Heruka With Consort

18" x 24" ◊ Ground mineral pigment with red cinnabar background on cotton cloth

This deity in its wrathful form expresses compassion's fierce determination to help us overcome inner egotistic addictions and outer obstructions. Anger transmuted into wisdom is essential for overcoming deep-seated wrong views and other addictions such as lust, hate, pride, and envy, which all cause misfortunes and sufferings.

The deity is shown in union with his wisdom consort. Together they represent the union of wisdom (female) and artful method (male), which is compassion's action. They stand on male and female figures representing their triumph over delusion. The long garland of severed heads represents the negative attitudes severed and turned into ornaments by wisdom. The five skull crown represents the five addictions transmuted into the five wisdoms.

Red is the colour of powerful rituals and deeds. It is the colour of passion transmuted to discriminating wisdom - one of the five wisdoms.

The fifth Dalai Lama (1641-1680) of Tibet created the red style of thangka painting. This style is very rarely painted or shown in public. It is considered to be extremely powerful and is traditionally reserved for advanced practitioners of Buddhism. Kalsang Dawa has chosen to include the red thangka in his collection in order to increase public awareness and appreciation of the vast range of styles within Tibetan thangka painting tradition.