Dakini's Warm Breath : The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism

by Simmer-Brown, Judith

• ISBN13: 9781570627200
• ISBN10: 1570627207
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-06-01
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

The primary emblem of the feminine in Tibetan Buddhism is the dakini, or "sky-dancer," a semi-wrathful spirit-woman who manifests in visions, dreams, and meditation experiences. Western scholars and interpreters of the dakini, influenced by Jungian psychology and feminist goddess theology, have shaped a contemporary critique of Tibetan Buddhism in which the dakini is seen as a psychological "shadow," a feminine savior, or an objectified product of patriarchal fantasy. According to Judith Simmer-Brown-who writes from the point of view of an experienced practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism-such interpretations are inadequate. In the spiritual journey of the meditator, Simmer-Brown demonstrates, the dakini symbolizes levels of personal realization: the sacredness of the body, both female and male; the profound meeting point of body and mind in meditation; the visionary realm of ritual practice; and the empty, spacious qualities of mind itself. When the meditator encounters the dakini, living spiritual experience is activated in a nonconceptual manner by her direct gaze, her radiant body, and her compassionate revelation of reality. Grounded in the author's personal encounter with the dakini, this unique study will appeal to both male and female spiritual seekers interested in goddess worship, women's spirituality, and the tantric tradition.

Author Biography

Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the religious studies department at Naropa University (formerly the Naropa Institute), where she has taught since 1978. She has authored numerous articles on Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and Buddhism in America. She is an Acharya (senior teacher) in the lineage of Ch÷gyam Trungpa. A practicing Buddhist since 1971, she lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Encountering the Dakini	p. 1
Gender, Subjectivity, and the Feminine Principle	p. 11
The Dakini in Tibetan Buddhism	p. 43
The Select Dakini: The Great Mother	p. 81
The Inner Dakini: The Visionary Queen	p. 116
The Outer Dakini: The Subtle Body of Bliss	p. 161
The Outer-Outer Dakini: The Dakini in Human Form	p. 182
Living Encounters with the Dakini	p. 234
Protectors of the Tantric Teachings	p. 265
Conclusion: Dakini's Warm Breath: Quintessence of a Tantric Symbol	p. 286
Notes	p. 293
Select Bibliography	p. 363
Tibetan Transliterations and Sanskrit Equivalents	p. 385
Credits	p. 393
Index	p. 395
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