Dharmapalas

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 32. Chapters: Acala, Achi Chokyi Drolma, Begtse, Dharmapala, Dorje Shugden, Ekajati, Garuda, Gyalpo Pehar, Gyalpo spirits, Hayagriva (Buddhism), Lokapala, Mah¿k¿la, Palden Lhamo, Ucchusma, Vai¿raväa, Vajrapani, Wisdom King, Yama, Yamantaka, Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology). Excerpt: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan: , Wylie: rdo-rje shugs-ldan), "Vajra Possessing Strength", or Dolgyal Shugden (Tibetan: , Wylie: dol rgyal shugs ldan), "Shugden, King of Dhol" is a deity (Tib. lha) in Tibetan Buddhism, especially its Gelug school, who is regarded as a Dharma Protector or "guardian angel." The practice of Dharma Protectors is central to most religious Tibetans and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Shugden is regarded as the incarnation of Gelugpa Lama Dragpa Gyaltsen of Drepung Monastery, a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Yet, Dorje Shugden's enlightened nature has been debated since his appearance in the 17th century. With the current Dalai Lama's growing public opposition and subsequent "explicit ban" of the practice, this debate has escalated into what is known as the Dorje Shugden controversy. Ursula Bernis explains that "The different beliefs about Dorje Shugden depend not so much on historical records but on the differing interpretations of the relationship between reality and appearance." Thus, Dorje Shugden as a Dharma Protector has come to be understood in two ways: According to Trijang Rinpoche, these two seemingly contradictory views¿Dorje Shugden as either an enlightened protector, or a worldly protector¿are easily reconciled by the belief that Dorje Shugden "can appear in any mundane or supra-mundane form whatsoever depending upon whether our mind is pure or impure." The Dalai Lama, however, accepts only that he is a worldly spirit, not an enlightened being: Dorje Shugden is a protector spirit who has been worshiped for three hundred years, traditionally associated with the Sakya and Gelug traditions. However, even the major masters of the Eastern tradition take a very critical view of Shugden, seeing him as an evil spirit. Thus, while supporters of Shugden identify him as an emanation of Buddha Manjushri, detractors classify him as a malevolent spirit (Tib. gyalpo). These two conflicting, disparate views are explained by Bernis as