The Powerful Trio for Protection Against Spirits
Dukkar Se Sum (Main figure)
Click on image to enlarge
(Top to bottom): Sengdongma, Dukkar, Prajnaparamita and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Dukkar (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Sitatapatra (Sanskrit); White Parasol (English)
The awe-inspiring Dukkar is an extremely efficacious female deity. According to scriptural sources, her all-powerful form emerged from the ushnisha or sacred crown protuberance of Buddha Shakyamuni, while he was in deep meditative absorption amidst the assembly of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Her supreme practice was popular in ancient India and has managed to retain its popularity to this day because it is extremely potent in averting obstacles for Buddhist practitioners.
In fact, Dukkar is invoked to protect practitioners from a wide range of problems and calamities ranging from attacks from malevolent spirits to unjustified legal suits. Her mantra is also said to repel negative interferences and purify negative defilements. Furthermore, her long mantra or dharani is traditionally worn in an amulet for protection, even in extremely dangerous circumstances, and it also has the power to alter adverse weather conditions. The protective blessings of Dukkar are invoked in a number of rituals such as her torma offering, fire puja, the creation of a protective circle, drawing of her mandala and her dharanis, which are often inserted into stupas and statues as highly sacred items.
Dukkar is commonly depicted with a form that has 1,000 heads, 1,000 arms, 1,000 legs and thousands of eyes that oversee sentient beings. With her main left hand, she holds a white parasol from which she takes her name. Her skin is radiant white in colour and her body is adorned with the various accoutrements of a Bodhisattva. In Gelug monasteries, prayers to Dukkar, Sengdongma and the Prajnaparamita are recited before a formal debate session in order to eliminate obstacles. This recitation has since become a popular puja employed by the monks to effectively remove obstacles and is colloquially known as Dukkar Se Sum.
Deity: Sengdongma (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Simhamukha (Sanskrit); Lion-Faced Dakini (English)
The great ferocious dakini Sengdongma is an impressive female meditational deity. Within the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug traditions, Sengdongma arises from the Chakrasamvara cycle of Tantras and is considered to be one of the attendant dakinis within the mandala of Vajra Yogini. Sengdongma’s practice belongs to the Lower Tantra classification. The form of Sengdongma prevalent in the Nyingma tradition is a unique one. In this tradition, she is considered the ‘secret’ form of Guru Padmasambhava, according to the inner, outer and secret manifestations of his form.
During the time of Buddha Amitabha which was aeons before Buddha Shakyamuni, there lived a demon by the name of Garab Wangchuk whose daughter was a lion-faced demoness named Tramen Sengdongma. She thrived on killing many innocent beings and her trail of destruction became widespread. She threatened sincere practitioners and undermined Buddha Amitabha’s teachings. It was then that the enlightened beings gathered to manifest an identical-looking being in order to tame the demoness. Through the collective blessings of all the enlightened beings, a wisdom being appeared in the form of a lion-faced dakini, who was empowered by all the Buddhas to subjugate the demoness. The dakini, Sengdongma, was far more powerful than the demoness and when they fought, the demoness began to lose her strength. Furthermore, Sengdongma entered a deep state of concentration called Taming the Maras and thus emanated countless dakinis who continued her work of subduing demons. In this manner, Tramen Sengdongma was subdued and took an oath to serve the Dharma and became a protector.
Deity: Prajnaparamita (Sanskrit)
Alternative names: Yum Chenmo (Tibetan)
Prajnaparamita literally means ’Perfection of Wisdom’ in Sanskrit and this refers to perfect non-conceptual wisdom, the last of the Six Perfections; the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, with its central theme on emptiness, was recovered by Nagarjuna from Nagaraja, the King of the Nagas who had been guarding them at the bottom of the sea.
Prajnaparamita also refers to the female deity who is the embodiment of transcendent wisdom and Prajnaparamita is therefore known as the Mother of the Buddhas. It is said that Buddha Shakyamuni himself meditated on Prajnaparamita. In Tibet, Prajnaparamita is known as Yum Chenmo or the ‘Great Mother’ and features prominently in the Chod tantric system created by the Tibetan female master, Machig Labdron.
Deity: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Vajra Rudra (Sanskrit)
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He took the form of a Dharma Protector in order to safeguard the Buddha’s teachings, especially the important teachings on the Middle Way View. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering sword and rides a snowlion that represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha. Thus, he has great strength to overcome obstacles of the body, speech and mind, and create suitable conditions for our spiritual practice to flourish. Furthermore, he carries a jewel-spitting mongoose and a vajra hook to symbolise that he has the tremendous ability to bestow wealth and resources.
Click here for more beautiful thangkas.
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Dukkar (Tibetan)is one of many powerful female deities. She is venerated in both the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. She is regarded as an invincible protector against every form of supernatural danger, such as demons, black magic, and astrologically ordained mishaps. Sengdongma, the Lion-faced Dakini is a female Dharma Protector regarded as a wrathful emanation of Guru Rinpoche / Padmasambhava. While Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri.
Beautiful and powerful thangka of Dukkar with Dorje Shugden , Sengdongma, and Prajnaparamita.