Vajrayogini or Vajravarahi as a tantric Buddhist meditational deity (Tibetan: yidam or Sanskrit: ishtadeva) comes to us in many forms and from various lineages. She embodies principally: (1) the fully enlightened female, wild, fiery, and energetic (shakti/kundalini) aspect of a Buddha; (2) the wisdom (= experiential) aspect leading to Buddhahood; and (3) as a principal dakini (Tibetan: mKha' gro; "sky-goer") the (com)passionate guiding and inspirational aspect leading the practitioner to enlightenment.
Vajradakinis
In Anuttara Yoga Tantra the principal dakini (often called "Vajra-" or "Wisdom-dakini") is mostly shown in union with a male consort, like in the deities Guhyasamaja, Hevajra, Kalachakra, etc. In our case, Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi is the principal female buddha in the Chakrasamvara Tantra and is in union with Heruka Chakrasamvara. Since the Vajradakinis are considered buddhas and yidams in their own right over time several spin-off practices have evolved from those practices simplifying the otherwise complicated main practice and reducing it to a single-deity meditation without dropping the principal aspects/benefits of the main practice (e.g. Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi out of Chakrasamvara and Nairatmya out of Hevajra).
General Characteristics
Vajrayogini in Union with Chakrasamvara
Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi ranks first and most important among the dakinis. She is the "Sarva-buddha-dakini" the Dakini Who is the Essence of all Buddhas. Although there are a number of visual representations of Vajrayogini, certain attributes are common to all: She is mostly shown as young, naked, and standing in a desirous or dancing posture. She holds a blood-filled skull cup in one hand and a curved knife (kartr or dri-gug) in the other. Often she wears a garland of human skulls or severed heads; has a khatvanga staff leaning against her shoulder; her usually wild hair flowing down her neck and back; her face in a semi-wrathful expression. Her radiant red body is ablaze with the heat of yogic fire and surrounded by the flames of wisdom.
Finally, it has arrived: the third volume in the FPMT series of Vajrayogini practice manuals.
It is intended for the use of those who have completed an approximation retreat enabling the activities and the accompanying subsequent pacifying burning offering, this volume makes available the complete self-empowerment ritual, together with practice and set-up instructions. A practitioner’s ability to perform regular self-initiation practice during this lifetime is essential to engaging in deep purification of the mind, especially in preparation for, at the very least, a positive death and future rebirth, or even better, for achieving the pure land of Vajrayogini herself, Khachö, in this life, at death, in the bardo, or in one’s next life. In addition, the self-empowerment of Vajrayogini is simple to perform, compared with the self-initiation rites of many other Maha-anuttara Yoga Tantra deities. For this reason, it is highly appropriate for practitioners in these degenerate times, when time is short and the ease of practice can greatly help us to keep our tantric commitments.
Some of the resources are publicly accessible whereas the majority of the Vajrayogini practice material is made available only to qualified practitioners. In order to gain access to these materials you have to register. The registration process is explained at the end of this article.
Access Requirements
In order to read or view the materials offered on this site, and derive any benefit from it, one has to have received a Highest Yoga (Anuttara) Tantra initiation, such as Kalachakra, Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, Yamantaka, Vajrayogini, etc. from a qualified Vajramaster in the Gelug and/or Sakya tradition.
Publicly Available Materials
There are quite a number of excellent books and publications on the subject. They are available either through the book trade or directly from the publisher. Some of the latter only sell or ship to initiates with the proper credentials. You find most of them listed in our Books section.
Download Section We are working on the 'Downloads' section of our website to make it more usable and useful. Most of the materials have been updated, corrected, etc. Some documents may not be available in the moment but they will all be re-published by mid-summer. If you need a practice text urgently please contact us.
Finally, it has arrived: the third volume in the FPMT series of Vajrayogini practice manuals. 
