A vertical format Himalayan painting. The center of the composition is dominated by a standing, dark blue, four armed, two legged figure encircled in red and orange flames, standing on top of a personified obstacle that lies between the main figure's feet and multicolored blue, pink, orange, and green lotus petals–a flower that signifies the main figure's enlightened actions. Below are three small seated Buddhist masters, each on their own louts, wearing monastic robes and hats indicating they are from the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions. At bottom left is a shirtless seated adept, or practitioner who has separated themselves from society. He also sits on a lotus and is surrounded by a halo. A lay devotee in white robes with a red halo sits cross-legged on a lotus raising his hands in respect. Across the top is a register of five figures; the two on the ends are bodhisattvas, and between them are three Buddhas. Below each bodhisattva is a master teacher. To the left is a teacher from the Geluk tradition and on the right is a Sakya practitioner. Together, nearly all the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism are present. The main image, Bhutadamara Vajrapani, holds a lasso–used to bind obstacles–in his left hand, and a dorjé, or symbol of the indestructible, in his upraised right hand. His remaining two hands are crossed at the wrists at the center of his chest, with his red palms facing outward and little fingers linked in a distinctive gesture associated with this form of Vajrapani.
14th century sculpted image of Bhutadamara Vajrapani from the Gyantse Kumbum in central Tibet. The main figure is in the same dark blue, four armed, two legged form surrounded by flames and standing on a figure lying down on a lotus base. On either side is a smaller dark blue, two armed, standing attendant figure, each of whom also stands on his own louts and holds his own dorje implement in his upraised proper right hand.
Another horizontal format thangka of Bhutadamara Vajrapani, this time with a more open landscape surrounding him. Each of the corners is occupied by a bodhisattva seated on a lotus: at top right is the four-armed white Chenrezig Chakzhipa (Cintamani Lokesvara), an embodiment of compassion; bottom right is the eight armed, three-faced, white long life deity Namgyelma (Ushnishavijaya); bottom left reveals the white long life deity Drolkar (White Tara), recognizable by her 7 eyes (Saptalocana); and top left, seated amidst clouds, is Norgyunma (Vasundhara), the golden goddess of good harvest and abundance. Directly above Vajrapani's head is a small gold circle, in which appears to be the longku (sambhogakaya) form of Mitrupa (Aksobhya). The flames around the main figure are pink and orange, while the midground on either side of him show recessive distance through its small, rounded hills.
Exhausted by evildoers? #Buddhists might consider Bhūtaḍāmara practice. A peek:
“Make a fist with your left hand
And extend your middle finger and thumb.
This mudrā makes female spirits appear in person
And causes the destruction of all evildoers."
#ThangkaTuesday #Himalaya #ObstacleRemoval
