CITIPATI - THE GUARDIANS OF THE CHARNEL HOUSES

Description:

Tibet, 17th c.
56 x 47 (78 x 68) cm R.
Out of the darkness of the night of the charnel houses, where yogis meditate on impermanence, two lime-white dancing skeletons emerge, surrounded by smoke and fire. They perform the dance of death's eternal return and the awareness of the emptiness of all appearances. They are a pair, for they embody the male and female parts of the human body. According to a legend, two ascetics were meditating in a corpse field and did not notice an approaching thief. The thief cut off their heads and threw them into the dirt. Afterwards, they attained a higher level of consciousness. The male part of the two skeletons swore revenge on the thief. Since then, both are protectors against thieves and criminals. Both Citipati hold clubs with skulls in their right hands, and skull bowls with blood in their left hands. They are both emanations of the powerful protector Mahakala. Citipati also protect the meditator from obstructive influences when meditating on the Dakini Vajrayogini, which is located immediately above the representations of the two skeletons. This is probably the main theme of this painting, as numerous clergy are gathered around the dancing couple, under the patronage of the dakini. Her title "Dakini of all Buddhas" distinguishes her as the essence of the wisdom and being of all five Tathagata Buddhas. Jamyang Khyentse (1820-1892) calls her: "The being of Prajnaparamita, the mother who brought forth all the Buddhas". According to the descriptions in the sadhana texts, she is said to be visualised as a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl, with lust-filled full breasts. The goddess is red in colour and radiates a glow like fire. Her black hair falls open to her waist. With her head turned to the left, she looks upwards into the empty sky. With her left hand she raises a skull bowl filled with the blood of the four maras to her mouth, while with her right she reaches down with a cleaver to cut off "all the faults of samsara", such as pride and others. Over her left shoulder she carries a khatvanga staff, indicating her constant union with her secret Heruka partner. Bone ornaments cover her body and a garland of fifty-one dry human heads hangs around her neck. On her head she wears the fivefold crown of skulls, a symbol of the dharmakaya aspect of the Five Tathagatas. The dakini stands in the alidha posture in the midst of a glowing wisdom fire on a lotus, and stands with both feet above the red goddess Kalaratri and the black Bhairava. Both are Hindu gods who have been conquered through Buddhist tantra. According to the inner meaning, they symbolise the overcoming of selfishness and attachment. Or, to speak in the words of Jamyang Khyentze calls it: "The essence of Prajnaparamita, the mother,dialle Buddha She does not adhere to the idea of an ego or an object. This painting shows in the lower section numerous offerings (tib. kang dzä) to the two deities, such as skull bowls with different substances, cloth balls, musical instruments, weapons, and so on. Black dyed cotton fabric, pigments; (tib. nag thang - black-ground painting).
Old European private collection, assembled before 2007 - Wear, minor damages due to age