There are seventy-five forms of Mahakala, each with a different origin, name and iconography. The present one is of Chaturbhuja (four-armed) Mahakala with four-faces, the form that especially protects Buddhist teachings. The pot-bellied Mahakala's body and front face are painted dark blue and expression as usual is wrathful. His right face is white, and his left face is yellow, while the upper face is red. He carries a vajra-tipped chopper and a skull cup in his two main hands. He also holds a rosary of human skulls and a vase filled with jewels, in his principal left hand. His upper right hand holds a flaming sword, and his upper left hand holds a flaming lance with banner. He wears silk scarves, a tiger-skin skirt, and an elephant-skin cloak. He has jeweled and bone ornaments. He stands on a lotus base, his right lunging sideward, and his two feet are stepping on a human figure representing obstacles. There is wisdom fire aureole behind his body.
According to a legend, the four-armed Mahakala manifested in the first century B.C. in India to Nagarjuna during meditation and promised to protect Buddhism. The teaching lineage of four-faced Mahakala passed down from Nagarjuna until it reached Tibet in eleventh century A.D. In the twelfth century, the lineage was passed to a then head lama of the Sakyapa sect, and Mahakala became one of the main protectors of that tradition. The deity is now very important to the Gelupa sect as well. Tibetan generally place a Mahakala sculpture or thangka or mask into a "Mahakala protector house" (Gon Khang) in each of the temples. In Tibet, Gon Khang exist everywhere in monasteries and in private homes. Thangkas, sculptures and wall paintings are placed in these protector houses with offerings. Chanting to all the Mahakala s, as well as to other protector deities, is done morning and evening in the Gon Khang by a spiritual person called Kang So Lama.
Thus the Chaturbhuja Mahakala has a very important place in Tibetan Buddhism. The present thangka is very suitable for sadhana, practices and for Go Khang.
The four arms of 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.
In addition to the ubiquitous skull cup and chopper, the Chatur-bhuja Mahakala holds in his other two arms a khatvanga (left hand) and flaming sword respectively. The khatvanga is a kind of ritual staff having three human heads at the upper end. These represent the overcoming of the three roots of evil, namely greed (raga), ill will (dvesha), and delusion (moha).
The sword is the flaming weapon of transcendental wisdom (prajna) with which Mahakala destroys ignorance. The latter is the principal attribute of Buddhist deities especially associated with overcoming ignorance and embodying the wisdom aspect of enlightenment within their physical forms.
The four-armed Mahakala is significant to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade
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