Material: cloth. embroidery. scroll. (Vajravārāhī. Vajrayogini Pure Land)

Size: about 122 x 83 cm

Description:

Vajravārāhī (also known as Vajravārāhī, Sanskrit: Vajravārāhī) is an important deity in the Vajrayana (Tantra) of Tibetan Buddhism. It belongs to the Dakini system and symbolizes the combination of Prajna wisdom and compassion. The following will describe the meaning of "Vajravārāhī", "Vajrayogini Pure Land", and the origin of related images.

1. The meaning of Vajravārāhī

Vajravārāhī is a female deity in the highest yoga tantra, embodying the state of bliss and emptiness (the unity of happiness and emptiness). Her image is usually red, holding a curved knife and a skull, with a pig head on her head, symbolizing the elimination of ignorance and greed. She is the consort of Cakrasaṃvara, and the two together represent pure body, speech, and mind. According to Tibetan tantric classics, such as the Heruka Tantra, the practice of Vajrayogini can help practitioners purify their greed and transform it into a spiritual path to enlightenment. She is particularly good at the practice of the vase channel and tummo, guiding practitioners to realize emptiness and bliss.

Vajrayogini is regarded as the "first of all dakinis". Dakinis are secret goddesses who realize the wisdom of Prajna and walk in the void, and teach the secret teachings of Vajrayana. In the Tara Tantra, she is a female deity of the Padma family, related to the sambhogakaya of Tara Avalokitesvara, and symbolizes the spiritual body of Prajnaparamita (wisdom).

2. The meaning of the Dakini Pure Land

The Dakini Pure Land (Khechara, Tibetan: mkha' spyod) is the holy place or pure land of Vajrayogini, representing a pure state beyond the secular world. According to the tantric tradition, the Dakini Pure Land is a spiritual residence that practitioners can reach through the practice of Vajrayogini, symbolizing the complete awakening and liberation of the mind. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Pure Land is not only an external holy place, but also a pure state of the inner mind. Through visualization and practice, practitioners transform their own consciousness into the pure essence of the Dakini Pure Land.

The word "Dakini" in the Dakini Pure Land means "walking in the void", symbolizing the free display of wisdom and compassion. Vajrayogini, as the incarnation of the Dakini, is an ideal place for practitioners to realize the wisdom of Prajna and transcend the duality. The goal of practicing this method is to transform worldly greed, hatred and ignorance into pure wisdom and enter the realm of the Dakini Pure Land.

3. The origin of the image of Vajrayogini

The image of Vajrayogini (Thangka or statue) originated from the Tantric tradition of India from the 8th to the 12th century, and was later introduced to Tibet, becoming the image of the deity respected by the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug). The painting of its image is based on the tantric classics (such as the "Heruka Root Tantra") and the teachings of the lineage master, with strict iconographic specifications.

1. Image features

- **Appearance**: Vajrayogini is usually red, with one face and two arms. She holds a curved knife in her right hand (to eliminate ignorance) and a skull vessel in her left hand (filled with nectar, symbolizing compassion). She has a pig head on her head or on her right side, symbolizing transcendence of greed and ignorance.

- **Posture**: She is often in a dancing posture, with her left leg bent and her right leg stretched, standing on a lotus or a corpse, symbolizing transcendence of samsara.

- **Surroundings**: The image is often accompanied by flames (the fire of wisdom) and the dakini's retinue. The background may depict the holy land of the dakini, such as palaces, mountains or lotus seas.

- **Spouses**: In some thangkas, she and Heruka are in the posture of union (Yab-Yum), symbolizing the unity of wisdom and compassion.

2. The inheritance and function of the image

The image of Vajrayogini was taught by the Buddha Vajradhara and passed to Tibet through Indian great masters (such as Naropa and Saraha). The painting of images requires initiation and inheritance, following the description of the Heruka Root Tantra or the Naropa Dakini, Mitse Dakini and other traditions.

These images are not only works of art, but also auxiliary tools for practice, used for visualization, meditation and rituals. When practitioners visualize Vajrayogini, they integrate themselves into the image of the deity, purify their body, speech and mind, and tend to the state of enlightenment of the Dakini Pure Land. The painting process of thangka itself is also a kind of practice, and the painter must have piety and secret law inheritance.

3. Cultural and historical background

The origin of the Vajrayogini image is closely related to the Heruka tradition of Indian Tantric Buddhism. It is said that in order to subdue the evil law of Mahadeva (Shiva), the Buddha manifested the dual-cultivation image of Heruka and Vajrayogini, subdued the outsiders and taught the secret law. This tradition was later promoted by the Kagyu and Sakya sects in Tibet. Especially in the Kagyu sect, Vajrayogini is one of the main deities.

IV. Conclusion

Vajrayogini represents the integration of Prajna wisdom and compassion, and is the core deity of the highest yoga tantra. The Pure Land of Dakinis is its pure state, symbolizing the awakening and liberation of the practitioner's mind. The image of Vajrayogini originated from Indian Tantra and evolved through Tibetan inheritance. As a sacred object for practice and visualization, it guides practitioners to realize emptiness and great bliss and move towards the ultimate state of the Pure Land of Dakinis.

(Thangka printed in cloth frame)