THE EYE CLEARING AVALOKITESHVARA


The word Avalokiteshvara has been derived from the Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, Ishwara means the lord, god, or the almighty and the loka means the world. Ava means to look down and the verb's past participle form is lokita. Thus, one can figure out that the combined meaning of Avalokiteshvara is the god who's looking down at the world. Of course, with compassionate eyes and attitude.

The images of Avalokiteshvara are always captivating due to the reflections of calmness, compassion, and generosity.

The iconography of The Eye Clearing Avalokiteshvara
The Eye Clearing Avalokiteshvara (Mig-Jed Chenresik) originates with the Revealed Treasure of the Nyingma Tradition and the teacher Nyangral Nyima Ozer in the 12th century. Since the original text of Nyangral many authors from numerous traditions such as Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug have written follow up ritual and meditation texts, including figures such as Karma Chagme and Dagchen Kunga Lodro. This practice is simple yet extremely effective so it has become very popular.

Although originally a practice found in Southern Tibet the Eye Clearing Avalokiteshvara has grown immensely in popularity in Mongolia and many other countries. One of the largest images in the Ganden Monastery, Ulan Bator, is this Eye Clearing form of the deity. It is possible that the 8th Jetsun Dampa is principally responsible for the 20th century popularity. The huge statue of this special deity in Ulan Bator is visited by hundreds of pilgrims daily.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VAJRAPANI

Image
Vajrapani is a bodhisattva, a being who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the world to help others reach the same state, in Mahayana Buddhism. He is considered the protector and guide of the Buddha, and is often depicted holding a vajra, a ritual object symbolizing indestructibility and the power to cut through ignorance. Vajrapani is known for his fierce and powerful appearance, often depicted as a muscular figure with a fierce expression and dark blue skin. He holds a vajra in his right hand and a lasso in his left hand, which he uses to capture and subdue negative influences and obstacles on the path to enlightenment. He is also often shown standing on a prostrate figure, symbolizing his subjugation of the forces of evil. In addition to his protective role, Vajrapani is also associated with the practice of tantra and is considered the embodiment of the Buddha's power. He is often depicted in mandalas, intricate diagrams of the universe that are used in tantric ...
Read more

JEBTSUNDAMBA KHUTUKTU

Image
JEBTSUNDAMBA KHUTUKTU     The Jebtsundamba Khutuktu or Khalkha Jetsün Dampa Rinpoche is a title given to the spiritual head of the Gelug lineage of Buddhism in Mongolia. They also hold the title of Bogd Gegeen, making them the top-ranked lama in Mongolia. The first Jebtsundamba, Zanabazar (1635–1723), was identified as the reincarnation of the scholar Taranatha of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. Zanabazar was the son of the Tüsheet Khan Gombodorj, ruler of central Khalkha Mongolia, and himself became the spiritual head of the Khalkha Mongols. Like Zanabazar, the 2nd Jebtsundamba Khutughtu was a member of Mongolia's highest nobility and direct descendant of Genghis Khan. After Chingünjav's rebellion and the demise of the second Jebtsundamba Khutugtu, the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty decreed in 1758 that all future reincarnations were to be found from among the population of Tibet. When the region of Outer Mongolia declared independence from the Qing dynasty in 19...
Read more

GREEN TARA

Image
  Tara is the most beloved of all the female enlightened beings in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. The essence of awakened love and compassion, she is known as “the mother of all the buddhas” and “she who ferries beings across the ocean of samsara.” As a fully enlightened female buddha, Tara is the actuality of compassion and wisdom, and meditating on her helps us awaken our own buddhanature. Her right foot is slightly extended because she is ready to leap to the aid of beings. Her right hand is opened out on her right knee, in the gesture of generosity. Her left hand holds the stem of a lotus flower, which is blossoming next to her left ear. We need to approach Tara with an open heart and mind. In order for Tara to be able to benefit us, we need to approach her with an open heart and mind. Through continued meditation practice on Tara, we can establish a relationship in which we are able to trust and rely on her, and the more we are able to open to Tara, the more she is able to ben...
Read more