Buddha statue. esoteric, tantric, 6-armed Mahakala Dharmapala and protector Yi dam. Purple bronze. Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism

Esoteric Buddhist statue, tantric Dharmapala and protector Yi dam. Six-armed Mahakala. Purple bronze.

The bronze used is called purple bronze. It is a high quality bronze, getting its characteristic color from a high copper content.

Tibetan statuette made by specialized Tibetan artisans. Dimensions: 23.5 cm high, 18cm wide by 8cm deep. The bottom unscrews to put offerings and prayers inside during the blessing like all traditional Buddhist statuettes.

MAHAKALA

Called the "Great Black", Mahakala is peculiar to Tibet and is called Mong-po, and was accepted as the tutelary deity of Mongolia in the 17th century under the name of Yeke Gara, under Tibetan influence.

Its Chinese name, Dahei Wang or Dahei Tian (大黒天) is only the transcription of the Sanskrit name maha (big-Da in Chinese), Kala (black-Hei) adding Wang meaning king. Dahei Wang 大黑王 The Great Black King, or Dahei Tian Great Black Sky.

Mahakala has never been worshiped in China itself.

In Japan, mainly in the Shingon school, where his image would seem to come from Mongolia, and responding to the name of Daikokuten (大黒天, Great black sky) or simply Daikoku (Great black), he does not have the same symbolism and was venerated from the 17th century as one of the 7 divinities of happiness with Ebisu, Benzai Ten, Bishamon ten, Fukurokuju, Jurôjin and Hotei, a heterogeneous group formed of deities belonging to both Buddhism and Chinese Taoism artificially created in the 17th century by the monk Tenkai died in 1643 (Posthumous name Jigen Daishi)

In Tibet Mahakala is both a Dharmapala and a protective god (Yi dam). The Dharmapala are the protectors of the Dharma, guardians of the teachings. This name designates the deities assuming the task of protecting the practitioners and the teachings in Vajrayana and Dzogchen.

Very numerous and divided into several classes, these protectors constitute an impressive set of deities, either male or female. Some having a peaceful appearance, most showing a corruced appearance, thus showing their powers and their devotion to the protection of the secret teachings and ensuring the dispelling of obstacles on the spiritual path.

Two major classes of protectors are distinguished: Protectors of wisdom or supra mundane, of which the group of Mahakala is a part, and mundane protectors. The group of Mahakala comprises 75 forms all wrathful of which 6 are the most important.

Mahakala with 6 arms (mGon-po phyag-drug-pa): Protector of the Mongols, emanation of Avalokitesvara, important protector of the Shangpa Kagyü sect whose practice was initiated in Tibet by Khyoungpo Neldjor, and subsequently introduced among the Guélougpa .

He is represented standing on Ganesh, brandishing in his right hands a mala composed of skulls and a damaru, in those on the left a trident, a lasso, the last two hands in front of him holding a curved blade (kartika) on the right and left a cranial cup (kapala).