100 Deities of Bardo State - 5 Buddhas and 8 Male Bodhisattvas (Part 1)

Bardo, The Intermediate State:

The assembly mandala of Bardo deities depicts a perfected state of beings and the central deities within, symbolizes the perfected states of the meditators' own awareness, psycho-physical aggregates, elemental properties and sensory and mental process.

The peaceful deities symbolize the natural purity of these fundamental components of beings while the wrathful deities are the transformative aspects of the energies. The outer deities of these mandalas are the mode of activities of an enlightened being.

100 Deities of Bardo (Intermediate State) Bardo, The Intermediate State: The assembly of 100 deities: 1) The 42 peaceful deities 2) The 58 wrathful deities

The 42 peaceful deities of Bardo - Buddha Samantabhadra and Mother Samantabhadri.

In this center of this assembly is the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, who is depicted as embracing mother Samantabhadri. He is located in the central position, radiantly blue in color while the mother is white, stainless like a crystal. He, the Buddha body of reality seats on a meditative equipoise.

This union is the representation of the awareness aspects of the Buddha body of reality. The natural purity of mental consciousness and free from the fundamental ignorance.

The Five Buddhas And Five Female Buddhas - The 10 families

The five Buddhas of different family represent the five pure cognitions and the natural purity of the five psycho-physical aggregates. Similarly the five female Buddhas are the natural purity of the five elements.

1. Vairochana and Akasadhatvisvari

Within the central channel of the heart is the Buddha Vairochana and his consort Akasadhatvisvari embracing each other. They belong to the enlightened family of Buddha. Both of them are brilliantly white in color. Vairochana holds a Wheel and a Bell. This union represents the pristine cognition of reality's expanse, and free from the delusion.

2. Akshobya-Vajrasattva and Buddhalochana

They reside in the eastern channel in a union of supreme bliss, representing the mirror like pristine cognition and free from aversion. 

He is azure blue in color and holds a Vajra and a Bell while the mother Buddhalochana is light blue. They belong to the Vajra family.

3. Ratnasambhava and Mamaki

Towards the southern channel is the Buddha Ratnasambhava in a blissful union with female Buddha Mamaki. Radiantly yellow in color Ratnasambhava holds a jewel and a bell in his hands and seated in crossed leg position. 

This union represents the combination of radiance and emptiness. They belong to the Ratna family, symbolizing the pristine cognition of sameness and free from pride.

4. Amitabha and Pandaravasini

The reside towards the western channel, embracing each other in a blissful union that depicts the pristine cognition of discernment and free from attachments. 

They belong to the Padma (Lotus) family. Amitabha is Copper red in color, and holds a lotus and a bell while Pandaravasini is in the color of fire crystal red.

5. Amoghasiddhi and Samayatara

They are portrayed towards the northern channel. Colored in radiant turquoise, green, he holds a crossed Vajra (Viswavajra) and a bell in his hands. The union represents the pristine cognition of accomplishment and free from envy. They belong to the Karma family.

The Eight Male Bodhisattva

According the Guhyasamaja Tantra, these eight male Bodhisattva is the representation of the four senses and the four sense organs. 

1. Kshitigarbha, Vajra family

Snow mountain White in color

To the right side of Vajrasattva 

Holding a seedling and a bell

Symbolizing the natural purity of visual consciousness.

2. Maitreya, Vajra family

Cloudy White in color

To the left of Vajrasattva

Holding a blossoming orange bush and a bell

Symbolizing the natural purity of auditory consciousness

3. Samantabhadra, Ratna family

Amber Yellow in color

To the right of Ratnasambhava

Holding a grain sheath and a bell

Symbolizing the natural purity of olfactory consciousness

4. Akasagarbha, 虛空藏菩薩 Ratna family

Burnished golden Yellow in color

To the right of Ratnasambhava

Holding a sword and a bell

Symbolizing the purity of gustatory consciousness

5. Avalokiteshvara, Padma family

Coral Red in color

To the right of Amitabha

Holding a Lotus and a bell

Symbolizing the purity of tactile consciousness

6. Manjushrikumarabhuta, Padma family

Orange Red in color

To the left of Amitabha

Holding a sword and a bell

Symbolizing the purity of mental consciousness

7. Nivaranaviskambhin 除盖障菩薩 , Karma family

Green as the night flowering lotus

To the right of Amogasiddhi

Holding a book and a bell

Symbolizing the purity of "ground of all" consciousness

8. Vajrapani, Karma family

Emerald Green in color

To the left of Amogasiddhi

Holding a Vajra and bell

Symbolizing the purity of the defiled consciousness

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