Cittipati (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Cittipati and Dorje Shugden Deity: Cittipati (Sanskrit) Alternative names: Durdak Yabyum (Tibetan); Shri Shmashana Adhipati (Sanskrit) According to scriptural sources, Cittipati is also known as Shri Shmashana Adhipati, which literally means “Lord and Lady of the Charnel Ground”. The practice of Cittipati arises from the Secret Essence Wheel...
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1000-Armed Chenrezig (Top to bottom): 1000-Armed Chenrezig and Dorje Shugden Deity: 1000-Armed Chenrezig (English) Alternative names: Arya Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha (Sanskrit); Chenrezig Chag Tong (Tibetan) Chenrezig is known as the Buddha of Compassion and his 1000-armed form is a testament to his unceasing mission to help sentient beings overcome their suffering. Each of his 1,000...
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Vajrapani (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Vajrapani and Dorje Shugden Deity: Vajrapani (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Chagna Dorje (Tibetan) Known as Chagna Dorje in Tibetan, Vajrapani’s name literally means “Holder of the Vajra”. He is wrathful, appearing in the form of a yaksha being. With his right leg bent and left outstretched, he stands in...
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White Tara (Main figure) (Top to bottom): White Tara and Dorje Shugden Deity: White Tara (English) Alternative names: Sita Tara (Sanskrit); Drolkar (Tibetan) In the ancient text known as 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...
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Hayagriva Secret Accomplishment (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Hayagriva Secret Accomplishment and Dorje Shugden Deity: Hayagriva Secret Accomplishment (English) Alternative name: Hayagriva Sangdrup (Tibetan) Hayagriva Secret Accomplishment is a form of Hayagriva popularised by the Shangpa Kagyu master Kyergangpa, who received the practice from Guru Rinpoche in a dream. Masters of other schools of...
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Vaishravana (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Vaishravana and Dorje Shugden Deity: Vaishravana (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Namtose (Tibetan) Vaishravana is an enlightened protector who, in the Tibetan tradition, is relied upon as a great wealth-bestowing deity. He is not to be confused with the unenlightened Vaishravana, who is one of the Four Heavenly Guardian Kings....
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Manjushri (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Manjushri and Dorje Shugden Deity: Manjushri (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Jampelyang (Tibetan) Manjushri is the patron Buddha of Wisdom. In his right hand, he holds a flaming wisdom sword which cuts away the roots of ignorance from our lives and in his left hand, he holds the stem of...
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White Mahakala (Main figure) (Top to bottom): White Mahakala and Dorje Shugden Deity: White Mahakala (English) Alternative names: Gonkar (Tibetan); Shadbhuja Sita Mahakala (Sanskrit) White Mahakala is an emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. He is the principal wealth deity practised within the Shangpa Kagyu tradition founded by Khedrup Khyungpo Naljor in the...
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Buddha Shakyamuni (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Buddha Shakyamuni, Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Buddha Shakyamuni (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Sangye Shakya Tupa (Tibetan) Buddha Shakyamuni is the current and historical Buddha who was born a prince in the region of Lumbini (in what is now Nepal). He left the palace, became a wandering...
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Chandrakirti (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Green Tara, Chandrakirti and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Chandrakirti (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Dawa Drakpa (Tibetan) Chandrakirti was born into a Brahmin family living in Samana, South India. At birth, he was presented to a soothsayer who prophesied that he would become a great Buddhist master when he grew up....
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Ten-Armed Kali (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Kali and Dorje Shugden Deity: Kali (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Lhamo Tromo (Tibetan) Kali is a Hindu goddess whose name means ‘she who is black’ or ‘she who is death’. However, she is also known by other epithets and has many forms. For Hindus, she embodies the very...
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Kurukulle (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Kurukulle and Dorje Shugden Deity: Kurukulle (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Rigchema (Tibetan) The sublime Kurukulle is a female deity who is red in colour. Her practice is one that invokes upon the activity of control and magnetisation. She is in dancing posture and has four arms holding a bow,...
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Six-Armed Mahakala (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Six-Armed Mahakala and Dorje Shugden Deity: Six-Armed Mahakala (English) Alternative names: Shadbhuja Mahakala (Sanskrit); Gonpo Chagdrugpa (Tibetan) Six-Armed Mahakala is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara and propitiated as the protector of the Highest Scope of the Lamrim or the Graduated Stages on the Path to Enlightenment. He is...
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Shantideva (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Shantideva and Dorje Shugden Deity: Shantideva (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Shiwa Lha (Tibetan) Shantideva was a great scholar, monk and saint from Nalanda Monastery in ancient India who was the head of over 500 pandits. Having mastered the teachings, he practised them internally, without any outward display of high...
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Dorje Shugden (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Dorje Shugden 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...
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Vishnu (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Brahma, Vishnu, Lakshmi and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Vishnu (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Khyabjuk (Tibetan) Vishnu is part of a Hindu trinity known as the ‘Trimurti’, together with Brahma and Shiva. They are said to govern the universal processes of Creation, Maintenance and Destruction respectively. Vishnu is known as the...
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Four-Faced Mahakala (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Four-Faced Mahakala with consorts and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Four-Faced Mahakala (English) Alternative names: Chaturmukha Mahakala (Sanskrit); Gonpo Shel Shi (Tibetan) Four-Faced Mahakala is a Dharma Protector associated explicitly with the Heruka Tantras and is propitiated by Heruka practitioners for spiritual protection and for the granting of material...
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Yamantaka (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Yamantaka, Kalarupa and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Yamantaka (Sanskrit) Alternative names: Vajrabhairava (Sanskrit); Shinje She (Tibetan); Dorje Jigje (Tibetan) Yamantaka or Vajrabhairava is the manifestation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Stainless Wisdom. From amongst the many lineages of practices to enter Tibet, two translators Ra Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa...
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