Ekajaṭī or
Ekajaṭā, (Sanskrit; Tibetan:
ral chig ma. English: One Braid of Hair), also known as
Māhacīna-tārā, one of the 21
Taras, is one of the most powerful and fierce goddesses of Indo-Tibetan mythology. According to Tibetan legends she is an acculturation of the
Bön goddess of heaven, whose right eye was pierced by the
tantric master
Padmasambhava as he banished her. Ekajati is also known as 'Blue Tara'. She is generally considered one of the three principle protectors of the
Nyingma lineage, along with
Rāhula and
Vajrasādhu.
Often she appears as liberator in the mandala of Green Tara. Along with that her ascribed powers are removing the fear of enemies, spreading joy and removing personal hindrances on the path to enlightenment.
Ekajati is the protector of secret mantras and "as the mother of the mothers of all the Buddhas," represents ultimate unity. As such her own mantra is also secret.
The first Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa already meditated upon her in early childhood.
According to Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, she is the principle guardian of the Dzogchen teachings and is "a personification of the essentially non-dual nature of primordial energy."
Origin
Ekajaṭī is found in both the Buddhist and Hindu pantheons; it is most often asserted that she originated in the Buddhist pantheon but some scholars argue this is not necessarily so. It is furthermore believed that Ekajaṭī originated in Tibet, and was introduced from there to
Nalanda in the 7th century by (the tantric) Nagarjuna.
It appears that at least in some contexts she is treated as an emanation of Akshobhya.
Iconography
She is of a blue skin tone, with a high, red
chignon ("she who has but one chignon" is another one of her titles). She has one head, one breast, two hands and a
third eye. However, she can also be depicted with more body parts; up to twelve heads and twenty four arms, with different tantric attributes (sword,
kukuri,
phurba, blue lotus axe,
vajra)
In her most common form she holds an axe, drigug (cleaver) or khatvanga (tantric staff) and a skull cup in her hands. In her chignon is a picture of Akshobhya.
Her demeanour expresses determination. With her right foot she steps upon corpses, symbols of the ego. Her vajra laugh bares a split tongue or a forked tongue and a single tooth. She is dressed in a skull necklace and with a tiger and a human skin. She is surrounded by flames representing wisdom.
Troma Tantra
The 'Troma Tantra' or the 'Ngagsung Tromay Tantra' otherwise known as the 'Ekajaṭĭ Khros Ma'i rGyud' focuses on rites of the protector, Ekajati and is subsumed within the
Vima Nyingtig.
Notes
References
Beyer, Stephen (1973). The Cult of Tara. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03635-2
Norbu, Namkhai (1986). The Crystal and the Way of Light. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 1559391359
External links
Ekajati (protector) on HimalayanArt.com - an excellent image of a tanka of Ekajati
Category:Dharmapalas
Category:Dzogchen
Category:Nyingma
Category:Buddhist tantras
Category:Tibetan Buddhist practices
Category:Female buddhas and supernatural beings
