The Indian Pandit, Chandrakirti
Chandrakirti (Main figure)
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(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. Later, he was ordained as a monk at the great monastic institution of Nalanda and went on to study both Sutra and Tantra, along with non-Buddhist philosophical systems as well.
Later, Chandrakirti met the great master Nagarjuna and received numerous teachings on Sutra and Tantra from him, following which he was able to gain high states of realisation. When in the monastery, nobody saw him meditate, study or work, and this earned him the reputation of being a lazy monk, engaging in only the three lower actions of sleeping, eating and defecating. The abbot decided to fix the issue and assigned him as the caretaker of the monastery. He also assigned another monk named Suryakirti to assist him.
The monastery owned a number of cows which provided the monks with milk, their daily form of sustenance. However, Chandrakirti allowed them to roam free and over time, the monks realised that despite the fact the cows were allowed to roam free, he was still able to provide the monastery with enough milk. Eventually, it was revealed by Suryakirti that Chandrakirti was able to milk a painting of a cow through his spiritual abilities, rather than needing to milk the actual cows. Later, Chandrakirti was also able to save the monastery from a raging army by creating the illusion of a moving stone lion.
Chandrakirti was a prolific author and wrote various commentaries to Nagarjuna’s famous works. In fact, Lama Tsongkhapa was famous for asking Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, whether he could rely on Chandrakirti’s writings in order to comprehend Nagarjuna’s view. Manjushri replied that one can have complete trust in Chandrakirti’s wisdom because he clearly understood Nagarjuna’s intent.
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 Tara Tantras, it is said that she was a Bodhisattva disciple of the Buddha of another world system. Her name was Yeshe Dawa and she had deep faith in the Buddha of that world system and made tremendous offerings to him. She also went to receive teachings and engaged in deep meditations as well. At one time, she received a special teaching on the development of Bodhicitta – the infinitely compassionate mental state of a Bodhisattva.
After the teachings, some monks approached her and suggested that because of her level of attainments, she should pray to be reborn as a male to progress further in her next life. She contemplated their words and told the monks that it is only the “ignorant minded” who see gender as a barrier to attaining enlightenment. Nevertheless, she realised that there have been few who have developed the aspiration to work for the welfare of sentient beings in a female form. Therefore, she made the aspiration to be reborn in a female form again and again, to work tirelessly to liberate all beings until samsara is emptied. She then remained in a state of meditation and perceiving her supreme aspiration, the Buddha prophesied that she would manifest enlightenment and be known as the Goddess Tara. She is associated mainly with enlightened activity and protection. 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: 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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Like the great saint Shantideva, Chandakirti was most humble and unassuming. Although he was a highly realised Master and foremost among the disciples of Nagarjuna, the ‘peerless interpreter of Lord Buddha’s teachings on the ultimate view of Emptiness’, he gave the appearance of doing nothing but sleeping, eating and defecating. Thus Suryakirti , assigned by the abbot of Nalanda to check on Chandikirti, discovered that so high were his realizations, Chandakirti was able to milk a cow from a drawing and provide the monastery with all the cow’s milk it needed, instead of having to milk a few cows.
Thus was Chandakirti praised by the great Atisha in the following verse:
“How can emptiness be realized?
Chandrakirti, disciple of he who was predicted by the Tathagata,
Of he who saw the true suchness of phenomena: Nagarjuna.
Through his lineage of instructions you will see the true suchness of phenomena”.
Pabongka Rinpoche(in the Lamrim): “Acharya Chandarkirti was the best of Nagarjuna’s followers”.
Manjushri also told Lama Tsongkhapa that he could have complete trust in Chandrakirti’s wisdom because he clearly understood Nagarjuna’s intent.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this lovely thangka which also features the beautiful and compassionate Goddess Tara who had made the aspiration to be reborn in a female form again and again, to work tirelessly to liberate all beings until samsara is emptied. Wisdom Protector, Dorje Shugden, who arose to protect Buddha’s teachings, particularly, the Middle Way View propounded by Nagarjuna, is also featured in this thangka.
Beautiful rime thangka art paintings of The Indian Pandit, Chandrakirti, Green Tara and Dorje Shugden. Interesting short biography of Chandrakiti a Buddhist scholar of the Madhyamaka school and a noted commentator on the works of Nagarjuna. As depicted with Green Tara a female Buddha who is one of the most known goddesses in the Buddhist world. Tara has many forms and appears in many colors and differentiation of her energy. Having these two powerful deities alongside with Dorje Shugden becomes more powerful and beneficial .
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.