Ekajati
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Ekajati or Ekajata (Tibetan: ral chig ma. English: One Braid of Hair), one of the 21 Taras, is one of the most powerful and fierce goddesses of Tibetan mythology, a modification of the old Tibetan goddess of heaven, whose right eye was pierced by the tantric master Padmasambhava as he banished her.
Often she appears as liberator in the mandala of Green Tara. Along with that her ascribed powers are removing the fear of enemies, spreading joy and removing personal hindrances on the path to enlightenment.
Ekajati is the protector of secret mantras and "as the mother of the mothers of all the Buddhas," represents ultimate unity. As such her own mantra is also secret.
The first Karmapa Düsum Kyenpa already meditated upon her in early childhood.
According to Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, she is the principle guardian of the Dzogchen teachings and is "a personification of the essentially non-dual nature of primordial energy." [1]
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[edit] Iconography
She is of a blue skin tone, with a high, red chignon ("she who has but one chignon" is another one of her titles). She has one head, one breast, two hands and a third eye. However, she can also be depicted with more body parts; up to twelve heads and twenty four arms, with different tantric attributes (sword, knife, blue lotus axe, vajra)
In her most common form she holds an axe, drigug (cleaver) or khatvanga (tantric staff) and a skull cup in her hands. In her chignon is a picture of Akshobhya.
Her demeanour expresses determination. With her right foot she steps upon corpses, symbols of the ego. Her laugh bares a split tongue and a single tooth. She is dressed in a skull necklace and with a tiger and a human skin. She sits in the vajra position on a lotus and is surrounded by flames representing wisdom.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Norbu (1986)
[edit] References
- Beyer, Stephen (1973). The Cult of Tara. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03635-2
- Norbu, Namkhai (1986). The Crystal and the Way of Light. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 1559391359
This article is based on a translation of an article from the German Wikipedia.
[edit] External links
- Ekajati (protector) on HimalayanArt.com - an excellent image of a tanka of Ekajati
