Two-Armed Chakrasamvara
(Tib: Khorlo Dompa འཁོར་ལོ་སྡོམ་པ། or Khorlo Dompa Lhenchig Kyepa)
Lineage History:
Lineage of Mahasiddha Drilbupa.
Lineage Transmission:
Buddha Vajradhara emanates in the form of Chakrasamvara → Indian Mahasiddha Drilbupa (Ghantapa) → Lineage hold by numbers of Mahasiddhas → Palchen Galo Namgyal Dorje* (the great Tibetan master and translator who brought many precious teachings including this lineage from India to Tibet) → after number of Lineage Holders → Tsangpa Gyare → → → The 1st Drukpa Choegon & Drukpa Yongzin Rinpoches of Dechen Choekhor Ling about 500 years ago.
*Palchen Galo Namgyal Dorje, also widely known as Ga Lotsawa is a great Tibetan mahasiddha and translator who visited India and brought back many precious teachings to Tibet, including this practice. He is one of the Choegon Rinpoches' Line of Incarnations.
Deity Introduction:
Heruka Chakrasamvara (Tib: Khorlo Dompa; 'Wheel of Perfect Bliss') is a tantric meditational deity (Yidam) of the Highest Yoga Tantra (Anuttara) of Vajrayana Buddhism.
Chakrasamvara, along with Hevajra and Vajrayogini, are the three main meditational Yidam practices of the Kagyu Lineage.
There are many different forms of Chakrasamvara appearing with different number of faces, hands, and number of surrounding retinues. Although there are quite a diversity in the Chakrasamvara lineages and practices, the iconographical differences of the main deity are minor. Essentially there is the 2-armed form and the 12-armed full form of Chakrasamvara, embracing his consort Vajrayogini in union. Their divine embrace is a metaphor for the union of great bliss and emptiness (skilful means and wisdom), which are one and the same essence.
The Two-Armed Heruka Chakrasamvara is the essence form of Chakrasamvara. He appeared as a dark blue coloured semi-wrathful deity, with one face, two arms, and three eyes. He stands in alidha posture with his left leg bent, right extended upon a golden sun disc and a multicoloured lotus. With his two arms crossed before his heart he embraces his consort, Vajrayogini, whilst holding a vajra and a bell in his right and left hands. He wears a five-skull crown, the six bone ornaments, a loosened tiger-skin loin-cloth, a garland of severed heads.
Mandala of Two-Armed Chakrasamvara:
Mandala of Single Deity & Mandala of 5 Deities
- mainly practice by individual practitioner with higher faculty.
- practice of this Mandala will lead to attainment of Ultimate Siddhis
Objective & Benefit of the Practice:
Source of Siddhis (Accomplishments)
Two-armed Chakrasamvara is a meditation deity mainly for those with higher faculty for which their mind is relatively less complex and a simple form of deity is sufficient to support their practices.
Chakrasamvara is the emanation of Buddha Vajradhara and is the main meditation deity of Tantrayana. Most of the famous 84 Indian Mahasiddhas attained perfect enlightenment relying on this deity; and since the time when these Tantras were introduced into Tibet many great Tibetan masters have also accomplished perfect realizations through this practice.
Importance of Yidam Practices:
As the saying goes:
Lama is the source of blessings;
(Tib: Jyin lap gyi tsawa, Lama)
Yidam is the source of accomplishment;
(Tib: Nyur drub gyi tsawa, Yidam)
Dakini is the source of activities.
(Tib: Trinley gyi tsawa, Khandro)
Yidam practice is a very unique tantric practice in which one transforms one's normal, samsaric worldly experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena.
The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary worldly deluded appearances into enlightened appearances. To be more accurate, the Yidam practice uncovers the actual state of ultimate appearances which is primordially pure, empty of inherent existence and unceasing. This purity and emptiness has always been there within us, but is obscured and unseen due to our confused and deluded mind.
Since this is not an ordinary deity practices, but of tantric nature. It's crucial that one receive the details instruction and initiations of these profound teachings directly from an authentic teacher of a valid lineage when the time and conditions are right.