Dorje Tröllö

Dorje Tröllö

most wrathful of the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava

Dorje Tröllö (bLa ma rDo rJe gro lod) is the Wisdom-chaos manifestation of Guru Rinpoche – the Second Buddha. Wisdom-chaos— yeshé cholwa (ye shes ’chol ba)—is the style of enlightened activity which cuts through spiritual materialism in its most subtle forms. When self-indulgence and self-centred arrogance attempt to appropriate ‘spiritual reasoning’ as part of a manipulative strategy, yeshé cholwa gives the disciple the common sense which might come from a solid worldly-wise grandparent. When self-validation and self-protectiveness attempt to cushion the reality of the teachings through wilful linearity, yeshé cholwa destroys the conventional spiritual reference points which support dualistic artifice.

Dorje Tröllö rides a pregnant tigress who is about to give birth. This is the most dangerous kind of tiger. The tiger represents Yeshé Tsogyel. Dorje Tröllö holds a phurba in his left hand and a vajra in his right hand. The phurba stabs attraction, aversion, and indifference; and the vajra overpowers all apparent phenomena.