The Tamer of Demons: King Trisong Detsen
King Trisong Detsen (Main figure)
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(Top to bottom): King Trisong Detsen, Guru Rinpoche, Shantarakshita and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: King Trisong Detsen (Tibetan)
King Trisong Detsen is known as one of the Three Dharma Kings of Tibet, together with Songtsen Gampo and Tri Ralpachen. He played a pivotal role in establishing Buddhism in Tibet, for example by inviting the great Indian master Shantarakshita to establish the country’s first community of ordained Buddhist monks. He also famously invited Guru Rinpoche to Tibet in order to subdue the supernatural beings hampering Shantarakshita’s sacred works. Through their combined efforts, Buddhism was established and spread throughout the entire region.
Deity: Guru Rinpoche (Tibetan)
Alternative names: Guru Padmasambhava (Sanskrit); Pema Jungne (Tibetan)
Guru Rinpoche is highly revered within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He was invited to Tibet to subdue powerful obstructive beings who opposed the spread of Buddha’s teachings. He waged supernatural war with these deities and won due to his high spiritual attainments. Instead of vanquishing these obstructive beings, he chose to follow the Buddha’s teaching on compassion and bound them to oath never to harm sentient beings again. They promised to protect and provide for practitioners on the Buddhist path. One such being was Nechung, also known as Pehar Gyalpo. Once a powerful spirit from Persia, he came to reside in Tibet and after battling with Guru Rinpoche, he was subdued.
Deity: Shantarakshita (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Shiwa Tsho (Tibetan)
Shantarakshita was a great Indian pandit from Nalanda Monastery. The King of Tibet at that time, Trisong Detsen, invited him to Tibet in order to establish the country’s first monastic community at Samye Monastery. However, local supernatural beings hampered his efforts to spread the Dharma there. It was then that he advised King Trisong Detsen to invite the great Tantric practitioner Guru Rinpoche in order to subdue these negative forces. Once these forces were subdued, Shantarakshita was able to ordain the first seven monks in Tibet according to the Sarvastivadin tradition which descended through the incomparable master Nagarjuna. He spent the rest of his life tirelessly teaching and upholding Buddhist practice. He was one of the most influential masters whose efforts resulted in Buddhism’s introduction to 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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King Trisong Detsen was the second of the Three Dharma Kings of Tibet, playing a pivotal role in the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet. Believed to be an emanation of the bodhisattva Manjushri . A beautiful thangka and short explanation as in this post with Guru Rinpoche, Shantarakshita and Dorje Shugden.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.