Female Buddhas

Buddhist tantra places some of the female deities at the pinnacle of its pantheon. They are a female personification of supreme awakening and symbolize some of the highest spiritual goals including Buddhahood. However, due to our cultural baggage, the word ‘Buddha’ still reflects a male figure in our minds though the term is more concerned with the concept of awakening and therefore transcends gender.This book investigates into the tantra tradition in general, and in Buddhism in particular. The focal point of the discussion is the practices of goddesses in Buddhist tantra. It explores the textual sources for explaining the unusual appearances and practices associated with tantric goddesses. After documenting two major Buddhist traditions of goddesses in Nepalese Buddhism, this book makes an effort to find harmony between the overlapping layers of popular belief and the profound liturgical expositions of Buddhist tantra tradition.