Item: Mahakala (Buddhist Protector) - Shadbhuja, Sita (White, Shangpa)

Shadbhuja Sita Mahakala, (Tibetan: gon po kar po chag drug pa. English: the White Lord with Six Hands): emanation of Avalokiteshvara and principal wealth deity of the Shangpa Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

White Mahakala, a wealth deity of the Kriya class of Tantra, satisfies the economic needs of Tantric Buddhists. This is a Tashi Lhunpo Monastery example of a deity that has become popular within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It should be noted however that the Shangpa Kagyu School, founded by Khedrub Khyungpo Naljor (11th century), is unrelated to the more famous school of the same name founded by Marpa and his principal student Milarepa.

"Homage to Lord Chintamani, Holy Avalokiteshvara, the gathered compassion of all Buddhas of the ten directions and three times; to that emanation, the Six Handed Protector, devotedly with body, speech and mind I bow." (Common liturgical verse).

Lineage: Vajradhara, Jnana Dakini, Shri Shavaripa, Lord Maitripa, Mahasiddha Rahula Gupta, Khedrub Khyungpo Naljor, Nyamme Rinchen Tsondru, Bonton Kyergangpa (famous terton of the Hayagriva cycle of practice), etc. (Volume 11).

Jeff Watt [poster 9-2025]