Alex Wilding

Deities or significant human beings, like Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal for that matter, in sexual union, are perceived as beautiful, inspiring and pure. I suppose we could say holy. As I think I mentioned in a previous episode, such an image is not particularly seen as sexy.

Deities or significant human beings, like Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal for that matter, in sexual union, are perceived as beautiful, inspiring and pure. I suppose we could say holy. As I think I mentioned in a previous episode, such an image is not particularly seen as sexy.

Nor does it necessarily imply that followers have to practice concrete sexual yogas, although they do exist, in order to get anywhere on the path to enlightenment, any more than Christians are expected to nail themselves to a cross to become Christ-like. They might do that, of course, but that's another story. Of course, People are human. I guess you knew that.

Nor does it necessarily imply that followers have to practice concrete sexual yogas, although they do exist, in order to get anywhere on the path to enlightenment, any more than Christians are expected to nail themselves to a cross to become Christ-like. They might do that, of course, but that's another story. Of course, People are human. I guess you knew that.

Whether we're thinking of monastics who've taken vows of celibacy, or yogis who have not, sexual desire can disturb the balance. Imagine a yogi sitting in his retreat, appearing very holy and receiving offerings from the faithful.

Whether we're thinking of monastics who've taken vows of celibacy, or yogis who have not, sexual desire can disturb the balance. Imagine a yogi sitting in his retreat, appearing very holy and receiving offerings from the faithful.

If such offerings one day are brought by an attractive young woman, and if he immediately then imagines that she is his destined darkening, and tries it on, there and then, he becomes nothing but a figure of fun, to Tibetans as well as to Westerners. I suppose it's what we might call the male gaze gone wrong again.

If such offerings one day are brought by an attractive young woman, and if he immediately then imagines that she is his destined darkening, and tries it on, there and then, he becomes nothing but a figure of fun, to Tibetans as well as to Westerners. I suppose it's what we might call the male gaze gone wrong again.

And when a lama, surrounded by Western students, focuses on a pretty young woman and calls her a dharkini, what are we to think? It can be a Tibetan Buddhist equivalent to the way Joey Tribbiani in Friends would meet a young woman and come out with something like, Well, hello there, and how are you today? People are people.

And when a lama, surrounded by Western students, focuses on a pretty young woman and calls her a dharkini, what are we to think? It can be a Tibetan Buddhist equivalent to the way Joey Tribbiani in Friends would meet a young woman and come out with something like, Well, hello there, and how are you today? People are people.

Finally, I'd like to pay a bit of attention to those cycles of practice whose deities are all female and all, in a sense, forms of the dharkini. The ultimate primordial Buddha cannot really be represented, but that doesn't stop us from doing that. Most often, this Buddha is shown in male form. In the Nyingma tradition, this will be Samantabhadra. He is shown naked and dark blue.

Finally, I'd like to pay a bit of attention to those cycles of practice whose deities are all female and all, in a sense, forms of the dharkini. The ultimate primordial Buddha cannot really be represented, but that doesn't stop us from doing that. Most often, this Buddha is shown in male form. In the Nyingma tradition, this will be Samantabhadra. He is shown naked and dark blue.

dark as the night sky, to represent being beyond conceptual coverings. But in the cycles I'm talking about here, the primordial Buddha is shown as Samantabhadri. Note the change to the final syllable, Samantabhadri rather than Samantabhadra, and is female. The visionary realms that emerge from this very abstract level

dark as the night sky, to represent being beyond conceptual coverings. But in the cycles I'm talking about here, the primordial Buddha is shown as Samantabhadri. Note the change to the final syllable, Samantabhadri rather than Samantabhadra, and is female. The visionary realms that emerge from this very abstract level

are very often populated by well-known Buddhas, such as the Red Amitabha or Chenrezig, Buddha of Compassion. In the systems I'm now talking about, such a visionary figure may be seen as the Red Darkini Vajravarahi.

are very often populated by well-known Buddhas, such as the Red Amitabha or Chenrezig, Buddha of Compassion. In the systems I'm now talking about, such a visionary figure may be seen as the Red Darkini Vajravarahi.

And on the concrete level, where we might meet Enlightenment, if we are extremely fortunate, in physical form, she may well appear as Yeshe Tsogyal rather than a male form such as Guru Rinpoche. Another aspect of the darkening is a close association with activity.

And on the concrete level, where we might meet Enlightenment, if we are extremely fortunate, in physical form, she may well appear as Yeshe Tsogyal rather than a male form such as Guru Rinpoche. Another aspect of the darkening is a close association with activity.

And we may be called on to see boundless darkenings, millions and billions emanating throughout the universe, in fact underlying the universe or even being this universe, if we can just overcome our conceptual grasping and purify our perception. It's a vision of reality that brings us back to the visions known to mystics across the world.

And we may be called on to see boundless darkenings, millions and billions emanating throughout the universe, in fact underlying the universe or even being this universe, if we can just overcome our conceptual grasping and purify our perception. It's a vision of reality that brings us back to the visions known to mystics across the world.