Wearing the Phurba
the weapon of the enlightened warrior
Khandro Déchen comments:
Lamas of the gö-kar chang-lo’i
dé are often portrayed wearing a phurba in the belt. One can see examples of
this with Jomo Pema
’ö-Zér, ’a-Shul Pema
Legden, A-Kyong
Düd’dül Dorje, and Aro Yeshé.
To wear a phurba in one’s belt is characteristic of the ngakpa and ngakma. The
mantra-wielding community – the ngak’phang sangha – are customarily
peaceful warriors, Vajrayana practitioners who prepared at any moment to annihilate
their dualistic clinging. Nuden Dorje Dro’phang Lingpa
Tröllö-tsal’s belt is green – as is the robe of his phurba.
Green is the
colour of activity, and phurbas are
mainly ‘dressed’ in green robes. When not in use the phurba is
wrapped so the
face of Dorje Phurba cannot be seen.
Ngak’chang Rinpoche
comments:
Dorje
Phurba is the yidam who transforms anger in clarity. The ngak’phang yogi or
yogini is not spiritually anxious of his or her emotions. Ngakpas and ngakmas who
succeed in maintaining their vows know that their emotions are the display of the
primordial state, and as such simply need to be liberated into their natural
condition. To wield the phurba is to proclaim that the death of one’s illusions
is an ever-present possibility. The ngak’phang yogi or yogini lives on the
razor edge of the power invested in this radical symbol of liberation.
