This is copper Dorje Lekpa is an emanation of Padma Heruka, the king of the tsen spirits, and ruler over heaven and earth in the western direction. In one telling of his immediately preceding life, Dorje Lekpa was a lay follower of the Buddha Dipankara, named Shritala. However, Shritala fell from the path of righteousness when he stole a neighbor's goat. He took the goat to a charnel ground where he killed and ate it, and dressed himself in its skin. Living in the charnel grounds, Shritala began to murder men and have licentious sex with many different women there. One day, however, he happened to eat the poisoned flesh of a deer, and died.
According to another telling of the origin myth, in his previous life Dorje Lekpa was Putapa, son of brahmin parents. He became a monk at twelve, and is said to have completed his monastic training in just three years. Then, at age eighteen, he is said to have completely abandoned his home and gone to dwell in ascetic retreat in the charnel ground Cool Grove in a hut made of kusha grass. Gradually a rumor spread about Putapa that he was engaging in improper practices, and he became known as Siddha of Evil Mantras. The local king heard these rumors and feared the practice of evil mantras would undermine his rule, so he sent his ministers to kill Putapa. The minister went to Cool Grove and questioned the ascetic, but Putapa denied practicing evil mantras and swore he dwelt in wholesome discipline only. Nevertheless, the ministers burned him alive inside his grass hut. Before he died, Putapa swore to be reborn as the son of a yaksha demon, to have immense power in the world, to be able to cast down lightning and hail, and to have power over the life-breath of all living beings.
All our statues are handmade. Each piece is unique and it is impossible to reproduce exactly the same. Slight differences may therefore appear in the shapes, proportions, colors and materials used in our descriptions and specification sheets.
