Sitatapatra

Category: Bodhisattvas

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

Sitatapatra, Tibet, mid-18th century, Gilt bronze inset with turquoise and coral, H102cm (40in.). The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg, Prince Dmitry Ukhtomsky Collection.

Sitatapatra (pronounced: see TAH tah pah TRAH, sita: white; atapatra: parasol/(umbrella)<ref>The Wheel of Great Compassion by Lorne Ladner and Lama Zopa Rinpoche (2001) p.28</ref>; tib.: Dükar or Dukar) is the 'Goddess of the White Parasol'<ref>The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet (Hermeneutics: Studies in the History of Religions) by Stephan Beyer (1978) p.154</ref> - protector against supernatural danger.

Symbolism

Sitatapatra, one of the most complex Vajrayana goddesses<ref>The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs by Robert Beer (1999) p.23</ref>. She is regarded as a female counterpart to Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Like him, Sitatapatra manifests in many elaborate forms: having a thousand faces, arms and legs, or simply as a feminine deity of great beauty. Known foremost for her "White Parasol" she is most frequently attributed with the "Golden Wheel". The auspiciousness of the turning of the precious wheel is symbolic of the Buddha's doctrine, both in its teachings and realizations.

See also

• List of bodhisattvas