Hand Carved Gold Gilded & Hand Face Painted and Beautifully Hand Painted Buddhist Tibetan Vajrayogini Dakini Copper Statue

Vajrayogini Dakini Statue

 Vajrayogini – The Dakini of Wisdom

Vajrayogini is a female Buddha and one of the principal meditational deities of the Highest Yoga Tantra. She is the female embodiment of the wisdom of the inseparability of great bliss and emptiness. Her practices are believed to have many special qualities and quickly bring powerful blessings and accomplishments. The instructions for her Tantric path were first taught in the Root Tantra of Heruka by Buddha Vajradhara.

Vajrayogini, the Queen of the Dakinis, stands as a powerful symbol of the sacred feminine in Tibetan, Buddhism. She holds a central place in Tibetan Buddhist rituals, festivals, and art. Her fierce and compassionate nature inspires practitioners to embrace the transformative journey toward enlightenment. Her image is often found in sculptures, thangkas, and sacred texts. Pilgrimages to temples and sacred sites associated with Vajrayogini are undertaken by devoted practitioners seeking spiritual guidance and blessings. Through rituals, meditations, and the embodiment of her enlightenment qualities, devotees of Vajrayogini seek to awaken the innate wisdom and bliss within, ultimately realizing the profound union of method and wisdom on the path to liberation.

Gestures and Attributes

Vajrayogini's outstretched right leg treads on the breast of red Kalarati, the principal worldly goddess. Her bent left leg treads upon black Bhairabha, the principal worldly god. Vajrayogini treads on Kalarati and Bhairabha to demonstrate that she has destroyed her attachment, hatred, and ignorance, and to show that she is free from the fears of samsara and can lead all living beings to the same freedom.

Vajrayogini has a red-colored body that shines with a brilliance like that of a fire at the end of an aeon, symbolizing the blazing of her inner fire which destroys all delusion. She has three eyes, symbolizing her ability to see everything in the past, present, and future. She looks up toward the Pure Land of the Dakinis, indicating that she leads her followers to high attainments, including the attainment of great bliss. Her right hand, outstretched and pointing downwards, holds a curved knife marked with a Vajra, representing her power to cut the continuum of the delusions and obstacles of all living beings. Her left hand, held aloft, contains a skull cup filled with blood, which symbolizes her experience of the clear light of bliss, and her victory over death.

Her left shoulder supports a Khatanga marked with a Vajra, indicating that she is never separated from her consort Heruka. She is in the prime of her youth and her beautiful hair hangs freely down her back, symbolizing that she is free from the fetters of self-grasping. Her headdress is adorned with five human skulls which represent Vajrayogini's purified aggregates. Her purified inner winds are symbolized by her long necklace of fifty human skulls. She stands in the center of a blazing fire of exalted wisdom, and she is supported by a lotus symbolizing the complete purity of her body, speech, and mind.

About this Sculpture

This exquisite sculpture of Vajrayogini Dakini is a testament to the masterful craftsmanship of the Shakya clan artisans in Patan, Nepal. Meticulously created through the lost wax method, the copper alloy sculpture showcases the divine features of Vajrayogini, adorned with a layer of 24-karat gold that imparts a magical warmth and compassion to the piece.

The fine artistry extends to intricate hand-carving and delicate hand painting, resulting in a luminous quality that radiates the enlightened spiritual essence of the Dakini. Each detail is a testament to the skill and dedication of the master craftsmen, who, as modern heirs to a centuries-old tradition, continue to uphold the sacred artistry passed down through generations.

This sculpture stands as a profound representation of Vajrayogini Dakini, embodying the rich heritage and spiritual significance of the Shakya clan's centuries-old tradition in creating sacred art for temples and monasteries.