Seng-gé Dradog

his thangka was painted by Khandro Déchen Tsédrüp Rolpa’i Yeshé who is the primary teacher of the Aro Dri-ku (A ro bris sKu / ཨ་རོ་བྲས་སྐུ་) School of Thangka Paiting. The Aro Dri-ku was founded by ‘Khordong gTérchen Tulku Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche, who layed the ground of instructions with respect to the authentic nature of Vajrayana depictment in colour and form.

The thangka depicts the Vajrayana Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, in one of his eight manifestations as Vajra Guru Seng-gé Dradog – the Buddha with the Voice of Lion. Here we see Seng-gé Dradog according to the Aro gTér lineage in which he holds a noose in each hand rather than one in his left hand – as does the standard form.

He also holds a phurba in the left hand and carries an iron khatvangha incorporating nine-prong vajras.

None of the Aro gTér wrathful yidams are depicted wearing the 52 severed heads and none trample corpses – but in all other respects this form is the same as the forms of Seng-gé Dradog found in other traditions.

Seng-gé Dradog is a powerful means of obliterating mikha – the depravity of twisted communication which—in its fundamental form—is the heresy of duality.

Seng-gé Dradog is the vivid blue of the eternal sky. He stands upon a lotus which arises from a raging ocean of the blood of vow-breakers. Ngak’chang Rinpoche says of this symbolism:

‘The fact that a lotus could arise from such an ocean is a statement of ultimate hope: even vow-breakers can apprehend space through their own auspices of destruction and thereby return to the sanity of alignment with non-duality.

Vow-breakage is a major threat to Vajrayana at this time and therefore the practice of Seng-gé Dradog is extremely important.

Vow-breakage is not new — but the justifications which surround vow-breakage in modern times have all the trappings of philosophical pseudo-epistemological validation and there is therefore need for the energy of Seng-gé Dradog.

The lion’s roar needs to be heard in every quarter in order that the mikhas of vow-breakage can be exposed through the energy of pure Vajrayana.