Dharmapala Thangka CentreIconography


Tibetan Iconography

Vajrayogini

Vajrayogini [Tibetan: kha dro ma] . A dakini is the most important female princip, representing the ever changing flow of female energy.

On tantric Buddhism, dakinis are the guardians of teachings and are considered the supreme embodiments of wisdom. The dakini can help change human weakness into wisdom and understanding, or the concept of self into enlightened energy.

There are two kinds of dakinis - supramundane, or "beyond wordly", ones and mundane, or "wordly", ones, usually referred to as yoginis in real life. Dakinis or yoginis are often mystical partners of yogis, to whom they give secret wisdom and magical powers. The practioner strives to reach buddhahood through the help of his lama, or teacher, his yidam, or meditational deity; and his dakini.

This Thangka shows Vajrayogini, stepping triumphantly on the personfications of desire and jealousy in the center of this extraordinary Thangka.

She drinks blood from a skullcup held in her left hand. In her right her she helds a chopper. Her skull topped magic staff [khatvanga] leans against her left shoulder, surmounted by the vajra cross [symbolizing the union of wisdom and compassion, he vase of elixir, the three heads [wet, shrunken, and skull, symbolizing conquest of the three poisons].

A necklace of skulls loops down to her knees. She wears human bone breast ornaments, apron, and bangles.