself as a yidam – their own protective deity – in deep concentration. Yidams can be benevolent or wrathful. The former promote the ideals of non-violence and goodness, while the latter symbolize victory over our inner enemies – our own faults. Representations of deities on thangka paintings Hooks and mandalas are used as aids in visualization and invoking deities. Through the image, the devotee enters a spiritual reality. During this process that requires maximum concentration and mental strength, he identifies himself with his protective deity located in the center of the thangka or mandala. By identifying with the wrathful deity, he himself becomes that wrathful deity with powerful weapons, which he uses to deal with his “poisons”, flaws, illusions…
DHARMAPALE
According to legend, when Padmasambhava came to Tibet to spread the teachings of Buddha, he encountered hostile bon deities, which he “subdued”; the defeated deities pledged to defend the Buddha’s dharma. Thus, dharmapalas, “guardians of the dharma”, extremely wrathful and armed with deadly weapons, stand watch at the entrances of sacred places. However, in their transformative capacity, they also show people how to overcome negative impulses that obstruct the path to enlightenment.
However, Tibetan sources indicate that… They also state that dharmapalas (Tib. dragched) are Bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who delay entering nirvana to help all sentient beings on the path of enlightenment. The eight guardians of the dharma are: Yama, Mahakala, Yamantaka, Kubera, Hayagriva, Palden Lhamo, Tshangspa, and Begtse. Dharmapalas are protectors of Buddhism who wage a merciless war against enemies of Buddhism. Some of these wrathful deities, such as Mahakala, were adopted from Indian Tantra, while others are originally Tibetan – transformations of Bon deities.
In the Bardo Thödol, it is repeatedly mentioned that the terrifying deities that appear in the bardo from death to rebirth are the same as those that appear during tantric meditations: “Since they have meditated on the descriptions of deities that drink blood during their lifetime, since they have worshipped and prayed to them, or by seeing painted representations of their forms, when they confront the appearance of these deities at this stage, their recognition will bring them liberation. In this state” Lies all art. (…) The adept of the mystical teachings of Mantrayana, when he sees the bloodthirsty deities, will recognize in them his divine protectors, making the encounter with them like meeting old acquaintances. He will trust them and by merging with them, he will attain the state of Buddha.”
The book Bardo Thödol is written in the same dense secret symbolic language that permeates Tibetan art. Tibetan tradition also attributes it to Padmasambhava. And while Bardo Thödol is said to “liberate through listening,” Tibetan religious art is said to “liberate through seeing” – seeing that inexpressible, liberating One that hides behind the appearances of wrathful and benevolent deities.