Vajrasattva Heruka
Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia is now 14 years old
Our Encyclopedia recently received a wonderful opportunity for a major renewal on its 14th birthday . After many years of growing our Encyclopedia had become bit slow and sometimes even decided not to answer when people knocked on the door.
A very big thank you and blessings to Dmytro Rudiy (rudiy.nl) for his great work in upgrading the server, website and all of the infrastructure and helping make TBE fast and reliable again for everyone!
We kindly ask our readers to help us cover the cost of this important upgrade and also help with the ongoing costs of keeping the Encyclopedia alive and freely available.
or card
Every little donation helps and every one is deeply appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏
OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM 🙏🙏🙏
May blessings shower down on all of yous 🙏🙏🙏
Vajrasattva with Consort, Heruka (Tibetan: dor je sem pa yab yum.
English: Vajra Hero, Father-Mother): a Vajrayana meditational deity generally related to the process of Anuttarayoga initiation and empowerment rituals (wang kur, abhisheka) and a meditational deity specifically used for the purification of sins and defilements within the practice systems of major Tantric cycles such as Guhyasamaja, Hevajra and Chakrasamvara.
Sanskrit: Vajrasattva Tibetan: Dor je sem pa
In the New (Sarma) Schools of Tibetan Buddhism Vajrasattva with consort arises from the class of Anuttarayoga Tantra.
In the Chakrasamvara cycle of Tantras Vajrasattva is specifically taught in the Abhidhanottara Tantra, 25th chapter, and is known as Heruka Vajrasattva.
"...the bhagavan Vajrasattva hri Heruka, with a body white in colour, one face, two hands holding a vajra and bell embracing the Mother.
Adorned with six bone ornaments, seated with the legs in vajra posture, with the Lord of the Family as a crown - the same in appearance.
In the lap is the Mother Vajragarvi, with a body white in colour, holding a curved knife and skullcup, adorned with five bone ornaments, in union." (Sakya liturgy).
The name of the female consort can vary between Tantra systems depending on the Tantra source literature and the specific description.
At the top center is Je Tsongkapa with Gyaltsab seated on the left and Khedrub seated on the right side.
Descending on the viewer's left side are the two meditational deities Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja and Vajrabhairava.
Descending on the right is the meditational deity Chakrasamvara.
Below that is Shadbhuja Mahakala with one face and six hands.
At the bottom center is the worldly protector Damchen Garwa Nagpo, the Blacksmith.
On the left is Yama Dharmaraja and on the right Vaishravana Riding a Lion.
Depictions of Vajrasattva in sculpture and painting are commonly confused with the similar deities
Vajradhara, Vajrapani, Vajravidarana,
the Five Symbolic Buddhas in Sambhogakaya form, and others.
In a number of Yoga Tantra examples the form of Vajrapani, in the Sarvadurgati Parishodhana Tantra system, appears exactly the same as the typical 'Solitary Hero' Vajrasattva.
A sculpture of the primordial Buddha Vajradhara has the exact same physical iconographic appearance as Heruka Vajrasattva - also depicted with the two hands holding a vajra and bell crossed in embrace holding the consort.
In paintings the Heruka Vajrasattva would be painted white while the Vajradhara form always appears blue in colour.
In physical appearance Vajrasattva and Vajravidarana are only different because Vajrasattva holds a single vajra scepter while Vajravidarana holds a double vajra scepter.
Vajravidarana can also appear in either a white, green or blue form.
Source
Jeff Watt 8-2012