TIBETAN THANGKA OF SIX-ARMED MAHAKALA!!! TRADTIONALLY DONE!!!!!

Mahakala (6 Armed)

Origin of Mahakala.

At one time in the past, the Lord of great compassion, the Noble Avalokitesvara, raised the idea of enlightenment, the bodhicitta, and then for countless aeons accumulated merit. After passing through the bodhisattva levels, he received the special Great Light empowerment. Then, as he entered the ranks of the Noble sons of the Buddha, he made this vow:

       "Throughout the samsaric world realms in the limitless space of the ten directions. I will benefit beings. I must liberate all beings from samsara. Not until all beings are established on the level of Buddhahood, not even one left behind in samsara, will I myself enter Buddhahood. Only when all beings without exception have been guided to Buddhahood, will it be well for me to achieve it. Until then I will remain in samsara for the benefit of all beings. And to ensure it, may my body be shattered into a thousand pieces if I should ever break this vow." 

From then on Avalokitesvara resided at the Potala Mountain. Through his limitless emanations, at every moment, he accomplished the ripening and liberation of innumerable sentient beings- it is an extent beyond our means to express. And in this manner he passed uncountable years- many, many kalpas.

       Then at one time, he thought it possible that now he had delivered all beings from samsara. With his omniscient vision he looked, and saw that the realms of sentient beings had nither increased nor diminished. Not only had they not decreased in number, but now those sentient beings near him were in the Age of Darkness, and were even more difficult to subdue.

       Then saying, "Now, I cannot benefit even one sentient being," Avalokitesvara broke the vow he had previously made, and his body shattered into a thousand pieces.

       Then the Guru Lama who by his vow always holds us in his compassion, the Noble world protector, who has conquered, and because of his immeasurable light is called the Buddha Amitabha, vividly appeared and said:

       "Son of my family, it is not well that you have thus broken your vow. Now you must replenish your broken vow, and make an even greater resolution to benefit beings."

       The shattered body of a thousand pieces, by Amitabha's blessing, was united into one body with eleven heads and a thousand arms.

Avalokitesvara then thought his previous great vow could never be exceeded. And yet by it he had been unable to benefit even a few beings. So for seven days he was unable to decide what to do.

       Then he thought that by means of a wrathful form he would be able to subdue the degenerate beings of this Age of Darkness. And, seeing many beings who practiced Dharma and yet were unable to escape from the Bardo realms, he thought that by a wrathful form he could also protect them from the Bardo. And lastly, he thought that the beings in this Dark Age were poor and needy, experiencing only suffering, and that by a wrathful form he could provide them with an antidote to their suffering, so that their needs could be met by their simply making the wish.

       With this three- fold activity, his vow became even greater than before. From the heart of Noble Avalokitesvara emerged a dark blue HUNG letter, which transformed into the Instantaneous Protector of wisdom. In all the Pure Lands, the ground shook with six kind of earthquakes. The Conquering and Transcending One of Immeasurable Light and all other Tathagatas of the ten directions proclaimed with one voice:

       "Son of the family, it is well that you have made this resolution. You shall have the empowerment of all the wisdom dakinis. You shall have the strength of the wrathful Yama,Lord of Death. You shall have the mountain spirits, the yaksas, the devils and the demons as your messengers. You shall embody the great wrathful empowerments of the Body, Speech, Mind, Quality, and Activity of all the Buddhas throughout the three times."

       Ever since then Maharaja has remained as the Doctrine Protector of all the Buddha fields.

 Transmission of the Sadhana.

       Once when the completely Perfect Buddha was in the village of Rajasthan, a dancer there felt great devotion to him and made vast offerings of songs, music, and prayers. Nearly six hundred years after the Buddha passed into the Nirvana, the dancer was reborn a human. He was called the Mahasiddha Savaripa, Lord of the Hermitage.

       At one time Savaripa was absorbed in object-less samadi in a desolate cemetery in cool forest. As the morning dawned, he saw in the sky a beating damaru-drum. Then the Protector wisdom Mahakala appeared in great brilliance and bestowed his heart mantra and many sadhanas upon Mahasiddha Savaripa. Shri Savaripa's life, because of his intellect and ascetic conduct, became like that of the sun and moon. He went to reside on the Glorious Mountain of the south. There, additionally, Noble Avalokitesvara, Vajra Yogini, Noble Tara, and other deities each bestowed their sadhanas upon him.

       One thousand years later, Lord Matri Gupta or in Tibetan(Concealer of his kindness), whose secret name is "Non-dual Vajra"(Skt. Advaya Vajra), was in the Vikramasila, Although he was accomplished in form meditation, and had thereby received power, still he had not comprehended the meaning of awareness. So, he prayed to special deties, who told him," Go to the Glorious Mountain of the south, into the compassionate care of the Lord of the Hermitage."

He proceeded to the Glorious Mountain, and from Mahasiddha Savaripa received the limitless deep teachings of Mahamudra. His vision of awareness was like the sky.

       Then Maitri was instructed to go and spread the deep meaning of the doctrine. He wrote commentaries on the sadhanas of four deities whose blessings he had received. After twenty-one days of the meditation, he accomplished the sadhana of Maharaja, and the dharma-protectors came under his control. Mahakala extracted the essence of great spiritual treasures and, with other presents, gave them to Maitri. His many wishes are accomplished.

       Although in Tibet there were many translators of the doctrine of Mahakala, today their lineages do not remain. The only thorough, deep, and unmixed version of this doctrine is that of the learned Khyungpo Naljor – an unequalled stream of blessings, a glorious, rich and flourishing activity, pervading all the earth.

       The learned Khyungpo, at age fifty-two, went to Nepal, and then for about fifty human years traveled back and forth from Tibet to Nepal and India. He studied with one hundred and fifty learned teachers in India, and completely accomplished their doctrines. When he was about to return Tibet, he gave the remainder of his Dharma provisions, including much gold, to Maitri , and said, " We have few comforts in Tibet, please give us a great sign that will bring wealth."

       Then Maitri told Kyungpo Naljor the foregoing biography of Mahakala, said "He is also called the black one of Great Compassion. Also, the Lord of sandalwood place. As much as you rely on him, your wishes will all be fulfilled. As much as you think upon him, your obstacles will be carried away. If you pray to him, even though you have not accomplished his meditation, he will show his face to you.

       "Achieving only an ordinary accomplishment in his meditation will bring extraordinary results. I am giving you a protector who is like a wish-fulfilling jewel." he said, and gave the complete instructions on Mahakala.

       Later when Khyungpo returned to Tibet, he gave the empowerment and instructions of this Maharaja lineage to his main disciples, Lopon Cho-kyi Sherab, Khyenchen Latopa, Gonchok Kar,Shang-gon Chos-seng, Mokchokpa Rinchen Tsundrup, and many other Tibetan disciples.

       Today this unbroken lineage is till maintained by lamas His Holiness Karmapa Rangjung Rikpae Dorje, and the venerable All-knowing Kalu Rinpoche.

Symbolism of Mahakala.

       The protector's body color is dark blue, symbolic of changeless Dharmakaya. His three eyes symbolize his clear comprehension of the three times, and the vivid manifestation of the three bodies of Buddha. The crown of five skulls symbolize the five poisons- anger, desire, ignorance, jealousy, and pride-transformed into five wisdoms. His six arms symbolize the completion of six perfections-generosity, patience, morality, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. The tigug knife symbolizes the cutting of ego-attachment. The skull bowl filled with blood symbolizes the subjugation of evil ones. The rosary symbolizes the continuous activity for the benefit of beings.

The damaru, hand-drum symbolizes his power over the dakinis. His trident symbolizes his power over the three spheres-desire, form, and formless. The lasso symbolizes his action of binding those who break their vows. His two feet symbolize means and wisdom. That his left leg is straight and his right leg bent symbolize his accomplishment of benefit to self and others. He tramples on the Binayaka, to symbolize his destruction and dispersal of great obstacles. The sun on which he stands symbolizes his illumination of the darkness of ignorance. The lotus seat symbolizes purity undefiled by samsara. The blazing fire symbolize his action to consume neurotic states of mind. The tiger skin he wears symbolizes the purification of desire: the elephant skin, purification of pride; the snake, purification of anger. All his other ornaments symbolize that he has the complete qualities of the Buddha.***

Measures about 18 & 1/2 inches by 27 & 3/4 inches, excluding the outermost border.

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