Material: Original red copper. Cast. (The bottom and back can hold sacred objects or scriptures.)

Size: 12cm

Description:

Outer Yama Dharmaraja, also known as Outer Yama King, is an important Dharmapala deity in Tibetan Buddhism (particularly the Gelugpa school). He is considered the wrathful incarnation of Manjushri. His form typically appears extremely wrathful and majestic, symbolizing the protective power against death, negative karma, and the sufferings of samsara.

Overall Appearance: Outer Yama Dharmaraja's body is black or dark blue, representing his wrathful and mysterious nature. He has a buffalo head with sharp horns entwined with flames, symbolizing his power to destroy evil. The buffalo head has three wide-open eyes (the third eye is located on the forehead). These eyes are red and express an extremely angry expression. His teeth are sharp and exposed, and his tongue is curled. His hair is a dark yellow, flowing upward like flames. He wears a crown composed of five withered skulls, symbolizing the conquest of the five poisons (greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt). His body is adorned with various bone ornaments, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and anklets. Around his neck hangs a necklace of fifty freshly severed heads, representing the severing of fifty kinds of delusion. His upper body is bare, while his lower body is wrapped in a tiger-skin skirt, tied with a green belt, symbolizing his wildness and strength. He is adorned with green scarves, jewelry, and metal ornaments, and his skin may be encircled by flames, emphasizing his fiery energy as a guardian deity.

Posture and Seated Position: Vaisravana is usually depicted standing, with his right leg bent and his left leg extended, creating a highly dynamic posture, symbolizing his alertness and readiness for action. He stands on the back of a buffalo, beneath which rests a human body and a lotus seat, representing the conquest of death and karma. The buffalo, his mount, derives from the image of Yama, the king of ancient Indian mythology, symbolizing the relentlessness and power of death. He is sometimes depicted in sexual intercourse with his consort, Chamundi, a dark-skinned, one-faced, two-armed female figure with pendulous breasts and a bulging abdomen. She is clad in buffalo hide and a bone necklace. She holds a trident in her right hand and a blood-filled skull bowl in her left, symbolizing her assistance to Outer Yama in judging negative karma.

This design originates from the Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which emphasizes a wrathful appearance to deter evil spirits and negative forces while reminding practitioners to face the impermanence of death.

The Origins and Allusions of His Hand-held Instruments

Outer Yama's hand-held instruments are primarily bone sticks and lassos. These instruments are not only iconic but also hold profound symbolic meaning, stemming from a fusion of Tantric Buddhist texts and Hindu mythology.

- **Bone Stick (held in right hand)**: This staff is formed from the fusion of the human spine and skull, sometimes described as a staff or hammer (khatvanga). Its origins can be traced back to the scepter of Yama in ancient Hindu mythology, symbolizing judgment and punishment. In Buddhism, it is transformed into a Dharma protector, representing the power to conquer death and karma. Anecdotally, this bone staff symbolizes severing the shackles of samsara, a reference to the Shri Vajramahabhairava Nama Tantra, in which Manjushri manifests as Vaiyāna to symbolically conquer death (Yama). In Tantric practice, it is used to shatter delusion and negative karma, reminding sentient beings of the relentless nature of karma.

- **Lasso (held in the left hand)**: This is a coiled rope or tripwire used to capture souls or bind negative karma. Derived from the image of Yama, the king of dead souls, dragging them with him in Indian mythology, it has been adopted in Buddhism as a Dharma protector, symbolizing the restraint of negative forces and guiding sentient beings from the lower realms. Anecdotally, it represents the law of karma and causality. According to the Vajramahabhairava Nama Tantra, Vaiyāna uses this lasso to judge the souls of the deceased, ensuring the fair retribution of good and evil. In some variations, it is depicted as a rope adorned with skulls, emphasizing the inevitability of death.

The design of these ritual implements emphasizes Vaiyana's role as the "Dharma King" (Dharmaraja). He is not merely the god of death but also the guardian of Buddhist law. In tantric rituals, practitioners visualize these instruments to overcome fear and attachment.

About His Mythology

Vaiyana's mythology is primarily rooted in the tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, incorporating elements from Indian mythology. He is considered the embodiment of death and a Dharma protector. The following is a key account:

- **Origin and Manifestation**: Vaiyana derives from the ancient Indian myth of Yama, the god of death and the underworld. He rides a buffalo, wields a rope and a hammer, and is responsible for capturing deceased souls and judging their karma. As Buddhism developed in India, this image was absorbed into the Buddhist system, becoming a Dharma protector. In Tibetan Buddhism, Vaiyana is a wrathful manifestation of Manjushri and belongs to the "Dharma Tantra" category of the Anuttarayoga Tantra, particularly based on the Vajrabhairava Root Tantra (Toh 468). The story depicts Manjushri, in an effort to conquer the metaphor of death (representing the suffering of samsara), transforming into the terrifying form of Vaiyami, symbolically "killing" death itself and thereby liberating sentient beings from the bonds of karma. This transformation emphasizes the ability of Buddhist wisdom (Manjushri) to transcend the fear of death.

- **Reincarnation of the Murdered Monk**: In a popular Tibetan Buddhist story, Vaiyami was originally a high-ranking monk who was murdered by a wicked person during his practice. His soul was filled with rage, but due to his deep bodhicitta, he was appointed chief judge of the deceased souls, responsible for maintaining the balance between good and bad karma. This narrative emphasizes the justice of karma: even Dharma protectors are derived from the cycle of cause and effect. He is assigned to the underworld to judge the dead, ensuring that the wicked are punished and the virtuous are elevated.

- **Connection with Vajrabhairava**: Vaiyami is a special guardian deity in the Vajrabhairava tantra. In the story, Vajrabhairava (another incarnation of Manjushri) subdues Vaiyami, transforming him into a Buddhist guardian deity. Vaiyāya is sworn to protect Vajrayogini practitioners. He is one of the three great Dharma protectors (alongside Six-Armed Mahakala and the lion-riding Vaisravana) in the Sakya, Kagyu, Jonang, and Gelug traditions. In tantric rituals, practitioners summon Vaiyāya to remove obstacles. He is depicted leading eight male attendants (armed with various weapons) and eight female attendants (dark blue and mounted on animals) to suppress evil spirits.

**Symbolism of Samsara and Impermanence**: The myth of Vaiyāya is often used to teach about impermanence. In the Buddhist Wheel of Life, while distinct from the Yamas of the Hell realm, Vaiyāya represents the endless cycle of death. Through contemplation of his image, practitioners learn to face death and transform fear into wisdom. His teachings were transmitted to Tibet by masters such as Vajradhara, Jnana Dakini, and Lalitavajra.

These stories emphasize that Vaiyāna is not only a punisher but also a compassionate protector who helps sentient beings realize the truth of karma. In Tibetan Buddhist art, he often appears in thangkas as a protective symbol for practitioners.