White Mahakala, The Protector of Wealth
White Mahakala (Main figure)
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(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 11th Century. His practice exists within many other Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including the Gelug tradition. In this form, Mahakala is both a protector deity and a meditational deity, whose function is to increase wealth and material abundance for spiritual practitioners. When practitioners no longer need to worry about mundane needs, they can spend more time developing themselves spiritually.
He appears wrathful, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel, a skull cup containing a vase filled with jewels, a curved flaying knife, a trident, a damaru drum and a vajra hook. These implements symbolise his ability to increase material and spiritual wealth, to attract all things positive, and to purify our negative karma and cut away the delusions that stop us from attaining higher states of consciousness.
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 thangka. White Mahakala, is a powerful deity of wealth and prosperity. He is a wrathful form of the deity of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. An emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. The practice of White Mahakala is done to bring wealth and good fortune in the areas of family, business, knowledge and spirituality. The practice removes obstacles to the flow of prosperity and invokes positive energies.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.