Vajrakilaya: Deity Of Wrathful Compassion

Vajrakilaya is the Tantric Buddhist deity (heruka) of wrathful compassion. The practice removes obstacles to compassionate activity and brings forth enlightenment.

Vajrakilaya

Vajrakilaya, also known as Dorje Phurba, is a central deity in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools. This deity is revered for his power to remove obstacles and purify negative energies, leading to spiritual transformation. Vajrakilaya is often depicted as a wrathful deity, symbolizing the fierce determination required to overcome internal and external hindrances to spiritual progress.

Vajrakilaya is in yab yum (sexual union) with Diptachakra. The feminine deity represents wisdom and the masculine form upaya, or skillful means. Union represents the bliss of realization that these two fundamental factors are inseparable. The practice focuses on movement of light and energies, which emanate out, overcoming and purifying all obstacles to sacredness or pure perception. The light returns, bringing the merit of enlightened compassion. The cycle is never-ending.

Vajrakilaya is the wrathful form of Vajrasattva – the ‘indestructible being.’

See this for the history of Vajrakilaya.

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The Vajrakilaya Mantra

The mantra is the method of speech used by practitioners to invoke the deity’s energy and blessings. The approaching mantra,

Om Vajra Kili Kilaya Hum

is chanted repeatedly during meditation and ritual practices. Each syllable of the mantra carries profound meaning. “Om” symbolizes the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha; vajra means indestructible truth; Kili Kilaya is the name of the deity; and HUM signifies enlightened mind. Chanting this mantra eliminates obstacles, purifies negative karma, and brings spiritual enlightenment.

After the approaching mantra is done (700,000 repetitions), the accomplishment mantra is done (1 million repetitions), then the fulfillment of activities (10,000 repetitions).

Vajrakilaya Thangka

The thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that depicts the deity in his wrathful form. The Thangka serves as a support for meditation, helping practitioners visualize Vajrakilaya and connect with his transformative energy. In the Thangka, the deity is often portrayed with multiple arms and legs, holding various symbolic objects, and surrounded by flames, symbolizing his power to burn away ignorance and delusion. The intricate details of the Thangka are not merely artistic embellishments; they carry deep spiritual meanings and serve as a guide for meditation and contemplation.

Vajrikilaya Symbolism

The heruka has a number of forms (different practices), from 2 to 18 arms, generally. He has 3 faces and four legs. In his common 6 armed form, he holds or wears the following, with the meaning.

Upper right hand	9 pointed vajra	9 yanas
Middle Right Hand	5 pointed vajra	5 wisdoms
Upper Left Hand	The fire at the end of time	Destruction of all obstacles
Middle Left Hand	Katvanga	Piercing the obscurations
Lower Hands	Kila / Phurba	Uncompromising sanity Overcoming all obstacles Full Mandala of Vajrakilaya
Ornaments	Crown, necklace, bracelets, earrings, ash, human fat	6 paramitas
4 legs		4 limbs of miraculous power
Crown	5 skulls	5 Buddha Families

Dorje Phurba

Dorje Phurba is the Tibetan name for Vajrakilaya. The phurba or kila is the deity’s ritual implement, often depicted in both lower hands with point downward. He rolls it eternally. This three-sided dagger symbolizes the transformation of negative forces into positive energy. The three edges represent the cutting through of the three poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aversion, which are the root causes of suffering in Buddhist philosophy.

The phurba is not only a symbol but also a ritual object used in ceremonies and practices related to Vajrakilaya. It serves as a physical representation of the deity’s power to pierce through obstacles and negativity.

Conclusion

Vajrakilaya, with his powerful mantra, symbolic Thangka, and ritual implement, serves as a potent force in Tibetan Buddhism. Whether considered a heruka or a yidam, Dorje Phurba’s role in purifying negative energies and removing obstacles is pre-eminent. He was, in fact, Padmasambhava’s yidam. As practitioners chant his mantra, meditate on his form, and use the phurba in rituals, they connect with Vajrakilaya’s transformative energy, paving the way for spiritual growth and enlightenment.