c. 17th - 18th century

Vajrayogini

Artist/maker unknown

The solitary female deity Vajrayogini is closely related to Chakrasamvara, the important Sakya deity. The extremely profound and secret yogic practice related to Vajrayogini, handed down through the Sakya lineage, produces swift realizations that move a seeker speedily along the path to enlightenment.

Here Vajrayogini tramples two figures as she lunges to the left, an act that symbolizes the destruction of negative thoughts and emotions. In her right hand she holds a curved chopper to cut away ignorance. With her other hand she grasps a skull bowl from which she drinks blood, symbolic of the non-dual nature of reality, while her nudity represents reality’s unadorned emptiness. As a whole, this image of Vajrayogini represents the state of enlightenment itself.