If it bothers you that I’m a Buddha, maybe I’m not the problem!

[harrynephew]

Saw this post on my facebook page and it really edged the sides of me to write this down. The first thing that came to mind was, what has gone into the minds of these people whom have so much knowledge of the dharma and yet they behave and act in such a manner? Does it annoy another Buddha that one has gained enlightenment and is helping people through their practices?

I mean, in this degenerate age, we should be rejoicing that we are having a living lineage of a supreme Buddha Vajrayogini available for our practice! How can one tradition of Vajrayogini offends another? Like I mention in the title of this post: “If it bothers you that I’m a Buddha, maybe I’m not the problem!”

[Big Uncle]

What's the reason Shri Shashana Adhipati is offended by the Buddha Vajrayogini? Is it because she is red, nude and sexy or is it because it is a sacred Tantric goddess that is not to be shown to the eyes of the uninitiated?

In the past, thats how they regard Vajrayogini and so they would rarely keep statues and thangkas out in the open. Usually, they are kept hidden from the prying eyes of the uninitiated. Either way, you can't blame the Indian Guru because they are not as exposed to such open Tantric imagery and have probably never seen and so they develop wrong views about it without realizing the meaning behind it. Therefore, you can't really blame the guru because he 's probably elderly and/or a big conservative and prudish about such things.

[vajratruth]

That is just too bad. Just to be able to look at the holy image of Vajrayogini is a blessing and if one were to understand the iconography of this Buddha, one would suddenly realize how beautiful she truly is. So deep is human ignorance that we reject the very thing we desperately need to embrace.

Anyway, I found this good description of Vajrayogini and a picture of a beautiful statue of her which I thought would be good for everyone to read and appreciate:

[i]BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Vajrayogin? (Sanskrit: Vajrayogin?; Tibetan:, Dorje Naljorma ), literally 'the diamond female yogi'. She is a Highest Yoga Tantra Yidam (Skt. I??ha-deva(t?)), and her practice includes methods for preventing ordinary death, intermediate state (bardo) and rebirth (by transforming them into paths to enlightenment), and for transforming all mundane daily experiences into higher spiritual paths. Vajrayogin? is a generic female yidam and although she is sometimes visualized as simply Vajrayogin?, in a collection of her s?dhanas she is visualized in an alternate form in over two thirds of the practices. Her other forms include Vajrav?r?h? (Tibetan: Dorje Pakmo, Wylie: rdo-rje phag-mo; English: the Vajra Sow) and Krodikali (alt. Krodhakali, K?lik?, Krodhe?var?, Krishna Krodhini, Sanskrit; Tibetan:Troma Nagmo; Wylie:khros ma nag mo; English: 'the Wrathful Lady' or 'the Fierce Black One' ). Vajrayogin? is a ??ki?? and a Vajray?na Buddhist meditation deity. As such she is considered to be a female Buddha.

Vajrayogin? is often described with the epithet sarva-buddha-dakin?, meaning 'the ??ki?? who is the Essence of all Buddhas'.Vajrayogini's s?dhana, or practice, originated in India between the tenth and twelfth centuries. It evolved from the Chakrasa?vara s?dhana, where Vajrayogin? appears as his yab-yum consort, to become a stand-alone practice of anuttarayoga tantra in its own right. The practice of Vajrayogin? belongs to the Mother Tantra (Tibetan: ma-rgyud) class of anuttarayoga tantra, along with other tantras such as Heruka Chakrasa?vara and Hevajra.

According to scholar Miranda Shaw, Vajrayogin? is "inarguably the supreme deity of the Tantric pantheon. No male Buddha, including her divine consort, Heruka Chakrasa?vara, approaches her in metaphysical or practical import."[9] A number of lamas and other contemporary scholars do in fact argue otherwise, as Vajradh?ra is widely considered the supreme deity of the Tantric pantheon, but the importance of Vajrayogin? is agreed upon.

ICONOGRAPHY

Vajrayogin? is visualized as the translucent, deep red form of a 16 year old female with the third eye of wisdom set vertically on her forehead. Vajrayogin? is generally depicted with the traditional accoutrements of a ??ki?? including a cleaver (Tib. drigug, Skt. kart??) marked with a vajra in her right hand and a kapala (skull cup) in her left hand which is filled with blood that she partakes of with her upturned mouth. Her consort Chakrasa?vara is often symbolically depicted as a kha?v??ga on Vajrayogin?'s left shoulder, when she is in 'solitary hero' form. Vajrayogin?'s khatvanga is marked with a vajra and from it hang a damaru drum, a bell, and a triple banner. Her extended right leg treads on the chest of red K?lar?tri, while her bent left leg treads on the forehead of black Bhairava, bending his head backward and pressing it into his back at the level of his heart. Her head is adorned with a crown of five human skulls and she wears a necklace of fifty human skulls. She is depicted as standing in the center of a blazing fire of exalted wisdom.

Each aspect of Vajrayogin?'s form and mandala is designed to convey a spiritual meaning. For example, her brilliant red-colored body symbolizes the blazing of her inner fire (Tib. tummo). Her single face symbolizes that she has realized that all phenomena are of one nature in emptiness. Her two arms symbolize her realization of the two truths. Her three eyes symbolize her ability to see everything in the past, present and future. She looks upward toward the Pure D?ki?? Land (Skt. Kechara), demonstrating her attainment of outer and inner Pure D?ki?? Land, and indicating that she leads her followers to these attainments. The curved drigug knife in her right hand shows her power to cut the continuum of the delusions and obstacles of her followers and of all living beings. Drinking the nectar of blood from the kapala in her left hand symbolizes her experience of the clear light of bliss.

In her form as Vajrav?r?h?, when she is known as 'the Vajra Sow' she is often pictured with a sow's head on the side of her own as an ornament and in one form has the head of a sow herself. Vajrayogin? is often associated with triumph over ignorance, the pig being associated with ignorance in Buddhism. This sow head relates to the origins of Vajrav?r?h? from the Hindu sow-faced goddess V?r?h?.

The severed-headed form of Vajrayogin? is similar to the Indian goddess Chinnamasta who is recognized by both Hindus and Buddhists

[/color][/i]



source: http://www.handmadeexpo.com/

[harrynephew]

Out of curiosity i googled the name Shri Shmashana Adhipati and it got me the below explanation through wikipedia. It seems to me that this Shri Shmashana Adhipati is synonymous with the protectors Chitipati of the Vajrayogini tantras. But it doesn't make much sense to me if this FB user claims that it offends these deities if he posts about Vajrayogini? Buddha is Buddha regardless the regalia, lineage, denomination etc right?


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmashana_Adhipati

In Tibetan Buddhism

Further, as per Tibetan Buddhist script a couple known as Shmashana Adhipati (Standard Tibetan: pal dur tro dag po yab yum. English: the Glorious Lords of the Charnel Ground - Father-Mother) also called Chitipati is considered lord of Shamshana. They arise from the Secret Essence Wheel Tantra and is associated with the collection/cycle of Cakrasa?vara Tantra. Primarily employed as a wealth practice, with emphasis on protecting from thieves, they also serve as the special protector for the Vajrayogini 'Naro Khechari' practice. Shri Shmashana Adhipati is now common, to a greater or lesser extent, in all the New (Sarma) Schools of Himalayan and Tibetan influenced Buddhism. It is important not to confuse the protector deities Shri Shmashana Adhipati, Father & Mother, with the skeleton dancers found in the various systems of Tibetan religious Cham dance.[5] The word Chitipati again has its origin from word Chita (funeral pyre as per Hindu rites).
Dakini, another tantric deity, associated both with Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, is said to roam in Shmashana.

[Ensapa]

My question is, why is it got to do with Gelug's Naro Kacho? it's actually Sakya's Naro Kacho as well. It is also Kagyu's Naro Kacho. It was founded by Naropa. If they have a problem with "Gelug's" Naro Kacho but not with Sakya's Naro Kacho....wait what? I dont see the logic behind this post at all. Can someone please explain more? I am aware that sometimes Hindu tantric practices do cross paths with Buddhist ones as in the case of this that they seem to be practicing Citipati, but why specifically Gelug that is offensive?

[Gabby Potter]

There will always be people who'd just keep finding faults with us because they have nothing better to do in life, obviously. What we need to do is to ignore them, and keep doing what we are doing, in this case, we are doing whatever we can to help to lift the ban. People have their own perspectives, and we have our own's. So just let it go cause we weren't here to make '' these people'' happy, neither do they

[Dondrup Shugden]

This article definitely reminds me of the way Shugdenpas are ostracised due to their belief.  Imagine some do not even like devotion to a well known tantric yidam, Vajrayogini.

This is for sure degeneration. 

[Jason Statham]

People are really weird. Even though they love the Dharma and practices them, some of them still don't know how to respect each other's lineage even though they are all practicing Vajrayogini. Buddha Shakyamuni has 84,000 methods of helping someone to gain enlightenment because everybody is different from each other so  there are many ways and lineages to learn the Dharma. As a Buddhist, we have to understand the above and don't criticize another's lineage just because we don't like it or whatsoever. We might not like other's lineage  because we don't understand it, we don't find any interest in it or just we don't like their ways of teaching but  we still have to learn to respect each other's lineages by not criticizing, arguing and talk bad about other's lineages.

[VeronicaSmith]

That facebook post is so strange... The first word that popped into my mind was: What?. This person has it so wrong. In this modern day and age, with all this knowledge of the Dharma and many different practices and Buddhas and such. Why do we see all that information like this. This person need to see that a practice is not like an overly attached girlfriend that doesn't allow you to have contact with other females. The Dharma is open to exploration and you may see so many different practices as well as having a main practice is there too but there is not need to be so singular.

Other than the fact that there are so many practices and information sources for the Dharma in todays age for us, the Buddhas and holy beings do not get jealous if you practice other things as well as them. They do not need you for one thing and they do not get jealous and get angry otherwise they would not be so holy would they? If they could get worked up for something like this then they are not so holy. That is why this post is so strange... Why must you think like that? That is incorrect. This is the proper way. It is not like a overly attached girlfriend. Your practice doesn't get jealous.