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Mahakala is a Dharmapala or Dharma protector in Vajrayana Buddhism. He is considered to be the wrathful emanation of Chenrezig, the Boddhisattva of Compassion. He is inseparable from Karmapa, who is also an emanation of Chenrezig.

When Chenrezig was about to attain Buddhahood, he made a vow to remain a Bodhisattva and benefit all sentient beings until each and every one attained liberation from samsara. Only then would he enter Buddhahood. To ensure this, he also said that should he ever break this vow, his body would shatter into a thousand pieces.

One time, after liberating innumerable sentient beings through his limitless emanations and activities, he thought that he had already fulfilled his vow. As he looked into the samsaric realms, he saw that not only had these beings not decreased in number, the beings near him were in an Age of Darkness and were much more difficult to subdue. Saying, “Now, I cannot benefit even one sentient being,” he broke his vow and his body shattered. The Buddha Amitabha then appeared and, saying that the Bodhisattva of Compassion should renew his vow and uphold it with even greater resolution, united the thousand pieces of Chenrezig's body.

At this point, Chenrezig thought he would be able to benefit all sentient beings more by manifesting in a wrathful form. In this wrathful form, he could subdue the degenerate beings in the Age of Darkness, protect Dharma practitioners from the Bardo realms, and provide beings who were poor and needy with an antidote to their suffering. With the thought of this three-fold activity, his vow and commitment became even greater. A dark blue HUNG emerged from him and transformed into Mahakala.

In all the Purelands of the Buddhas the ground shook and in one voice all the Buddhas proclaimed, “Son of the family, it is well that you have made this resolution. You shall have the empowerment of all the wisdom dakinis. You shall have the strength of the wrathful Yama, Lord of Death. You shall have the mountain spirits, yakshas, the devils, and the demons as your messengers. You shall embody the great wrathful empowerments of the Body, Speech, Mind, Qualities, and Activities of all the Budhas throughout the three times.”

Mahakala manifests in many different forms. The most notable variation in these forms is in the number of arms he has. While he can be depicted in his four-armed form, the more important forms for the Karma Kagyu lineage are the six-armed and two-armed forms. Six-armed Mahakala is the main practice of the Shangpa Kagyu. Two-armed Mahakala, called Bernagchen or Black Coat, is the protector of the Karmapas. According to the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, Karma Kamtsang practitioners should take him as Dharma protector.

Mahakala, in his two-armed form is depicted with a stout body and short but thick and strong limbs. He has flaming hair and his head is decorated with a crown of five skulls representing the transmutation of the five kleshas or negative afflictions (anger, desire/attachment, ignorance, jealousy, and pride) into the five wisdoms (mirror-like wisdom, the wisdom of discernment, the wisdom of reality, the wisdom of accomplishment, and the wisdom of sameness). His three eyes gaze with rage and his mouth, with long fangs protruding from the corners, is contorted into an angry smile. In his right hand, he holds a chopper which he uses these to sever the negative patterns of ignorance, hatred, and aggression. In his left, he holds a skull cap containing chopped meat representing the remains of the negative patterns he has cut. He stands on two human corpses, a symbol for the death of all negativities and the uprooting of negative patterns that are obstacles on the Dharma path to the point that they will not come back to life. He emanates an aura so fiery that no enemy or obstacle can withstand his presence.

Mahakala is most often depicted in black. Black symbolizes a comprehensive and all-encompassing nature. At the same time, black can also be considered to be the total absence of color, thus representing the nature of absolute reality and the transcendence of all form. In both these aspects, the principle of nirguna, being beyond all quality and form, is exemplified.

As a dharma protector, Mahakala's main activity is to remove obstacles in the Dharma practice to attain Enlightenment. Despite his frightening appearance and his wrathful form, there is no separation between the Awakened Mind of the Buddhas and the Awakened Mind of Mahakala. His essence is the same as the essence of Chenrezig, whom he is an emanation of. Mahakala's essence is loving kindness and awakened compassion. It is in this state of awakened compassion that he assumes his wrathful form to protect us from the external and internal obstacles in our way.

More than being merely a theological concept or mental exercise, the practice of Mahakala is about cultivating spiritual discipline. The Mahakala Sadhana cultivates trust in the Refuge that we have taken and that the Buddhas have vowed to give—in this case specifically in the protection that Mahakala has vowed to give against obstacles in practicing Dharma. It involves acknowledging that obstacles in our Dharma path do exist around and within us. It clears our perception to enable us to see these obstacles for what they are—obstacles—in whatever form they take in our consciousness. It develops our willingness to let these obstacles go and strengthens our resolve to do whatever it takes to let them go. This ultimately enables us to liberate ourselves from the obstacles that we have created for ourselves, and this means that life becomes easier and we become our perception to enable us to see these obstacles for what they are—obstacles—in whatever form they take in our consciousness. It develops our willingness to let these obstacles go and strengthens our resolve to do whatever it takes to let them go. This ultimately enables us to liberate ourselves from the obstacles that we have created for ourselves, and this means that life becomes easier and we become happier.

One of the most important things to remember in the Vajrayana path and in all its practices is intention. As the Karmapa, our Rinpoches, and our Lamas always remind us, the goal of this path is to attain enlightenment and to turn the wheel of Dharma in order to liberate sentient beings from suffering and ignorance.

Kapala

 

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