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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Mahāsuryabimba (महासुर्यबिम्ब) or Mahāsuryabimbalokeśvara refers to number 62 of the 108 forms of Avalokiteśvara found in the Machhandar Vahal (Kathmanu, Nepal). [Machhandar or Machandar is another name for for Matsyendra.].

Accordingly,—

“Mahāsuryabimba is identical in all respects with [Mahācandrabimba Lokeśvara], except that here the god carries two Vajras and the Cakra in his three right hands, and two Utpalas and the bowl of gems in his three left.—Mahācandrabimba Lokeśvara is three-faced and six-armed and stands on a lotus. He holds the arrow, the Utpala and the fruit in his three right hands, and the bow, the Vajra and the Cakra in his three left. The head on the top probably represents Amitābha”.

The names of the 108 deities [viz., Mahāsuryabimba] possbily originate from a Tantra included in the Kagyur which is named “the 108 names of Avalokiteshvara”, however it is not yet certain that this is the source for the Nepali descriptions.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Starts with: Mahasuryabimbalokeshvara.

Full-text: Mahasuryabimbalokeshvara.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Mahasuryabimba, Mahāsuryabimba; (plurals include: Mahasuryabimbas, Mahāsuryabimbas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Indian Buddhist Iconography (by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya)

108 forms of Avalokiteśvara (62): Mahāsuryabimba Lokeśvara

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