Vajrayogini
| Part of a series on |
| Tibetan Buddhism |
|---|
 |
Vajrayoginī (
The cult of Vajrayoginī has its origins between the 10th and 12th centuries and draws inspiration from Hindu
Vajrayoginī's essence is "great passion" (maharaga), a transcendent passion that is free of selfishness and illusion—she intensely works for the well-being of others and for the destruction of ego clinging. She is seen as being ideally suited for people with strong passions, providing the way to transform those passions into enlightened virtues.[1] She is visualized with a 16-year-old female form, red skin, a third eye of wisdom, and numerous symbolic attributes such as a flaying knife and a skull cup. Her fierce yet blissful demeanor conveys spiritual meanings.
Practices associated with her are
Origin and lineage
Vajrayoginī's sādhanā originated between the tenth and twelfth centuries against the backdrop of Hindu Shaiva tantras.[3][4] The Buddhist Yoginitantras that deal with yoginis and dakinis draw from Saiva scriptures. The Cakrasaṃvara Tantra in particular contains numerous passages that were adapted from Saiva sources. The text and its commentaries have revealed numerous attempts by Buddhists to enlarge and modify it, both to remove references to Saiva deities and to add more Buddhist technical terminology.[4]
In the
Vajrayana teaches that the two stages of the practice of Vajrayoginī (generation stage and completion stage) were originally taught by Vajradhara. He manifested in the form of Heruka to expound the Root Tantra of Chakrasaṃvara, and it was in this tantra that he explained the practice of Vajrayoginī. All the many lineages of instructions on Vajrayoginī can be traced back to this original revelation. Of these lineages, there are three that are most commonly practiced: the Narokhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayoginī to Naropa; the Maitrikhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayoginī to Maitripa; and the Indrakhachö lineage, which was transmitted from Vajrayoginī to Indrabodhi.[7][8]
Iconography
Vajrayoginī is visualized as the translucent, deep red form of a 16-year-old female with the
Each aspect of Vajrayoginī's form and mandala is designed to convey a spiritual meaning. For example, her brilliant red-colored body symbolizes the blazing of her tummo (candali) or "inner fire" of spiritual transformation as well as life force (Shakti), blood of birth and menstrual blood.[9] Her single face symbolizes that she has realized that all phenomena are of one nature in emptiness. Her two arms symbolize her realization of the two truths. Her three eyes symbolize her ability to see everything in the past, present and future. She looks upward toward the Pure Dākiṇī Land, demonstrating her attainment of outer and inner Pure Dākiṇī Land, and indicating that she leads her followers to these attainments. The curved driguk knife in her right hand shows her power to cut the continuum of the delusions and obstacles of her followers and of all living beings. Drinking the blood from the kapala in her left hand symbolizes her experience of supreme bliss.[10]
-
Vajravārāhī thangka -
Tröma Nagmo, Tibetan Buddhist Kali. Closeup from a painting of Machig Labdron, 19th century. -
Chinnamunda, 14th-century painting, Nepal. -
Tibetan statue, c. 1600–1900
Vajravārāhī and other forms
Vajrayoginī is a female deity and although she is sometimes visualized as simply Vajrayoginī, in a collection of her sādhanās she is visualized in an alternate form in over two thirds of the practices.[11] Her other forms include Vajravārāhī (Wylie: rdo-rje phag-mo "Vajra Sow") and Krodikali (alt. Krodhakali, Kālikā, Krodheśvarī, Krishna Krodhini, Tibetan Tröma Nakmo; Wylie: khros ma nag mo, "Wrathful Lady", "Fierce Black One").[12][13]
In her form as Vajravārāhī "the Vajra Sow", she is often pictured with a sow's head on the side of her own as an ornament and in one form has the head of a sow herself. Vajrayoginī is often associated with triumph over ignorance, the pig being associated with ignorance in Buddhism. This sow head relates to the origins of Vajravārāhī from the Hindu sow-faced goddess Vārāhī.[14]
The severed-headed form of Vajrayoginī is similar to the Indian goddess
Practices
Vajrayoginī acts as a
The
Vajrayoginī is a key figure in the advanced
Vajrayoginī also appears in versions of Guru yoga in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. In one popular system the practitioner worships their guru in the form of Milarepa, whilst visualizing themself as Vajrayoginī.[17]
The purpose of visualizing Vajrayoginī is to gain realizations of generation stage tantra, in which the practitioner mentally visualises themself as their yidam or meditational deity and their surroundings as the Deity's maṇḍala. The purpose of generation stage is to overcome ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions, which are said in Vajrayana Buddhism to be the obstructions to liberation (Skt. nirvāṇa) and enlightenment.[18]
Vajrayogini temples
In the Kathmandu valley of Nepal there are several important Newar temples dedicated to different forms of Vajrayogini. These temples are important power places of Nepalese Vajrayana Buddhism
Emanations
Samding Dorje Phagmo
The female
See also
- Dorje Pakmo
- Machig Labdrön
- Mandarava
- Narodakini
- Prajnaparamita
- Simhamukha
- Yeshe Tsogyal
References
Citations
- ^ a b Shaw (2006), p. 360.
- ^ Shaw (2006), p. 8.
- ^ Payne (2018), p. 62.
- ^ a b Gray & Overbey (2016), p. 294.
- ^ Simmer-Brown (2002), p. 159.
- ^ English (2002), p. [page needed].
- ^ English (2002), p. 458.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991), p. 261.
- ^ a b Shaw (2006), p. 361.
- ^ Shaw (2006), p. 362.
- ^ English (2002), p. 44.
- ^ Watt (2019).
- ^ Watt (1998).
- ^ English (2002), pp. 47–9.
- ^ Benard (2000), p. [page needed].
- ^ English (2002), p. 321 ff..
- ^ English (2002), p. xxiii.
- ^ Huntington & Bangdel (2003), p. 242.
- ^ Shakya (1994), p. [page needed].
- ^ Tsering (n.d.), p. [page needed].
- ^ Diemberger (2007), p. [page needed].
- ^ Lepcha (1920).
- ^ Diemberger (2007), Table of Contents.
- ^ Logan (2004), p. [page needed].
Works cited
- Benard, Elizabeth Anne (2000). Chinnamasta: The Awful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1748-7.
- Diemberger, Hildegard (2007). When a Woman Becomes a Religious Dynasty: The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0231143202.
- English, Elizabeth (2002). Vajrayogini: Her Visualizations, Rituals, and Forms. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-329-X.
- Gray, David B.; Overbey, Ryan Richard (2016). Tantric Traditions in Transmission and Translation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-061378-5.
- Huntington, J. C.; Bangdel, D. (2003). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Serindia Publications. ISBN 978-1932476019.
- Lepcha, Rabden (November 1920). Dorje Pamo at Samding Monastery (photo). Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- Logan, Pamela (Winter 2004). "Tulkus in Tibet". Harvard Asia Quarterly. VIII (1).
- Payne, Richard K. (2018). Language in the Buddhist Tantra of Japan: Indic Roots of Mantra. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-03727-4.
- Rhie, M. M.; Thurman, R. A. F. (1991). Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. ISBN 978-0939117048.
- Shakya, Min Bahadur (1994). The Iconography of Nepalese Buddhism. Kathmandu: Handicraft Association of Nepal.
- Shaw, Miranda (2006). Buddhist Goddesses of India. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12758-3.
- Simmer-Brown, Judith (2002). Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1570629204.
- Tsering, Tashi (n.d.). "A Preliminary Reconstruction of the Successive Reincarnations of Samding Dorje Phagmo; The Foremost Woman Incarnation of Tibet". Youmtsho - Journal of Tibetan Women's Studies (1): 20–53.
- Watt, Jeff (April 1998). "Item: Vajrayogini (Buddhist Deity) - Krodha Kali (Wrathful Black Varahi)". Himalayan Art Resources. Himalayan Art Resources Inc. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- Watt, Jeff (December 2019). "Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini Main Page". Himalayan Art Resources. Himalayan Art Resources Inc. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
Further reading
- Campbell, June (1996). Traveller in Space: In Search of the Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism. George Braziller. ISBN 978-0-8076-1406-8.
- Haas, Michaela (2013). Dakini Power: Twelve Extraordinary Women Shaping the Transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. Snow Lion. ISBN 978-1559394079.
- Norbu, Thinley (1981). Magic Dance: The Display of the Self Nature of the Five Wisdom Dakinis (2nd ed.). Jewel Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-9607000-0-4.
- ISBN 978-962-7341-36-9.
- Tharchin, Sermey Khensur Lobsang (1997). Sublime Path to Kechara Paradise. Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press. ISBN 0-918753-13-9.