Machig Labdron (Main figure)

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(Top to bottom): Heruka Chakrasamvara, Green Tara, Prajnaparamita, Vajravarahi, Machig Labdron, Padampa Sangye, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Troma Nagmo, Chang Shon, Tsiu Marpo and Dorje Shugden.

Deity: Machig Labdron (Tibetan)
Machig Labdron’s name means ‘Sole Mother from Lab’ and she is widely considered to be a dakini and an emanation of the Buddha Prajnaparamita or Yum Chenmo in Tibetan. Machig Labdron was a historical figure and great female master who was a contemporary of Milarepa and the founder of the Mahamudra of Chod, which literally means ‘Great Seal of Severance’.

Machig Labdron derived her tantric lineage from the Shije or ‘Pacification of Suffering’ teachings that were transmitted to her from her Indian master, Padampa Sangye. According to traditional sources, Machig Labdron and Padampa Sangye stayed for some time in Bhutan near Taktsang Monastery. Their meditation caves can still be seen today and a temple has since been built within Machig Labdron’s cave.

Chod refers to the severance or the cutting through the grasping of the self along with its accompanying emotional afflictions. The tantric practice involves a famous meditation of transforming one’s imagined physical body into a food offering for ghosts, demons and other unseen beings as a means to eliminate the self-grasping mind and replace it with the mind of great compassion. Simultaneously, the practice of Chod aims to help us realise the true nature of our mind.

Deity: Heruka Chakrasamvara (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Khorlo Demchok (Tibetan)
Heruka is the principle deity of the Chakrasamvara Tantras. He is a meditational Buddha of the Highest Yoga Tantra classification, which means that his practice has the potential to bring us directly towards enlightenment within one lifetime. Heruka’s practice uniquely utilises desire as a means towards achieving liberation from samsara or suffering. Heruka is also one of the main Tantras that most of the 84 Mahasiddhas of ancient India relied upon in order to gain their great attainments.

Deity: Arya Tara (Sanskrit)
Alternative names: Green Tara (English); Shyama Tara (Sanskrit); Drolma (Tibetan); Droljang (Tibetan)
Tara is known as Jetsun Drolma in Tibetan and she is a very important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. She is known as the ‘saviouress’ and is also considered the embodiment of the activity of all the Buddhas. In the ancient text known as the Praise to the 21 Taras, Tara is said to have emanated in 21 main forms. The most popular of these forms are the Green and White Taras. Green Tara is considered the main emanation and associated primarily with enlightened activity and protection, and White Tara is associated with the pacification of inner and outer illnesses. She is known to have been particularly close to a large number of great Indian and Tibetan masters like Atisha, Shakya Shri Bhadra and so forth. With her right leg extended in her ever-readiness to assist, Tara is known for swift action and manifests many miracles through her sacred images in both India and Tibet.

Deity: Prajnaparamita (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: 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 of 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 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: Vajravarahi (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Dorje Phagmo (Tibetan)
In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajravarahi is a semi-wrathful form of Vajra Yogini, who in turn is associated with the Chakrasamvara Tantra. In terms of iconography, she is the female counterpart of Heruka Chakrasamvara and is widely practised in many Tibetan Buddhist traditions but principally relied on within the Kagyu tradition. Her practice is said to confer very high attainments.

Deity: Padampa Sangye (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Buddha Paramapita (Sanskrit); Buddha Excellent Father (English)
Padampa Sangye’s Tibetan name translates into Sanskrit as Buddha Paramapita or “Buddha Excellent Father.” He is often identified by the descriptive name Nakpopa or “Black One”. He was a famous Indian mahasiddha and travelled to Tibet in order to transmit many Sutra and Tantra teachings in the late 11^th Century. In total, he travelled to Tibet more than five times. However, he met Machig Labdron only on his third trip to Tibet. Padampa Sangye is included in many lineages of Chod and therefore, he is known as the Father of Chod and he is also known for his teachings on “the Pacification of Suffering” or Shije. This teaching is the central teaching of the Mahamudra Chod lineages founded by Machig Labdron.

Deity: Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (Tibetan)
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (1905-84) was born in Kham, Tibet and entered Gaden Monastery at a young age. He was awarded the Lharampa Geshe degree when he was 25 and then he entered the Tantric College of Gyuto. In the monastery, he became renowned as a learned Geshe and an erudite debater. In 1937 he was appointed Abbot of Shartse, a position he held for nine years. Then in 1959, Rinpoche went into exile in India and was appointed the Principal of the Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath. Upon completion of his tenure, he returned to his home monastery, Gaden Shartse, which was relocated to South India. Rinpoche first travelled to the West in 1978 on the request of Lama Thubten Yeshe. He travelled to the West on three occasions and remained for extended periods of time in order to teach in the US and Europe. He ended up teaching and guiding thousands of Westerners who received teachings from him in the West and in India as well. All thangkas as part of this series that include Dorje Shugden were commissioned and produced by Tsem Rinpoche and his students. As Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is Tsem Rinpoche’s Root Guru, Zong Rinpoche was included in this thangka because he was an extraordinary master of the Chod teachings.

Deity: Troma Nagmo (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Krodha Kali (Sanskrit)
The black dakini Troma Nagmo’s name means ’The Black Wrathful Mother’. She is the embodiment of wisdom. Her practice is intimately linked with certain Chod lineages. The practice of Troma Nagmo provides us with an extremely powerful means to cut through our delusions and obstacles, thus revealing our inherent wisdom nature.

Deity: Chang Shon (Tibetan)
The protector Chang Shon is a special protector of the Chod lineage. She has the unique physical attributes of being black in colour, naked and with one face and two arms while riding a blue wolf with nine heads.

Deity: Tsiu Marpo (Tibetan)
Tsiu Marpo is known as a red ‘tsen’ demon and he is the principal worldly protector of Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. He is worshipped in a trinity of protectors known as Gyalpo Sum within the Sakya School, together with Dorje Setrap and Dorje Shugden. Within his mandala, he is part of the emanations known as the Seven Blazing Brothers. Dorje Shugden’s main minister, Kache Marpo is believed to be one with Tsi’u Marpo.

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.

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