Bhutadamara Mudra

Bhutadamara Mudra

the demon-dispelling mudra

Nuden Dorje Dro’phang Lingpa Tröllö-tsal holds his phurba in the Bhutadamara mudra to display his capacity to dispel whatever needs to be dispelled. Khandro Déchen comments:
In this thangka the tail of the tiger is curled behind the hand which wields the phurba. This confluence of gestures portrays the indivisibility of wisdom and method. The tigress is wisdom and the phurba is method. The same type of symbolism is seen when Yeshé Tsogyel holds her khatvangha – with the tines touching the moon and the vajra terminal touching her sang-né (secret place). The tigress swishes her tail – as Ngak’chang Rinpoche would say – with ‘grand insolence’ and ‘savage aplomb’. She is the non-dual glamour which enhances the effectiveness of the three bladed weapon of enlightenment.