Holder of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel: Four-Armed Chenrezig
Thousand-Armed Chenrezig (Main Figure)
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(Top to bottom): Manjushri, Vajrapani, Thousand-Armed Chenrezig, Green Tara and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Thousand-Armed Chenrezig (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit); Arya Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha (Sanskrit); All-Seeing Universal Lord (English); Noble Thousand-Armed Eleven-Headed (English)
Chenrezig is known as the Buddha of Compassion and his thousand-armed form is testament to his unceasing mission to help sentient beings overcome their suffering. Upon gaining enlightenment, Chenrezig made a vow never to rest until he has freed all sentient beings from the torment of samsara or cyclic rebirth.
Despite his best and strenuous efforts through which he saved countless beings, still many countless more remained within samsara. Struggling to comprehend the needs of so many beings, Chenrezig’s head split into 11 pieces. Upon seeing his plight, his guru – the Buddha Amitabha – appeared to him and taking the 11 pieces, made him 11 new heads which Chenrezig could use to hear the cries of all those left in samsara. Hearing so many beings, Chenrezig endeavoured to stretch his arms out to assist them but found that his arms shattered into pieces from the effort to help all. Coming to his aid once more, the Buddha Amitabha bestowed him with a thousand new arms with which to aid sentient beings.
10 of Chenrezig’s 11 heads represent the 10 stages on the Bodhisattva’s path to Buddhahood. The 11th represents complete enlightenment in the form of the Buddha Amitabha. All his heads appear in peaceful form, save his black head which is wrathful. It represents Chenrezig’s compassion to help even those who are the most difficult to tame.
Chenrezig has eight principal hands, the first two with palms joined at the level of his heart while hold a wish-fulfilling gem, which represents bodhicitta or the compassionate mind of enlightenment. Five of his other primary hands hold a crystal mala symbolic of leading beings out of samsara in the same way that one bead leads to another; a lotus representing wisdom; an empowerment vase symbolic of purification of negative karma; a wheel representing his teaching of the Dharma; and a bow and arrow symbolic of his use of wisdom and skilful means to aid others. His eighth principal hand is shown in the mudra of supreme giving from which is visualised nectar that provides relief from suffering. His remaining 992 hands are also in the mudra of supreme giving.
Each of his 1,000 arms have eyes in the centre of their palms, representing not only Chenrezig’s ability to see the torment all sentient beings go through, but also the 1,000 Buddhas of our aeon. In essence, he represents the enlightened activity of all 1,000 Buddhas combined into one figure. Draped over Chenrezig’s left shoulder is a deer skin. In ancient India it was believed that deer were born with natural compassion; as the deer skin covers his heart, it symbolises Chenrezig’s unceasing love and compassion for all sentient beings.
The Thousand-Armed Chenrezig is the main object of refuge in the profound fasting retreat practice known as Nyungne. The practice includes the keeping of strict vows, maintaining complete silence and fasting. It centres on the recitations of prayers and mantras while visualising the Thousand-Armed Chenrezig. ‘Nyungne’ in Tibetan literally means ‘abiding in the fast’ and the practice is believed to heal diseases, help one to develop compassion and purify negative karma.
The origins of Nyungne stem from a figure known as Gelongma Palmo. She was an Afghani princess who lived during a time when Afghanistan was once a great Buddhist kingdom. She became a fully ordained Buddhist nun who overcame the dreaded disease of leprosy through the practice of Nyungne and reliance upon Thousand-Armed Chenrezig. It was from this venerable nun that the extraordinary lineage of Nyungne practice began.
Deity: Manjushri (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Jampal Yang (Tibetan)
Manjushri is known as the Buddha of Wisdom. He holds a wisdom sword which cuts ignorance from our lives, and the stem of a lotus on top of which rests a Perfection of Wisdom text, symbolic of his practice granting wisdom, insight and merit. He is closely associated with Chenrezig as they are part of the trinity known as Rigsum Gonpo (Three Protectors).
Deity: Vajrapani
Alternative name: Chagna Dorje (Tibetan)
The third deity in the Rigsum Gonpo triad, Vajrapani represents the energy or power of the enlightened beings. He holds a vajra aloft in his right hand, noose in his left and stands in a warrior pose. He is also known as the Lord of Secrets, since he bestows practitioners with the special aptitude to practise tantra. He is well-known to pacify inner and outer maras. Inner maras are delusions and the self-grasping mind ,while outer maras refer to malevolent spirits and obstructing beings.
Deity: Green Tara
Alternative name: Drolma
Tara is said to have arisen from a tear cried by Chenrezig when he saw the plight of beings suffering. Another story tells of how she emanated from his heart. Known as the Mother of Liberation, Tara represents compassion and the virtues of success in working to help others. She sits in the middle of Chenrezig’s pure land called Potala, with the Buddha Amitabha seated at the top of the celestial palace. Amitabha is considered the guru of both Chenrezig and Tara and his placement at the top of the palace signifies their honouring of him as their spiritual teacher.
Deity: Dorje Shugden
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri in the form of a Dharma Protector. He clears obstacles and provides conducive conditions for spiritual practice to flourish, especially for those who practise compassion and work for the benefit of others. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering wisdom sword. He rides a snow lion which represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha.
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Many a times ,in my dreams I chant mantras like ; Om Mani padme hum and Om ara pas na dhi..
What does this signifies ??
Its truly amazing art painting thangka of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig Manjushri, Vajrapani, Green Tara and Dorje Shugden. Chenrezig is known as Avalokitesvara and is the most revered of all Bodhisattva, embodying the compassion of all Buddhas who promised to help all sentient beings overcome their suffering.
Interesting read with simple explanation for us to understand better .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing