A dharmapÃÂla is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "dharma protector" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapÃÂlas are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of dharmapala, Worldly Guardians (lokapala) and Wisdom Protectors (jnanapala). Only Wisdom Protectors are enlightened beings.
A protector of Buddhist dharma is called a dharmapala. They are typically wrathful deities, depicted with terrifying iconography in the Mahayana and tantric traditions of Buddhism. The wrathfulness is intended to depict their willingness to defend and guard Buddhist followers from dangers and enemies. The Aá¹£á¹Âagatyaḥ (the eight kinds of nonhuman beings) is one category of dharmapÃÂlas, which includes the Garuda, Deva, Naga, Yaksha, Gandharva, Asura, Kinnara, and Mahoraga.
In Vajrayana iconography and thangka depictions, dharmapala are fearsome beings, often with many heads, many hands, or many feet. Dharmapala often have blue, black, or red skin, and a fierce expression with protruding fangs. Although dharmapala have a terrifying appearance, they only act in a wrathful way for the benefit of sentient beings.
The devotional worship of dharmapÃÂlas in the Tibetan tradition is traceable to early 8th-century.
There are many different dharmapalas in Tibetan Buddhism. Each school has its own principle dharmapalas and most monasteries have a dedicated dharmapÃÂla which was originally comparable to a genius loci. The many forms of Mahakala are emanations of Avalokiteshvara. Kalarupa and Yamantaka are considered by practitioners to be emanations of Manjushri the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.
Principal wisdom protector dharmapalas include:
Other dharmapalas include:
The main functions of a dharmapÃÂla are said to be to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent spiritual practitioners from attaining spiritual realizations, as well as to foster the necessary conditions for their practice.
In Chinese Buddhism, the Twenty-Four Protective Deities or the Twenty-Four Devas (Chinese: äºÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ諸天; pinyin: ÃÂrshÃÂsì Zhà «tiÃÂn) are a group of gods who are venerated as dharmapÃÂlas. In addition, Wisdom Kings such as Acala, Ucchusma, Mahamayuri, and Hayagriva are venerated as dharmapÃÂlas as well.
In Japanese Shingon Buddhism, a descendant of Tangmi, or Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, dharmapÃÂlas such as Acala and Yamantaka are classified as Wisdom Kings. Other dharmapÃÂlas, notably Mahakala, belong to the Deva realm, the fourth and lowest class in the hierarchy of honorable beings.
In Tibetan Buddhism, there are two other classes of defender, the lokapÃÂlas and Kshetrapala Papiya. Guan Yu and Hachiman are also known as defenders.