I was reflecting this morning on how much devotion images of the deity Prajnaparamita bring forth from me.
Given that she is the deity who represents Wisdom, rather than Love, Compassion, Patience and so on …. how interesting that she inspires so much devotion in me.
Pretty much every image I’ve ever seen of her makes we want to rest the image on the top of my head, and offer gratitude to her. Maybe the fact that there are so few images and statues of her historically, compared to other deities, is something to do with this .. how wonderful it actually is to come across one 🙂
Then again, I reflect that karma and connections seems such a strong factor here … I can see images of Green Tara, say, and though I have a connection there, and even *wish* that I felt more towards her, I don’t have anything of the same feeling. It’s as if Prajnaparamita is ‘plumbed into me’ .. and goes right to my core. Like I recognise that she’s part of me, no, inseparable from my mind.
Then again, Prajnaparamita is the textual basis of my practice, of Chod, so there’s a close connection there, but this feel for her predated my contact with Chod by many years. Of course, that karmic connection was already there, awaiting awakening.
Once again, my orientation is always towards Wisdom, rather than other Enlightened qualities, so it would make sense that Prajnaparamita as a deity would appeal. Yet, there’s more to it than that … as it is fervent devotion and homage that is brought forth … not intellectual appreciation, or anything more ‘cold’ or ‘dispassionate’.
The more she represents Wisdom, the more she calls forth Devotion from me, it seems.
It reminds me of how in Guru Devotion, one is devoted to the Dharma through the Guru, not really the Guru himself, in his relative conditioned aspect. All this devotion to the Guru, which flows forth from the heart, is, in one sense, channeled towards wisdom, or reality itself …. or realities, perhaps I should say? In the face of what is, one feels Devotion … why? Because there is a recognition and a yearning … the recognition of a seed within, yet to come to fruition … and the yearning for coming home, once that home has been recognised.
Her images seem so close to my innermost heart .. like she is the secret who resides within, who is my ultimate aspect, who is the mirror of both my aspirations and my actual nature.
Blessed Prajnaparamita …. goddess of Wisdom …. I supplicate you with my innermost Heart!
