The Mother Who Saves from Death: Ten-Armed Kali
Ten-Armed Kali (Main figure)
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(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 essence of time and hence, she is believed to devour all things. Kali is a goddess of time, death and destruction, and is also the goddess of rebirth and growth as all things new must have its causes in something old. She is widely worshipped by gods and men and in some traditions, she has come to represent the benevolence of a mother goddess.
In Hindu Tantra, Kali embodies shakti (feminine power), creativity and fertility, and she is widely considered to be the incarnation of Parvati, the goddess consort of Shiva. She is widely represented in art as a wrathful figure bearing a necklace of heads, a skirt of arms, a lolling tongue and brandishing a knife dripping with the blood of the slain demons.
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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Beautiful art paintings of Kali and Dorje Shugden. First time coming across this Goddess. Kali is the Hindu goddess of death, time, and doomsday and is often is also the goddess of rebirth and growth. These protector deities has various form as depicted in this art is in a wrathful and powerful deity along side with the Powerful Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.