In Tibetan Buddhism, Siṃhamukhā (Tib. Senge Dongma) or Siṃhavaktra, also known as the Lion Face Dakini or Lion-headed Dakini, is a wisdom

dakini A ḍākinī ( sa, डाकिनी; ; mn, хандарма; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, ''dakini'') is a type of female spirit, goddess, or demon in Hinduism and Bud ...

of the

Dzogchen Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. ...

tradition. She is represented as a fierce dakini with the head of a snow lion. Her mouth is depicted with a roar, symbolizing untamed fury and jubilant laughter. Her roar disperses discursive thoughts. She is naked, symbolizing that she herself is completely free of discursive thought. She is considered to be an emanation or manifestation of Guhyajnana Dakini (the principal Dakini teacher of

Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...

in Uddiyana), or of Mandarava (one of his consorts), or of Sangwa Yeshe. She represents the accomplished female practitioner. As a meditation deity, her main function is averting magical attacks. According to both John Reynolds and John Lash, she is the Indian equivalent of the

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

goddess Sekmet.

Description

According to the curators of the Himalayan Art Resources, the wisdom Dakini Simhamukha is visualized

Retinue

According to John Reynolds, Simhamukha

Lineages

There are at least two major lineages of transmission, one in the

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

and another in the

Sakya The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu. Origins Virūpa, 16th century. It depic ...

school. Although according to the

tertön Tertön () is a term within Tibetan Buddhism meaning a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or '' terma''. Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who foresaw ...

Nyangral Nyima Özer, the Nyingma Simhamukha is based on the Sakya tradition of Bari Lotsawa.

Nyingma

According to the terma (in Tibetan: gong ter, 'a treasure of the mind') tradition of the Nyingma school, Senge Dongma is a manifestation of Padmasambhava, a secret spiritual form of Guru Rinpoche specifically for removing spiritual obstacles and negativity. Accomplished practitioners often visualize Padmasambhava as Simhamukha during their meditative practices. According to

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (, 1820–1892), also known by his tertön title, Pema Ösel Dongak Lingpa, was a renowned teacher, scholar and tertön of 19th-century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the Rimé movement. Having seen how the Gelug instit ...

Sakya

The Sakya lineage began with a terma discovered by Bari Lotsawa (1040–1111), who transmitted the teachings to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo. According to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo,

Termas

Tertön Sogyal Tertön Sogyal Lerab Lingpa (, 1856-1926) was a Tibetan Buddhist tertön and a teacher of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Biography As a child, Tertön Sogyal was taught by Nyala Pema Duddul, Patrul Rinpoche, and Khenpo Pema Vajra at Dzogchen Monast ...

is credited with discovering and transcribing a terma he found in a remote hermitage. * Tsasum Lingpa, ''Lion-Faced Dakini Practice that Subdues All Devils''.

Sadhanas

Dudjom Rinpoche Kyabje Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (, THL ''Düjom Jikdrel Yéshé Dorjé'') was known as Terchen Drodül Lingpa and as Dudjom Rinpoche (10 June 1904 – 17 January 1987). He is considered by many Tibetan Buddhists to be from a line of importan ...

, ''A Daily 'Hand-Clapping' Practice of Siṃhamukhā''. *

, in ''The Excellent Vase of Precious Jewels'' (Rin-chen bum bzang), provides three sadhanas composed by Padma Gargyi Wangchuk (Jamgon Kongtrul). *Lama Kunga Tartse Rinpoche, ''Sadhana of the Blue Lion-headed Dakini''.

References

Citations

Works cited

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External links

Simhamukha Main Page
at Himalayan Art Resources
Siṃhamukhā Series
at Lotsawa House Dakinis Mythological lions