Tibetan Name: Dzambhala Karpo
Materials: Lost Wax Method, Copper, Made in Nepal
Height: 10 1/2 inches Width: 7 inches Depth: 4 1/2 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
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(Kubera) Statue
White Jambhala also know
as Kubera in the Hindu pantheon (Tibetan: Dzambhala Karpo) is bestower of
wealth. Jambhala is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. White Dzambhala
is born from the right eye of
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, also known as the
manifestation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
Jambhala holds a victory
banner (Skt. dhvaja; Tib. rgyal-mtshan) in his left hand which signifies the
victory of Buddhism. The top of the banner takes the form of a small
parasol, which is surmounted by a central wish-granting gem. This domed
parasol is rimmed by an ornate crest-bar with makara-tailed ends from
which hangs a billowing silk scarf. As a hand-held ensign the banner is an
attribute of many deities, particularly those associated with wealth and power,
such as Jambhala/Kubera.
In his right hand he
holds a mongoose that spits out precious gems. Many people question what
the association of Jambhala is with the mongoose. Art historians,
depending upon folk interpretation, often explain that the mongoose became the
main attribute of Jambhala because the serpents are the protectors of
subterranean wealth and a mongoose controls
them. Buddhist Sanskrit texts, however, refer to a different reason or
story for the mongoose's association with wealth. It was said that wealthy
people in ancient India carried a purse made of mongoose's hide and that
when they gambled they often shook the purse. The mongoose or
mongoose's hide then regurgitated gold coins and other precious things from
its mouth. This seems to be the reason why in Jambhala's iconography the
mongoose is always shown vomiting jewels. The mongoose that Jambhala holds
then does not represent the actual creature but acts as a metaphor for his
generosity.
Jambhala is wrathful in appearance he is adorned with jewel ornaments and silks,
he is sitting on the back of a dragon. On the back of the statue is
a carving of "the wheel of the law" (Skt. chakra; Tib. khorlo). The
three components of the wheel; hubs, spokes and rim, symbolize the three aspects
of the Buddhist teachings on ethics, wisdom and concentration. The central
hub represents ethical discipline, which centers and stabilizes the mind.
The sharp spokes represent discriminating awareness, which cuts through
ignorance. The rim represents meditative concentration, which both
encompasses and facilitates the motion of the wheel. This wheel has eight
spokes symbolizing the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path and the transmission of
these teachings towards the eight directions. There are three swirls shown
in the central hub, they represent the Three Jewels of the Buddha, dharma,
sangha and the victory over the three poisons of ignorance, desire and aversion.
The beneficence of
the White Jambhala is to cure diseases, get rid of poverty and sins, promote
charitable deeds and accumulate wealth. According to the sutra, his mantra
can stop suffering, destroy bad karma and have a bodhi mind. His mantra
can also avert disaster and sickness. He also brings wealth to all
sentient beings if he or she chants his mantra.
White Jambhala's Mantra Is
:
Om Padma Trotha
Arya Zambhala Siddhaya Hum Phat
There are five Jambhalas: Yellow Jambhala (overcomes pride), White
Jambhala (overcomes attachment), Black Jambhala (overcomes resentment), Green
Jambhala (overcomes jealousy) and Red Jambhala (overcomes greed).
There are 3 parts to this piece, the body, base and arch. The base is
sealed with a double vajra.
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