The Many Forms of Mahakala

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phantom59
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Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:30 am

The Many Forms of Mahakala

Post by phantom59 »

The Six-Armed (Shadbhuja) Mahakala is most favored by the Gelukpa order of
Tibetan Buddhism, and in this manifestation Mahakala is considered to be the
fierce and powerful emanation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

The Four-Armed (Chatur-bhuja) Mahakala, this manifestation of Mahakala perform
one of the following four positive karmas or actions, which are said to be his
specific boon to his worshippers:

a). Pacify sickness, hindrances, and troubles.
b). Increase life, good qualities and wisdom.
c). Attract whatever Dharma practitioners need and bring people to the Dharma.
d). Destroy confusion, doubt, and ignorance.

The White Mahakala is the wealth aspect of Mahakala which specifically supports
the comfort and economic well-being of tantric practitioners. The following
description is according to his sadhana:

"His body is white. His face is wrathful and he has three eyes. He has six arms.
His main right hand holds a wish- fulfilling jewel (chintamani) mounted on a
jewel-tipped handle, in front of his chest."

Grinning wildly and with fiery eyes, this terrible image of the Great Black One
stands heavily upon the body of a corpse. While he holds the normal skull cup
and chopper in his two hands, supported across the crook of his elbows is an
ornamental wooden stick, called the 'gandi' gong, which is used in Buddhist
monasteries to summon the monks and nuns to assemblies. It is this intriguing
aspect of his iconography which associates him exclusively with the viharas and
it is believed to symbolize the vow he once made to the Buddha to protect the
monastic community of Nalanda at Bihar and hence by extension all Buddhist
retreats. Also, originally it was likely a shaman's staff used during
application of protective charms (panjara), hence in this manifestation he also
came to be known as Panjaranatha, or 'Lord of Charms." It is also conjectured
that the rod denotes the one used to hold up outdoor tents and hence is a
reminder that this awesome deity is the supreme savior of the essentially
nomadic Tibetan people.


It was the thirteenth century. Sakya Pandita (1182-1251), the founder of the
Sakya order, was on a trip to Mongolia. Accompanying him was his nephew Phags pa
(1235-89). The latter remained at the court after his uncle went back to Tibet.
Phags pa impressed the emperor Khubilai Khan with his wisdom and learning skills
and was appointed the imperial tutor. The monarch requested the monk to initiate
him in the teachings of the Hevajra Tantra. Unfortunately, Phags pa, young as he
was, had still not set his eyes on the sutra. He requested the emperor to
postpone the discussion for the next day. That night the revered lama lay
sleepless in despair since he did not have with him a copy of the sacred text.
At that instant there appeared, to his astonishment, an old white haired
Brahman, who asked Phags pa to light his lamp and lay before him the coveted
sutra. The monk was thus able to initiate the king, who then happily embraced
the folds of the Dharma.The elderly Brahman was none other than the great
Mahakala, who in this form is known as 'Brahmanarupa Mahakala'.

The two-armed Mahakala is most popular in the Newar Buddhism of Nepal. In the
Mahakala Tantra he is described as the form by which the sufferings of sentient
beings are removed. Such images are placed in the entrances to many bahals
(monasteries) with Mahakala on the left as one enters and Ganesha on the right.

Mahakala may also be holding his chopper aloft in which case he is referred to
as 'Kartaridhara (Holder of the Chopper) Mahakala.'

Mahakala Maning is the avowed guardian of the Nyingmapas. He holds a fresh and
throbbing human heart in his left hand, and also a garland strung with the same
macabre organs. His right hand holds the trishula and the gandi-staff is pushed
into his waist belt. The term 'maning' (eunuch) used in Mahakala's name here
means genderless

Mahakala has, in addition to the central face, one face each to the right and
left and another above these three. His four hands in addition to the skull cup
and chopper hold the wisdom sword and khatvanga respectively. Mahakala's quartet
of faces symbolizes the four kinds of mindfulness:

1). Mindfulness of the body.
2). Mindfulness of sensations.
3). Mindfulness of the mind.
4). Mindfulness of phenomena.

The Four-Headed Mahakala is the special protector of the Nyingmapas.

The squat two-armed, black-cloaked Bernag chen Mahakala, who is particularly the
protector of the Karma Kagyu School.

Mahakala's typical blackness symbolizes his all-embracing, comprehensive nature,
because it is the hue into which all other colors merge; it absorbs and
dissolves them. Just as all colors disappear in black, so do all names and forms
melt into that of Mahakala. Black is also the total absence of color, again
signifying the nature of Mahakala as ultimate reality.

This in Sanskrit is named as nirguna (beyond all quality and form). Either way,
Mahakala's dark complexion represents his transcendence of all form. Kala
however also means time. Etymologically, 'kala' means that which absorbs
everything within itself (kalayati iti kala). Thus Mahakala is the cosmic nature
of time, into which we will all dissolve in the course of time. He is the
transcendent-time (maha-kala), absolute, eternal, measureless, and ever present.

Read more at :
http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/mahakala/2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Aemilius
Posts: 4603
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 11:44 am

Re: The Many Forms of Mahakala

Post by Aemilius »

The article is alright, but the Six Armed Mahakala is a principal Shangpa Kagyu protector, it spread from Shangpa Kagyu to the other schools.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangpa_Kagyu
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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