Ekajati
Ekajati ( Sanskrit एकजटी or Ekajaṭā एकजट, German “one-headed woman”; or Ralchigma , Tibetan རལ་ གཅིག་ མ་, transcription after Wylie : ral gcig ma , German: “single knot”, “who has only one knot”) is one female, wrathful appearance of Tara in Tibetan Buddhism .
mythology
Ekajati is one of the most powerful and formidable goddesses in Tibetan mythology.
She often appears as a liberator in the mandala of green tara . With the powers attributed to her, she removes fear of enemies, spreads joy, and removes personal obstacles on the path to enlightenment .
Ekajati is the protector of the secret mantras (Tib .: sngags srung ma ) and is considered a great mother , especially the mother of Palden Lhamos and Mahakalas . She represents the great, ultimate unity, which is expressed through her one eye, one tooth, one topknot, etc.
The first Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa meditated on them from an early age.
Representation (blue tare)
Ekajati is blue in body color with a high red topknot . She has a face and two hands. However, it can also be represented with several heads (with up to twelve heads), and up to twenty-four arms and various tantric attributes (sword, knife, blue lotus ax, vajra ).
In her most common form, she carries an ax / tantric staff (often with a corpse) and a skullcup in both of her hands, and has an image of Akshobhyas in her topknot .
Your demeanor expresses drive. With her right foot she tramples corpses (as a symbol for the ego). Her laugh reveals a forked tongue and a single, pointed tooth. She is clothed with a chain of skulls, a tiger skin and a human skin. In addition to her one tooth, one breast and one bun, she also has only one wisdom eye on her forehead - the usual place of the eyes is often depicted with symbolic flames.
Ekajati is almost exclusively depicted as angry, but there is also a peaceful form with dark blue body color, a face and two arms. In her hands she then holds a skull bowl and a Triguk cleaver. In addition to her two natural eyes, she also has the vertical wisdom eye on her forehead. She sits in the vajra position ( lotus seat ) on the lotus throne , wears bodhisattva jewelry and is surrounded by wisdom flames.
literature
- Susa Nientiedt: Mahakala, the great black man, Shri Devi and Ekajata - origin, radiations and meaning . crazy yogi publishing house, Bochum 2007, ISBN 978-3-940197-09-2
- Herbert V. Guenther : Divine and demonic dimensions of the feminine. Ral-gcig-ma and Mukhale - two goddesses of Tantric Buddhism . Buddhist Studienverlag, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-937059-18-1