Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

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Shamadhi Sam, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:17 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 4:22 PM

Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 79 Join Date: 12/27/15 Recent Posts
I could use some help! In the video below (visible at the 42 second mark) there is a table on the right side of Robina Courtin's chair. In the middle of the table's side panel, is an image of the head of what I am assuming is a wrathful deity. It is light blue in color and flanked by two identical symbols I don't recognize.

I did some research online and have an idea of who it might be, but I haven't been able to find any images that match the light blue color. Thanks in advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr4_VYd4TIE
neko, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:12 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:12 PM

RE: Name That Diety: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 762 Join Date: 11/26/14 Recent Posts
Shamadhi Sam:

Name That Diety

Vegany! emoticon

(Sorry, I couldn't resist...)
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Shamadhi Sam, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:19 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:19 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 79 Join Date: 12/27/15 Recent Posts
Neko, I'm missing the connection. The one thing that is clear is that I can't spell! emoticon
neko, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 4:12 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 4:12 AM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 762 Join Date: 11/26/14 Recent Posts
No connection at all, I have just thrown a random word. That deity looks more like she's into Paleo than Veganism, you are right. I can't help with the indentification, though, sorry emoticon
Scott Kinney, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 1:51 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 1:51 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 112 Join Date: 4/7/15 Recent Posts
looks a lot like Mahakala to me, I've seen that image in royal blue, light blue and black in different places.  Anyway, that's my best guess.
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Shamadhi Sam, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 6:19 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 6:19 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 79 Join Date: 12/27/15 Recent Posts
Scott, Mahakala was my guess as well! The thing that throws me for a loop is his light-blue coloring. This is the second time I've seen him depicted this way and I have a hard time reconciling a full-on wrathful deity with a light-blue color. Reminds me of Sulley from Monster's Inc, just looks so friendly that the fierce aspect becomes a strange juxtaposition. I remember hearing somewhere that the light-blue color or "sky blue" in Tibetan symbology, represents the dharmakaya. Not sure if that's true, but would be interested to find out more about the specific implications of Mahakala in this particular aspect.
James, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 2:53 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 2:52 AM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 3 Join Date: 3/5/16 Recent Posts
IMHO,

A deity is what it is because someone draws a representation of it, and then tells you what it is. Not because deities have consistent representations across the board in different pictures, thus making them what they are.

It's like someone draws something and tells you that it is a cow, as opposed to someone drawing something and you assuming that it is something and trying to make something out of it, via its features, as in: oh, this must be a cow because it has two legs and a tail and is black and white colored.
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Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 10:08 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 10:08 AM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Shamadhi Sam:
I could use some help! In the video below (visible at the 42 second mark) there is a table on the right side of Robina Courtin's chair. In the middle of the table's side panel, is an image of the head of what I am assuming is a wrathful deity. It is light blue in color and flanked by two identical symbols I don't recognize.

I did some research online and have an idea of who it might be, but I haven't been able to find any images that match the light blue color. Thanks in advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr4_VYd4TIE

Vajrakilaya
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Shamadhi Sam, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 3:14 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 3:14 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 79 Join Date: 12/27/15 Recent Posts
Psi, thanks, I'm glad there are some other opinions to consider! I did a little research online, and as someone very new to Tibetan Buddhism, am definitely at a loss as to what the differences between Vajrakilaya and Mahakala might be. So far, I've noticed that in some of the thangkas Vajrakilaya seems to have three heads, where as Mahakala only has one. Otherwise, in terms of the iconography, they're just about indistinguishable to my eyes. I am sure they have at least slightly different purposes and functions, of which I am also quite unaware of at this point.
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Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 4:55 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 4:00 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Shamadhi Sam:
Psi, thanks, I'm glad there are some other opinions to consider! I did a little research online, and as someone very new to Tibetan Buddhism, am definitely at a loss as to what the differences between Vajrakilaya and Mahakala might be. So far, I've noticed that in some of the thangkas Vajrakilaya seems to have three heads, where as Mahakala only has one. Otherwise, in terms of the iconography, they're just about indistinguishable to my eyes. I am sure they have at least slightly different purposes and functions, of which I am also quite unaware of at this point.
Oh, Maybe it is Mahakala, but it looks as though Mahakala is usually black.  I just have a hunch it is Vajrakilaya , the destroyer of obstacles, anger, greed , and delusion.

By the way, the picture looks like the face of a demon I saw hypnogogically as a child.  I was about three to four years old, I saw a face hovering around and floating above the bed, the disembodied head then went under the blankets and I could feel the lump next to me.  I screamed and yelled in terror until my parents came into the room, I told them there was a head under the blanket, they lifted the blanket, and it was a pillow.

But, the head from the childhood visualization looks like the image on the side of Robina's chair.  Weirdness...

But, I really do not know much about Tibetan Buddhism, honestly, I was just casting a vote, based on a hunch , the words wrathful demon came to mind, as a verbalisation,  when I saw the image on the youtube link you provided, I googled that , and one of the images seemed to match Vajrakliaya.

Sychronicity

Psi
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Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 8:03 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 8:03 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Psi:
Shamadhi Sam:
Psi, thanks, I'm glad there are some other opinions to consider! I did a little research online, and as someone very new to Tibetan Buddhism, am definitely at a loss as to what the differences between Vajrakilaya and Mahakala might be. So far, I've noticed that in some of the thangkas Vajrakilaya seems to have three heads, where as Mahakala only has one. Otherwise, in terms of the iconography, they're just about indistinguishable to my eyes. I am sure they have at least slightly different purposes and functions, of which I am also quite unaware of at this point.
Oh, Maybe it is Mahakala, but it looks as though Mahakala is usually black.  I just have a hunch it is Vajrakilaya , the destroyer of obstacles, anger, greed , and delusion.

By the way, the picture looks like the face of a demon I saw hypnogogically as a child.  I was about three to four years old, I saw a face hovering around and floating above the bed, the disembodied head then went under the blankets and I could feel the lump next to me.  I screamed and yelled in terror until my parents came into the room, I told them there was a head under the blanket, they lifted the blanket, and it was a pillow.

But, the head from the childhood visualization looks like the image on the side of Robina's chair.  Weirdness...

But, I really do not know much about Tibetan Buddhism, honestly, I was just casting a vote, based on a hunch , the words wrathful demon came to mind, as a verbalisation,  when I saw the image on the youtube link you provided, I googled that , and one of the images seemed to match Vajrakliaya.

Sychronicity

Psi
Excerpt, bolding mine, it is a prayer

All forms that appear are the wisdom deities, All sounds are mantra, All thoughts are the wisdom mind of Vajrakilaya, This whole existence is the play of thought-free perfection. In the confidence of this recognition, We vow to work always for the benefit of beings..

[url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NmWBe09I1qwC&pg=PT117&lpg=PT117&dq=Tert%C3%B6n%27s+Sogyal+collected+revelations&source=bl&ots=pSC6Kw3cg2&sig=AtwvVjDI28lg_n37URuvnjzramg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiftcunuq3LAhVDTSYKHfclDuAQ6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=Tert%C3%B6n's%20Sogyal%20collected%20revelations&f=false]https://books.google.com/books?id=NmWBe09I1qwC&pg=PT117&lpg=PT117&dq=Tert%C3%B6n%27s+Sogyal+collected+revelations&source=bl&ots=pSC6Kw3cg2&sig=AtwvVjDI28lg_n37URuvnjzramg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiftcunuq3LAhVDTSYKHfclDuAQ6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=Tert%C3%B6n's%20Sogyal%20collected%20revelations&f=false
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SeTyR ZeN, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 6:13 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 6:13 PM

RE: Name That Deity: Vajrayana Edition

Posts: 113 Join Date: 9/9/14 Recent Posts
Considering Robina's Lineage (Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa) , i'd say its definitely a Heruka... now which one .. i'd go same way as Psi;

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