Kache Marpo – The Emanation of Hayagriva
Kache Marpo is a very ancient Buddhist deity originating from the time of Guru Rinpoche, a thousand years ago. Kache Marpo was installed as one of the Dharma Protectors in Samye Monastery by Guru Rinpoche in the past, as one of the protective divinities to help increase the growth of Dharma in the country of Tibet and the surrounding areas. Kache Marpo is considered an emanation of Hayagriva, which makes him a fully accomplished enlightened being and also a Buddha who appears in a worldly form.
Gesture and Attributes
Kache Marpo has a red face, three eyes and two arms. He gnaws his lower lip with his upper teeth and has bared fangs to scare away obstacles and maras. He wears the helmet of an ancient warrior with five flags fluttering in the wind, representing the five Dhyani Buddhas. In ancient times, warriors would wear flags on their backs to denote who they are, where they are from, their rank, and so on. He wears a full set of leather mail on his body which enables him to stop arrows and other projectiles that are shot at him. But in Dharma terms, it represents that he is impenetrable because he has achieved full enlightenment.
In his right hand which is swinging up in the air, he holds a long spear and in his left hand, he holds a noose. The noose is dragging a human-like form, which represents our negative karma, our sufferings, our problems, and our pains in samsara. The human is bound and tied, meaning that Kache Marpo has the power to bind our obstacles. He pierces the human with the long spear held in his right hand, further enforcing his ability to destroy our obstacles.
He rides on a horse over an ocean of blood. The blood represents all suffering that is inherently existent in samsara and the projections within samsara. When he rides over this ocean, it signifies that he is above and beyond any type of suffering.
Iconography
In the Nyingma tradition, he is very much worshipped in the form of Tsiu Marpo. Later when Dorje Shugden manifested, Tsiu Marpo saw the benefits of Dorje Shugden’s practice and activities, and on his own free will, he took an oath to become one of Dorje Shugden’s ministers. So, he is practiced within the Nyingma tradition as Tsiu Marpo and within the Gelugpa tradition as Kache Marpo.
In Tibet, there are many famous Kache Marpo oracles. They can come in peaceful or wrathful form, and are very well known for the accuracy of their advice. Even though they are oracles of Kache Marpo, when the oracle takes trance, Dorje Shugden the King will enter first. After the King leaves, Kache Marpo will then come and speak on behalf of the King (Dorje Shugden).
There is a very famous oracle in Tibet called the Panglung Oracle, whose picture I have included here. During the Cultural Revolution in 1959, he was consulted by H.H. Trijang Rinpoche for the safety of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. When he was consulted, Dorje Shugden entered first, then Kache Marpo entered and pronounced that the Dalai Lama should leave Tibet immediately. This event is well recorded by the monks who witnessed this as well as the monks who actually carried the messages back and forth. So, one of the most famous Kache Marpo oracles in Tibet who was very, very well known for his accuracy was the one who gave the prophecy that the Dalai Lama should leave Tibet.
