Dharma protectors

[Crazywisdom]

Hi all,

Right, how many types of Dharma protectors are there?

I can think of,

1. Unenlightened
2. Enlightened, appears enlightened
3. Enlightened, appears unenlightened

Jon

[goat]

the 4 kings.

[Crazywisdom]

I'm still a bit ' '

Jon

[Kalki]

Well,
Here I cross my own lines and do a cut and paste of some pertinent info.  Hope it helps!

"Dharmapala is a type of wrathful deity. The name means "Dharma-defender" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapalas are also known as the Defenders of the Law (Dharma) or the Protectors of the Law in English.

In Buddhist iconography, they are invariably depicted as fearsome beings, often with many heads, hands or feet; blue, black or red skin; and a fierce expression with protruding fangs. Though dharmapalas have a terrifying appearance, they are all bodhisattvas or buddhas- embodiments of compassion that act in a wrathful way for the sake of sentient beings.

In Tibet, the eight main Dharmapalas are:

Mahakala (Tib. Nagpo Chenpo)
Yama (Tib. Shinje)
Yamantaka (Tib. Shinje Shed)
Hayagriva (Tib. Tamdrin)
Vaisravana (Tib. Kubera)
Shri Devi (Tib. Palden Lhamo)
Changpa
Prana Atma (Tib. Begtse)
The practice of relying upon Dharmapalas began in ancient India as part of the Buddhist tantra tradition, and spread to Tibet and Japan.

In Tibet, most monasteries have their own dharmapala. Some of the better known Dharmapalas are: Mahakala in his many forms are emanations of Avalokiteshvara(sometimes related the Hindu god Shiva), ; Kalarupa and Yamantaka are considered emanations of the Buddha of Wisdom (Manjushri), and Shri Devi (Tib. Palden Lhamo).

The main functions of a dharmapala are to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations, and to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice. Dharmapalas can be Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Dharmarajas (Damchen in Tibetan). Only the protectors that have realized Shunyata are seen as an object of Buddhist refuge.

The Damchen were originally Tibetan mountain-spirits who were bound under oath to protect the Dharma by Padmasambhava and other Buddhist saints during the period of transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet.

In Japan, the dharmapala Yamantaka (Daiitoku) is classified as a Wisdom King. Some other dharmapalas, notably Mahakala (Daikoku), belong to the fourth hierarchy of deities (tenbu).


Related deities
In Tibetan Buddhism, there are two other classes of defender, the lokap?las and k?etrapalas"

[goat]

http://www.khandro.net/deities_female.htm

 glance over this link...kalki what about the 4 heavenly kings..i am lost a bit also. or alot?

[Crazywisdom]

Thanks for the replies

I called in to see some friends in oxford yesterday lunchtime and took a wander around the book shop and stumbled upon a deck of 36 Tibetan Buddhism meditation cards (a bit like deity Top Trumps ) with a picture on one side and a bit of info on the other. I've not had time to read them yet.

The ones shown are

Yamantaka
White Mahakala
Vajrapani
Vajradhara
Vaishravana
Ushnishavijaya
Prajnaparamita
Manjushri
Maitreya
Mahakala
Kinkara
White Tara
Yama
Guhyasamaja
Green Tara
Chakrasamvara
Bhaisajyaguru
Avalokiteshvara
Amitayus
Virupa
Tsongkhapa
Suchandra
Shakyamuni
Saraha
Rudrachakrin
Padmasambhava
Milarepa
Machig Labdron
Hvashang
Vairocana
Samantabhadra
Ratnasambhava
Amoghasiddhi
Amitabha
Akshobhya

Yet more stuff to read

Jon

[goat]

thanks you guys...sometimes i dont understand what i am reading. but its clarified now.

[spiritnoname]

 I imagine if you wanted to you could divide the Dharmapala into such finite categories that you'd have more types than Dharmapala.

[John]

Hey Isn`t that the town where Dalai Lama lives? (Dharmapala)

[spiritnoname]

Dharmasala I think you are thinking of.

[John]

  oops....Dharmasala, Dharamsala, Dharmapala ...got confused a bit

[sarit]

Is Mahakala the same as Shiva based on Kalki's description.

[spiritnoname]

I don't think Mahakala is the same as Shiva,.... Maybe in some ways they are similar...

[sarit]

Thank you

[Guardian of the Gate]

The whole Shiva Maha Kala connection is a hard sell to Buddhists because many see Shiva as "unenlightened".  Shiva (or Siva) is for all intensive purposes described as the absolute, pure and untainted force (mind) of the universe according to Hindu Tantra (especially in Kashmiri Shaivism and other non dualist schools).  Shiva is the creator, destroyer, sustainer plus two other powers 9liberation and obsruction) and all the Gods are a representation of his energies (shakti).   Maha Kala is identified as a force of Siva, especially with Time and movement of the planets in Hindu Tantra.  See this link for a brief description http://www.shivashakti.com/mahakala.htm  From my exprience, the power of Siva is great, especially in the funtion of Kala Bhairava, who is described in numerous texts exactly like Vajra Bhairava from the Vajrayana.  In fact, the Siva Sutras and a Tamil Tantric text called the Tirumantrium contain numerous teachings that correspond with Vajrayana, especially Kalacakra.  Now keep in mind all these come from different traditions who have seen the same functions of the Universe and through culture expressed it in a different way.  I however still have much to learn, still fear death and far from crossing the sea of Samsara to an expert in this field.