Vajrayogini: Her Visualization, Rituals, and Forms

by Elizabeth English

Vajrayogini is a tantric goddess from the highest class of Buddhist tantras who manifests the ultimate development of wisdom and compassion. Her practice is prevalent today among practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. This ground-breaking book delves into the origins of Vajrayogini, charting her evolution in India and examining her roots in the Cakrasamvara tantra and in Indian tradition relating to siva.

The focus of this work is the Guhyasamayasadhanamala , a collection of forty-six sadhanas , or practice texts. Written on palm leaves in Sanskrit and preserved since the twelfth century, this diverse collection, composed by various authors, reveals a multitude of forms of the goddess, each of which is described and illustrated here. One of the sadhanas, the Vajravarahi Sadhana by Umapatideva, depicts Vajrayogini at the center of a mandala of thirty-seven different goddesses, and is here presented in full translation alongside a Sanskrit edition. Elizabeth English provides extensive explanation and annotation of this representative text. Sixteen pages of stunning color plates not only enhance the study but bring the goddess to life.

Genres: Buddhism

608 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2002

Reviews

[unnarrator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uber-scholarly but also eerie and lovely in found-poetry places. Always I feel skittish about reading stuff like this though, because shouldn't you have to climb the Himalayas and beg ancient crusty practitioners to tell you these sutras? I don't really think you should be able to check them out of a lending library. Anyway I did and they're here. And gorgeous color plates too.

OM OM OM
SARVABUDDHADAKINIYE
VAJRAVARNANIYE
VAJRAVAIROCHANAIYE
HUM HUM HUM
PHAT PHAT PHAT
SVAHA

[Asa Hershoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a guide to the actual practice, it is nonetheless an excellent scholarly work, information that would be difficult to find anywhere else.