[Buddha-l] Gods in Theravada

[S.A. Feite]

On Dec 27, 2008, at 8:46 PM, Curt Steinmetz wrote:

> P.S. Not to put too fine a point on it, but devotees of Kali are no  
> more
> (and very likely less) prone to murder than are devotees of Jesus. Not
> that that is claiming much.


 From a Buddhist POV, in terms of attaining Buddhahood, I think the  
point would be less that Kali-worshippers are likely to kill than that  
could Kali as a Wisdom Deity be a support for realization, and I  
believe the answer would be an emphatic "no". Her causal pedigree is  
somewhat sullied, not unlike those who worship humans on torture  
devices IMO. This is very unpopular to say, but from a Buddhist POV I  
think it's fair to say that they are impediments to Buddhahood,  
although some Mahasandhi practitioners consider it is possible that  
Jesus of Nazareth was a Jalupa (Tib.: 'ja lus pa) based on accounts of  
his bodily ascension.

Having said that, there are "tamed" forms of Kali in the Mantrayana/ 
Vajrayana pantheon, most namely Palden Lhamo, the Buddhasized version  
of Kali that is protector of the lineage of the Dalai Lamas.


Steve