The Six-Armed God

Mahakala: the Wrathful Protector of the Buddhist Dharma -- a terrifying deity that ranks among the most significant and prevalent divine beings in Tibetan Buddhism (and not ONLY Tibetan...). But who is Mahakala? Why do the Buddhists celebrate a deity that breathes death and disease, that holds weapons, that wears a necklace of human heads and a rosary of skulls? What is the meaning behind his fearsome appearance? What is Mahakala's "compassionate wrath"? How is he depicted and what do his symbols mean? In this video, we try to answer all of these questions... and much more, in order to try and understand the ever-wrathful Mahakala! Support my channel:   / pierrot_48   00:00 - Introduction 02:40 - Protecting the Dharma 14:42 - A God is Born 26:09 - Wrathful Compassion 38:16 - Deity Yoga 51:17 - The Iconography of Mahakala 01:25:23 - A Final Word Bibliography: "Oracles and Demons of Tibet: The Cult and Iconography of the Tibetan Protective Deities" by René de Nebesky-Wojkowitz "Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art" by Rob Linrothe "A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism" by John Powers "The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs" by Robert Beer "Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire" by Lama Yeshe and Jonathan Landaw "Iconography of Mahakala" by Emi Matsushita "The Mahakala Cult in Tibet: Some Aspects of its History" and "The Image of the Six-armed Mahakala and His Retinue in the Text 'The Ritual of Propitiation and the Offering of the Torma for the Swift-Acting Wisdom Protector, the Six-armed Mahakala'" by Soelma Batomunkueva "Mahakala: The Six-Armed Protector in Tibetan Buddhism" by Joanna Grela himalayanart.org treasuryoflives.org lotsawahouse.org buddhasartofhealing.com enlightenmentthangka.com