'Siva and Avalokitezvara

[Paul Kekai Manansala]

N. Ganesan wrote:
>
> N. S. Raja writes:
> <<<
> Sugar is whitish, crystalline, is produced by
> boiling a liquid, is prized by humans, and is
> added to tea in small quantities.  Salt is also
> whitish, crystalline, is produced by evaporating
> a liquid, is prized by humans, and -- in Tibet --
> is added to tea in small quantities.  Yet,
> one would be seriously mistaken to say
> "salt is sugar in a Tibetan garb".
> >>>
>
>   I do not know if Tibetan Tea has sugar or salt.
>   Is salt added really? I would think milk
>   will get spoiled, unless one drinks salty
>   tea soon after its preparation.
>   Want to read on the recipes of salty Tibetan tea.
>
>   I am afraid that this analogy of salt and sugar
>    to 'Siva and Avalokitezvara does not work.
>   At the very least, post 630 AD.
>
>   Compare salt and sugar: density, taste, chemical
>   structure, ... are very different.
>   So, I will never say that "Salt is sugar in a
>   Tibetan garb".
>
>   Compare 'Siva and Avalokitezvara: Both have
>   nrttezvara, nIlakantha, hAlahAla forms.
>   Both sport 20 common weapons. Both teach
>   grammar to Panini and Agastya. Both are
>   drishti gurus. Both have siva-sakthi,
>   maNi-padma unions, ....
>   That's why I said that "Avalokitezvara is
>   Siva in Buddhist garb".

Some of these attributes are rather general in Vajrayana and Kalacakra
Buddhism.  For example, the Kalacakra supreme deity wears a tiger skin,
has the third eye, has yab-yum and mani-padma characteristics, is the
destroyer of the universe, is time incarnate, has multiple heads
(usually four or five), and multiple arms (usually 12 or 24), and has
his hair in a high topknot.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala