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A dharmapāla is a type of wrathful deity in Buddhism. The name means " dharma protector" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of dharmapala, Worldly Guardians ( lokapala) and Wisdom Protectors ( jnanapala). Only Wisdom Protectors are enlightened beings. Buddhist Protectors, Wisdom Deities: Dharmapalas at Himalayan Art Resource
In Vajrayana iconography and thangka depictions, dharmapala are fearsome beings, often with many heads, many hands, or many feet. Dharmapala often have blue, black, or red skin, and a fierce expression with protruding fangs. Although dharmapala have a terrifying appearance, they only act in a wrathful way for the benefit of sentient beings.
The devotional worship of dharmapālas in the Tibetan tradition is traceable to early 8th-century.
Principal wisdom protector dharmapalas include:
Other dharmapalas include:
The main functions of a dharmapāla are said to be to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent spiritual practitioners from attaining spiritual realizations, as well as to foster the necessary conditions for their practice. Heart Jewel: The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism, pages 71-3, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997)
Tibetan Buddhism
There are many different dharmapalas in Tibetan Buddhism. Each school has its own principle dharmapalas and most monasteries have a dedicated dharmapāla which was originally comparable to a genius loci. The many forms of Mahakala are emanations of Avalokiteshvara. Kalarupa and Yamantaka are considered by practitioners to be emanations of Manjushri the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.
Chinese Buddhism
In Chinese Buddhism, the Twenty-Four Protective Deities or the Twenty-Four Devas (Chinese language: 二十四諸天; pinyin: Èrshísì Zhūtiān) are a group of gods who are venerated as dharmapālas. In addition, such as Acala, Ucchusma, Mahamayuri, and Hayagriva are venerated as dharmapālas as well.
Shingon Buddhism
In Japanese Shingon Buddhism, a descendant of Tangmi, or Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, dharmapālas such as Acala and Yamantaka are classified as . Other dharmapālas, notably Mahakala, belong to the Deva realm, the fourth and lowest class in the hierarchy of honorable beings.
Related deities
In Tibetan Buddhism, there are two other classes of defender, the lokapālas and Kshetrapala Papiya. 曼荼羅 GIALABA Guan Yu and Hachiman are also known as defenders.
See also
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