Interpreting Guhyasamaja

Guhyasamaja is also known as Akshobhyavajra. Guhyasamaja is also known as the foremost tutelary deity. Foremost tutelary deity is the Method-father class of Anuttarayoga tantra.

The life of Guhyasamaja

In this portion, we are going to learn about the life of Guhyasamaja.after after the short etymological description of the word Guhyasamajaa itself, and finally, we will highlight the Anuttarayoga tantra.

Etymology of Guhyasamaja

Guhyasamaja is known as Gsang ’dus rtsa rgyud in Tibet. Guhasamaja is one of the most important scriptures of Tantric Buddhism.

Anuttarayoga tantra

Anuttarayoga Tantra is often translated as Unexcelled Yoga Tantra or Highest Yoga Tantra. Anuttarayoga Tantra is a term used in Tibetan Buddhism in the categorization of esoteric tantric Indian Buddhist texts that constitute part of the Kangyur.  It is translated from the words of The Buddha in the Tibetan Buddhist canon.

AnutaraYoga Tantra is a group of texts which was never brought to Japan and practiced, although a few seem to be included in the Tripitaka, they are not practiced. These tantras are practiced in Tibetan Buddhism and Newar Buddhism. There are numerous texts and practices in the Highest Yoga Tantra category.

Earlier, we learn about the life of Guhyasamaja. Now, we’re going to learn about the iconography of Guhyasamaja.

Iconography of the Guhyasamaj

In the iconography of Guhyasamaja, we will learn about his body posture, hand and leg gestures, and different representations of Guhyasamaja in thangka and statue.

Posture of the Guhyasamaja

Guhyasamaja is  Semi-peaceful in appearance. Guhyasamaja is blue in color. Guhyasamaj has three faces i.e. blue, white, and red.

The main pair of hands of Guhyasamaja hold a vajra and bell embracing the consort and also with three faces. This form of Akshobhyavajra has only two eyes per face. Other traditions describe three eyes per face.

In the remaining hands of Guhyasamaja, they both hold a lotus, wheel, sword, and precious jewel.  Guhyasamaja is adorned with peaceful ornaments and silk garments. They sit in atop a sun disc and multi-colored lotus blossom surrounded by a red-orange nimbus and green aureola.

The canine teeth of Guhyasamaja are pointed and clenched, frowning. He has three eyes. The right face of Guhyasamaja is white in a peaceful manner.

The left face of Guhyasamaja is red in a desirous manner. All three faces are adorned with very beautiful eyebrows. Each of the six hands is adorned with precious rings.

The first two hands of Guhyasamaja hold a nine-pointed vajra and a bell embracing the consort who is in the same appearance as the Father. The right second hand of Guhyasamaja holds a white wheel with eight spokes. The third hand of Guhyasamaja holds a red lotus with eight petals.

The left second hand of Guhyasamaja holds a green jewel with nine facets. The third hand of Guhyasamaja holds a sword, bright blue and blazing with rays of light. He is Seated with the legs in vajra posture.

He is adorned with the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks. The hair and braids are tied on the crown of the head. The jewel on the crown of the head greatly blazes with soothing rays of light like the sun and moon.

Guhyasamaja is adorned with eight different types of precious ornaments which are present a crown, earrings, choker, necklace, armlets, bracelets, long necklaces, and belt.

The ears are made more beautiful with blue utpalas and ribbons. He is wearing various heavenly garments bright like Indra’s bow rainbow.

Earlier, we learn about the life of Guhyasamaja and the iconography of Guhyasamaja. Now, we are going to learn about depicting Guhyasamaja.

Depicting Guhyasamaja Thangka

The thangka if Guhyasamaja is from Tibet. The thangka is made between 1600 – 1699 AD. The base of the painting is Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton. Presently, this painting is in the Rubin Museum of Art.

By depicting this thangka, we will learn about the presentation of Guhyasamaja with Vajradhara, Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja, Lokeshvara Guhyasamaja, Chaturbhuja Mahakala,Rakta Yamari, Humkara

Vajradhara

Vajradhara is in the top center of the thangka. Vajradhara is surrounded by four figures, King Indrabhuti, a bodhisattva like a figure and two monks.

Vajradhara is also known as the primordial buddha and the dharmakaya buddha. Vajradhara is depicted as dark blue in color. He has expressed the quintessence of Buddhahood itself.

Vajradhara represents the essence of the historical Buddha’s realization of enlightenment. Historically, Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodhgaya over 2500 years ago and then manifested as the Buddha. According to Buddhist cosmology, he was the Fourth Historic Buddha of this fortunate eon.

Prince Siddhartha’s achievement of enlightenment, the realization, or wisdom of enlightenment itself is called the dharmakaya, the body of truth. When he expresses that realization through subtle symbols. His realization is called the sambhogakaya, the body of enjoyment.

Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja

Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja is on the left side of Guhyasamaja in the thangka. Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja is orange in color.

Lokeshvara Guhyasamaja.

Lokeshvara Guhyasamaja. is in the right of Guhyasamaja in the thangka., Lokeshvara Guhyasamaja. is red in color.

Chaturbhuja Mahakala

Chaturbhuja Mahakala

Chaturbhuja Mahakala is in the bottom center of the Guhyasamaja in the thangka. Chaturbhuja Mahakala is green in color with one face and four hands embracing the consort.

Chaturbhuja Mahakala is a male Buddhist deity who is wrathful in appearance. Generally, Chaturbhuja Mahakala is blue in color. Chaturbhuja Mahakala is principally a protector deity associated with the Chakrasamvara cycle of tantric literature and practice.

Rakta Yamari

Rakta Yamari is on the left of the Guhyasamaja in the thangka. Rakta Yamari is red in color.  He is embracing the consort Vajra Vetali and riding atop a red buffalo. Rakta Yamari is a Tantric Buddhist meditational deity believed to be an emanation of the deity and bodhisattva Manjushri.

There are two general types of Yamari deities – red Rakta and black Krishna. The Red Rakta Yamari has several different traditions each primarily differentiated by the number of deities represented in the mandala and the associated human lineage teachers. The Krishna and Rakta Yamari figures belong to the New Sarma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and are practiced in all of the main schools.

Manjushri has a number of popular meditational forms belonging to the Anuttarayoga Class of Tantric Buddhism which is primarily the Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja, Vajrabhairava, and the two Yamari red and black. Manjushri also has dozens of peaceful meditation forms originating in the Kriya, Charya, and Yoga Tantras.

Humkara

Humkara is on the right side of the Guhyasamaja in the thangka. Humkara is a wrathful blue Humkara. Humkara is with three faces and six hands.

Earlier, we learn about the life of Guhyasamaja and the iconography of Guhyasamaja. Finally, we learn about depicting Guhyasamaja.

Vajrakilaya Thangka

Vajrakilaya is the wrathful Heruka Vajrakilaya is the yidam deity. This Thangka is handpainted in Bhaktapur Nepal by Master Thangka Artist.

Buy Vajrakilaya Thangka