Articles
Chemchok Heruka with Consort-Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Painting
by Kapil Goel DirectorIn Tibetan Buddhism, Chemchok Heruka is most notably known
to be the focal divinity in the Fifty-eight Wrathful Deities mandala where he is
the furious aspect of Samantabhadra. These 58 deities are said to be wrathful
deities one can meet in death and rebirth. He is also known as the Mahottara Heruka.
Meanwhile, in the Guhyagarbha Tantra, he is the main deity among the Heruka of
the Eight Commandments of Accomplishments (Nyingmapa lineage) in Tibet. Please
take a closer look at the thangka and notice that he is depicted with nine
heads, all wrathful. Eighteen arms and eight legs can also be seen in the painting.
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| Chemchok Heruka -Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Painting |
Following terton the tradition (or a person who was
a follower of Padmasambhava, the founder of 8th-century Nyingmapa), deities
such as Chemchok Heruka may take on varying forms depending on the needs of the
times. The wings remain consistent in most depictions, as seen in this one
behind the arms. On his waist is the skin of the tiger. Another notable element
in this Thangka Painting is his consort
Namshyalma in a union position. This yab-yum (lit. father-mother) is a symbol
of the union of a deity and his consort, the union of strength and wisdom of
the male and female. She holds a skull cap and the hands-on her right side
represent the manifestations of eight bodhisattvas (gaurima), while the ones on
her left are the manifestations of eight female bodhisattvas (singhama).
In addition, the skull caps also appear to have
blood, as Heruka in Tibetan
Painting translates to darg tung (blood drinker). Zoom in near the
lower part of the thangka and there are groups of colored spheres each packed
with offerings for the deities. The larger bowls appear to be skulls that
represent elements of the senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and
thinking). This symbolizes an offering of senses to the wrathful deities as
symbols of their beings in exchange for blessings.
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About Kapil Goel 
Director
240 connections, 14 recommendations, 1,600 honor points.Joined APSense since, December 19th, 2019, From Roseville, United States.
Created on Jun 22nd 2022 05:32. Viewed 218 times.
