The Mahakala Buddha

The Mahakala Buddha is what is known as a Dharmapala, a protector of dharma, and he resides in the fourth heirarchy of deities. The Mahakala Buddha is well-known to those who study Vajrayana Buddhism.

The Sanskrit meaning of Mahakala comes from the root word of maha, and kala, which means black. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Mahakala Buddha is known as 'the protector'. He is also referred to as 'lord of the tent' by Tibetans, who often ask Mahakala to protect their tents (when they were a nomadic people). Mahakala is called Daikokuten in Japanese, and Daheitian in Chinese.

The Mahakala Buddha is known to be a form of Avalokiteshvara, aka Chenrezig. While Mahakala is considered a wrathful deity to some, others believe he only resorts to his wrathful side when peaceful means fail. Mahakala presents followers will challenging opportunities which he knows they can overcome to find means of spiritual evolution. Mahakala can be fierce and destructive at times, but his main motivation and goal is to destroy ignorance.

Mahakala comes in various forms according to the different Buddhist teachings. He is traditionally black in color because his vibration encompasses all colors. Black can also represent the absence of all colors. Mahakala traditionally is seen wearing a crown of five skulls, which represents the metamorphosis of the five kleshas into the five wisdoms. The mastery of these five principles are 1) ignorance transforms into the wisdom of reality, 2) pride becomes the wisdom of sameness, 3) attachment becomes the wisdom of discernment, 4) jealousy becomes the wisdom of accomplishment and 5) anger becomes a mirror like wisdom.

There are several differences in the various depictions of Mahakala. He is depicted with a range of arms, either two, four, or six arms, depending on which Buddhist sect depicts him. The two-armed version of Mahakala emanates from the original Buddha, and embodies great spiritual wisdom.

Sambhogakaya produces the four-armed version of Mahakala. Each of his four arms are reputed to perform the following four acts of positive karma: pacifying sickness and troubles, expanding good qualities and wisdom, attracting people to the teachings of the dharma, and destroying doubt, confusion, and ignorance.