Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Vajrasattva (Buddhist Deity) - White (with consort)

རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ། 金刚萨埵
(item no. 99152)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1700 - 1799
Lineages Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Publication: Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist Painted Scrolls
Catalogue # 37
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Peaceful

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Vajrasattva with consort (Tibetan: dor je sem pa yab yum. English: Vajra Hero Father-Mother), the buddha of purification, essence of all the peaceful Buddha Families, embracing the consort Vajragarvi (Tib.: dor je nye ma, Eng.: Vajra Pride, also known in Tibetan as dor je ying wang chug ma, Sanskrit: Vajradhatu-ishvari).

Sanskrit: Vajrasattva Tibetan: Dor je sem pa

"To the divine illusion of the clear light of pristine awareness blazing with the glorious complete marks and examples of the spontaneous three bodies of perfect buddhahood; to Vajrasattva I bow." (Nyingma liturgical text).

In the Sarma Schools this form of Vajrasattva with consort arises from the class of Anuttarayoga Tantra, specifically from the Abhidhanottara Tantra, 25th chapter, and is known as Heruka Vajrasattva. As the inner form of the buddha Vajradhara he represents all the peaceful buddha families. In the Nyingma Tradition Vajrasattva is an important tutelary deity with many Kama (Oral) and Terma (treasure) traditions.

Jeff Watt 5-2004

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