Diving into the deep possibilities of the feminine, and how it can both heal and be healed for moving toward spiritual maturity
femininity
Breasts Without Women: Reading Gary Snyder in 2022
What is the gendered legacy of famed American eco-writer Gary Snyder?
Women in Indian Tantric Buddhism, Part One
There are two Vajrayana paths that lead to the spiritual realization of women – the path of a nun (Skt. bhikshuni, Tib. gelongma) who has renounced worldly existence, and the path of a yogini (Tib. naljorma) who can perform spiritual practice in solitude or combine it with family life. In the Indian Tantric tradition, there […]
Afterwards
the husband wasrelaxed, as the wife held his warm head between her armpit Finishing herself in the half hidden silence, he nearly told her everything The way dry leaves fall from naked limbs
Holy of Hollies
It is written that the almondsprung from thegenitals of theNear Eastern Goddess Cybele. And I thought that Iwas just eating nuts. They say that woman’sessence is in apricots and scallops, and floatslike the lotus and lily. But like some *sshole, I thought you were a ringto wear, some black stoneto venerate. I consecratethe stone and tried to wear it,like an amulet, makingyou […]
Vajravarahi and Her Consorts
Vajravari in union with her consorts Vajravarahi (Tib. Dorje Phagmo) is a wrathful aspect of the Tantric goddess Vajrayogini. Vajravarahi can be translated as “diamond sow.” She symbolizes the supreme power that removes all obstacles on the path to enlightenment, as well as the passion, compassion, and wisdom that overcomes ignorance and attachment to the […]
Prajnaparamita in Tibetan Buddhist Art
Yellow Prajnaparamita with four hands Prajnaparamita (Tib. sherab kyi pharol tu chinpa), the Mahayana goddess of wisdom, appears in the Perfection of Wisdom sutras as a fundamental deity in Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibet, she is known as Sherchinma or Yum Chenmo, the “Great Mother.”
The Buddhist Concept of Femininity in Western Thought
In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, femininity is related to transcendental or primordial wisdom. The concept of feminine wisdom can be found in the Buddhist tradition but also in Western schools of thought in philosophy and science. There are profound representatives of the sacred feminine in Buddhism that share parallels, for example, in the applied science […]
Women as Spiritual Partners in Vajrayana Buddhism
From the perspective of Vajrayana, if a woman has a strong aspiration and the necessary karmic prerequisites to overcome the instinctive need for procreation, her capacity for higher awareness is greater than that of a man. But even if she does choose to be a mother, she still has a chance to use her karmic […]
Mindful Birth, Mindful Motherhood
“This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.” – The Buddha Buddha Shakyamuni gave 84,000 different teachings […]