Material: Copper, Cast, Handmade, Nepal

Size: 21-25 cm tall

Description:

[Introduction to the Dharma Image of Venerable Lahula]

Venerable Lahula, along with One-Knotted Ganesha, is one of the three great Dharma protectors of the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In celestial terms, the Tibetan Lahula is the tail of a comet, which is called "Ketu." The tail of a comet is also called Lahula.

A Tibetan legend tells of an immortal who achieved great accomplishment through spiritual practice in a cave. The king, deeply adored by him, invited him to the palace to preach. The king had four consorts, and they listened to Venerable Lahula's teachings for a relatively long time. All four consorts remained with him, listening to his teachings.

The ministers in the palace became jealous of the immortal and slandered him to the king, alleging that he had affairs with his four consorts. The king, enraged by the slander, went to the mountain where the Venerable Lahula was, lit a fire, and burned it. Seeing the fire, the four consorts, distraught, threw themselves into the flames. He had been an ascetic, free from greed, anger, and delusion, having attained great accomplishment. The Dharma transmission between master and disciple was simple, but the Venerable Lahula felt deeply wronged and filled with rage. In an instant, his entire body was engulfed in flames, and his ascetic appearance changed. His upper body had nine heads, each with three eyes, and the eyes were everywhere, including his body. His lower body became that of a dragon, and this figure became known as "Venerable Lahula." These four consorts eventually became the guardian figures of the Venerable Lahula, or in common depictions of Lahula, with four consorts surrounding him.

He himself became a fierce deity. First, he met Vajrapani, the wrathful form of Vajrasattva, who ordained him to become a Dharma protector of Buddhism. Later, he met Guru Padmasambhava, who also ordained him to become one of the three great Dharma protectors of the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the origin and origin of Venerable Lahula. He is a Dharma protector of Buddhism and one of the three great Dharma protectors of the Red Sect. [The following text appears unrelated and likely a translation error.]