Nine peaceful expressions

The nine peaceful expressions (Wyl. zhi tshul dgu) are characteristics of peaceful deities.

According to the Magnificent Wisdom Lightning Tantra, they are:

Each of their supreme forms

Possesses nine traits.

They are soft, well-proportioned,

Firm, supple, and youthful;

Clear, radiant, attractive,

And blazing with intense presence.

1. Soft (mnyen pa)
2. Well-proportioned (lcug pa)
3. Firm ( 'khril bag chags ba)
4. Supple (sgeg bag chags, ldem bag )
5. Youthful (gzhon tshul)
6. Clear (gsal ba)
7. Radiant ( 'tsher ba)
8. Attractive (lhun stug pa)
9. Intense presence (g.zi byin)

Patrul Rinpoche's Clarifying the Difficult Points in the Development Stage and Deity Yoga, a commentary on Jigme Lingpa's Staircase to Akanishtha, explains them as follows:

The deity’s form, face, arms, and so forth should be soft, not hard like bone or wood.

They should be well-proportioned, with the thickness of their bodies gradually tapering at the waist.

Their flesh should not be loose, but firm.

They should be supple as well, in the sense that their joints and so forth are flexible.

Their bodies should be healthy and their skin delicate, thus youthful.

Their colors should be distinct and clear and they should be radiant, in terms of the boundless light they project.

Their forms should also be majestic, beautified with the signs of superior beings, and, hence, attractive.

Finally, they should have an intense presence that overwhelms everything with its splendor.