Question asked by Gerry
– Troma Nagmo's iconagraphy is interesting, are they are female? I ask this because they appear to have a mustache
– Why is it less desirable to be a women, in the Lam-Rim is says that this is because there are more obstacles to practicing the Dharma, but that still doesn't fully answer my question
– Pearls kill, why offer them?
– What is Tushita like? Environment, setting, etc
– What is Gyenze mantra in Tibetan Script?
Dear Gerry,
Yes, Trogma Nagmo is female. The very wrathful female deities like Trogma Nagmo have facial hair, which is a blaze with wisdom fire. It’s is how they manifested their form. It’s not uncommon for women to have facial hair actually.
Traditionally, it was considered to be less desirable to be a woman, because of culture and societal norms. Unfortunately, this also continues to this day, because women still face difficulties within society and culture at large due, this even applies to Dharma practice. Women, more so than men, are pressured by culture and society to fill certain roles.
Pearls were offered in Tibet because they were incredibly valuable. Tibet is a land-locked country, hence to acquire pearls was very expensive. The offering was more to do with worth. Nowadays however, practitioners are moving more towards synthetic pearls since they do not involve killing. This was also recommended by Tsem Rinpoche.
Tushita is a pureland, meaning everything there is geared towards Dharma practice, and you have no worries about anything else. For example, if you want food, it’s provided, if you want a nice house, it’s there. But none of these things will lead to the arising of attachment or aversion in your mind. Basically, it will aid you in your practice to learn the Dharma and practice it. Hope this helps.