Goddess Chinnamasta

BUDDHIST

BUDDHISM

CHINNAMUNDA

Pl. PI. 14 14 Color Color plate plate of of Fig. Fig. 20.1. 20.1. The crimson crimson blood blood streaming streamingfrom from Chinnamunda Chinnamunda'ss neck is a dramatic dramatic symbol symbol of spiritual spiritual sustenance sustenance and immortality. neck and immortality. PI. 15 Sirnhamukha, Amdo region, Tibet, nineteenth century. Pigment and gold on cloth, 18.25 x 13 in. (46.35 x 33 ern). The Newark Museum, Holton Collection, 1936; 36.518. Photo: Newark Museum/Art Resource N.Y. Roaring exultantly, Simhamukba personifies pure, untamable power.

402

CHAPTER 19

female Buddha evokes the spaciousness that Buddhists envision as enveloping and permeating phenomenal reality. Nairarmya, as her name indicates, embodies the Buddhist verity of selflessness (niriitman), the absence of concrete, independently real persons and phenomena. The correlate of this truth is the Buddhist vision of reality as a vast web of interdependence and interconnectedness. Her cerulean body is a translucent shell inscribed on the face of reality, proclaiming that all bodies and all phenomenal appearances hover in empty space. Nairatmya, having realized this truth, responds to the illusory nature of phenomena by rejoicing and dancing to liberate others. Femaleness is consistently attributed to generative phenomena in Buddhist symbology, including womblike space, the nurturing earth, the letters of the alphabet, and mantras. The earth, which gives rise to all the life upon it, is personified as a goddess. Space, as the generative matrix of heavenly bodies and of all matter, is associated with female deities. Sound, the alphabet, and language, conceived as subtle layers of reality that underlie and shape phenomena, are commonly envisioned as feminine in Indian metaphysics and in Buddhism as well. Through her identification with the letter "A," the primal sound, the primordial vibration of space and consciousness, Nairatrnya personifies the origin of all phenomena and mindstates. She also represents the force of their dissolution, as the heat of yogic fire and the principle of emptiness. As the source of phenomenal reality, Nairatmya encompasses the universe within her being. All reality is contained within her, as are the processes of arising and dissolution. Therefore, to contemplate Nairatmya is to behold "the essence of ultimate reality.,,49 "Ultimate reality," dharmadhatu, all that exists, is the totality of existence. Nairatrnya is what is known in the broader Indic perspective as a world mother, source of all that is, designated in that context as Adi Sakti (primordial female energy) and as Mahadevi, goddess supreme. Buddhist writings express that ultimacy in terms of emptiness and bliss, space and consciousness. To those unfamiliar with the tradition, "emptiness" may have a negative resonance, implying an absence of purpose or meaning. In the Buddhist context, however, emptiness is an exhilarating and inspiring concept, a liberating principle of ontological openness and existential freedom. Thus, as the "Lady of Emptiness," Nairatmya is supremely blissful, embodying the transcendent happiness enjoyed by those who realize the truth of emptiness. There is no greater joy than discovering that suffering is an illusion and no greater pleasure than dancing in infinity.

r

CHAPTER

20

~L--

~ ~

CHINNAMUNDA

The holy, adamantine

Yogini, yellow with a red luster,

Has cut off her own head with a chopper and Bears the head aloft in her left hand .... She lunges with her right foot forward, Crowned by skulls, naked, with freely flowing hair. Envision the Buddhadakini

in the center,

Her body draped with five bone ornaments; From the neck of her severed head, A stream of blood gushes upward into her own mouth And into the mouths of two yoginis at her sides. -Meditation

manual by Laksmlrikara'

Chinnarnunda (pronounced chee nah MOON DAH), the "Severed-Headed Goddess," offers a startling, even shocking, portrait of ultimate liberation. Her youthful body, golden yellow with a roseate luster, is charmingly adorned by bone jewelry. She lunges forward in a spirited and vigorous manner, her arms poised dancelike in midair. Yet her head has been severed from her body, cut off by her own hand, and blood streams from her headless neck. The sight of Chinnarnunda confronts the viewer with a paradox. She should be lifeless, but she is overflowing with vitality as she feeds herself and two female companions with the liquid that flows from her body. The inherent contradiction posed by the image of Chinnamunda points to a realm of awareness that defies ordinary logic and conventional concepts, including the seemingly ineradicable duality of life and death. Her image conveys the truth that when the illusory self, the false ego, dies, new modes of awareness and action become possible. One who masters the yoga of Chinnarnunda literally transcends death and attains the Buddhist equivalent of immortality, namely, the deathless state wherein, no longer subject to the laws of karma and rebirth, one is free to re-create oneself eternally, in

403

404

CHAPTER 20

innumerable times, places, and bodily forms, out of compassion, to lead others to the same state of liberation. Chinnarnunda is a female Buddha, which means that, as a fully enlightened being, she occupies the vantage point of ultimate truth. She is a Buddhadakini, or "Fully Enlightened pakinI.,,2 She is in fact regarded as a manifestation of Vajrayoginl/Vajravarahl. The three figures are ultimately equated with one another but are understood to appear in different bodily forms to manifest different nuances of enlightenment. Because of their underlying unity, they may be invoked by the same mantra, which conveys the energy essence of a deity in sonic form: Om orrz orrzsarvabuddhatfakinfye uajrauarnaniye uajrauairocaniye hurrz hurrz bum phat phat svaha.3 Although the names VajravairocanI and Vajravarnanl appear in the mantra, they figure only in the visualization of Chinnamunda, as described below. In many respects, Chinnamunda resembles the other forms of VajrayoginI. She wears bone ornaments and a crown of five skulls that represent the five aspects of enlightened wisdom. Apart from these Tantric adornments she is naked, her long hair unbound, and she brandishes a dakini chopper. However, her iconography also differs in significant ways. Whereas most forms ofVajrayoginI are red, Chinnamunda is often envisioned as yellow, perhaps in allusion to the golden radiance of transcendent wisdom (prajiia). In her left hand, in place of the usual skull bowl, she displays her own severed head, waving it aloft with a triumphant flourish (Fig. 20.1, PI. 14). Chinnarnunda is accompanied by two divine yoginis: green Vajravarnanl ("Adamantine Hue") on her left and yellow VajravairocanI ("Adamantine Brilliance") on her right. The companion yoginis, too, are naked, with bone ornaments and loosely flowing hair, but their heads are intact and they bear skull bowls and small choppers in their hands. The dramatic focal point of the image is the three streams of blood that arch from the headless neck of the central female Buddha into her own mouth and the mouths of the yoginis at her sides. The three figures are envisioned in the midst of a fearsome cremation ground.' The epithet Trikaya-VajrayoginI, "Three-Bodied VajrayoginI," refers to the fact that three figures are integral to the iconography. 5 Chinnarnunda takes her place among a range of Indian divinities who drink blood, receive offerings of severed heads, or dismember themselves as a salvific act. Chinnamunda (along with her Hindu counterpart, Chinnamasra) is distinctive in that the blood she drinks is her own, the severed head is her own, and she does not die in an act of sacrificing herself to nourish others. She also stands apart from a tradition of Buddhist figures who offer their mortal body as the supreme gesture of selfless generosity.6 Thus, although her iconography may have been informed by those motifs, it differs significantly and demands its own

20.1 Chinnamunda, Amrit Karmacharya, Patan, Nepal, last decade of twentieth century. Paubha, detail. Pigment and gold on cotton, 2l.5 x 16.75 in. (54.6 x 42.5 em). Author's collection. Severed-headed Chinnamundd nourishes herself and her companions with the elixir of nondual awareness and immortality. (See PI. 14)

404

CHAPTER 20

innumerable times, places, and bodily forms, out of compassion, to lead others to the same state of liberation. Chinnamunda is a female Buddha, which means that, as a fully enlightened being, she occupies the vantage point of ultimate truth. She is a Buddhadakini, or "Fully Enlightened QakinI.,,2 She is in fact regarded as a manifestation of Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi. The three figures are ultimately equated with one another but are understood to appear in different bodily forms to manifest different nuances of enlightenment. Because of their underlying unity, they may be invoked by the same mantra, which conveys the energy essence of a deity in sonic form: Om om orrzsarvabuddhatjiikinrye uajrauarnaniye uajrauairocaniye bicm biim hum phat phat sviihii.3 Although the names VajravairocanI and Vajravarnani appear in the mantra, they figure only in the visualization' of Chinnarnunda, as described below. In many respects, Chinnarnunda resembles the other forms of VajrayoginI. She wears bone ornaments and a crown of five skulls that represent the five aspects of enlightened wisdom. Apart from these Tantric adornments she is naked, her long hair unbound, and she brandishes a dakinl chopper. However, her iconographyalso differs in significant ways. Whereas most forms ofVajrayoginI are red, Chinnamunda is often envisioned as yellow, perhaps in allusion to the golden radiance of transcendent wisdom (prajiiii). In her left hand, in place of the usual skull bowl, she displays her own severed head, waving it aloft with a triumphant flourish (Fig. 20.1, PI. 14). Chinnamunda is accompanied by two divine yoginis: green Vajravarnani ("Adamantine Hue") on her left and yellow VajravairocanI ("Adamantine Brilliance") on her right. The companion yoginis, too, are naked, with bone ornaments and loosely flowing hair, but their heads are intact and they bear skull bowls and small choppers in their hands. The dramatic focal point of the image is the three streams of blood that arch from the headless neck of the central female Buddha into her own mouth and the mouths of the yoginis at her sides. The three figures are envisioned in the midst of a fearsome cremation ground/' The epithet Trikaya-VajrayoginI, "Three-Bodied VajrayoginI," refers to the fact that three figures are integral to the iconography. 5 Chinnamunda takes her place among a range of Indian divinities who drink blood, receive offerings of severed heads, or dismember themselves as a salvific act. Chinnarnunda (along with her Hindu counterpart, Chinnamasta) is distinctive in that the blood she drinks is her own, the severed head is her own, and she does not die in an act of sacrificing herself to nourish others. She also stands apart from a tradition of Buddhist figures who offer their mortal body as the supreme gesture of selfless generosity.P Thus, although her iconography may have been informed by those motifs, it differs significantly and demands its own

20.1 Chinnamunda, Amrit Karmacharya, Paran, Nepal, last decade of twentieth century. Paubha, detail. Pigment and gold on cotton, 2l.5 x 16.75 in. (54.6 x 42.5 ern). Author's collection. Severed-headed Cbinnamunda nourishes herself and her companions with the elixir of nondual awareness and immortality. (See PI. 14)

CHAPTER 20

CHINNAMU~I?A

interpretation. Elisabeth Benard's comprehensive study of Chinnamunda locates the primary significance of the self-beheading motif in its reference to internal yogic practices, attributing its mysterious, awe-inspiring quality in part to the fact that it is a "magnified depiction of something invisible to ordinary vision."?

of illumination and a vision of the clear light. Inner yoga practitioners seek to replicate this process during life and to integrate the resultant nondual wisdom into daily, waking consciousness. II

406

ALLEGORY FOR INNER YOGA PRACTICES

Chinnamunda and the two yoginis who accompany her offer a visual allegory for advanced yogic meditations known in Buddhist terminology as perfection stage yoga (utpanna-krama) and in the Hindu context as kurzr!alini-yoga. This inner yoga, which comes at the end of a long course of meditative training and esoteric initiations, involves the movement and concentration of psychic energies within the subtle yogic anatomy of the body. The central energy pathway traverses the body along the spine and continues around the crown of the head to the forehead. Two ancillary channels run parallel to it. The channel on the right is known as rasand, the one on the left is termed laland, and the main, central pathway is the auadhiiti. The two side channels coil around the avadhiiti at four main junctures, or chakras, at the navel, heart, throat, and forehead. The psychic energies or winds (priirza) which carry a person's thoughts and emotions normally course throughout the body in a network of seventy-two· thousand psychic veins and in the two side channels. The dispersion of the energy corresponds to the myriad thought processes that mire the mind in worldly existence. Underlying the seemingly infinite variety of dualistic thoughts, however, is the fundamental division of the world into self and other, or subject and object. The right channel and subsidiary branching veins support the subjective portion of experience; the left channel and veins carry thought constructions pertaining to external objecrs.f The winds do not ordinarily enter the central channel of their own accord. The goal of inner yoga is to gather all the energy into the central channel, use it to open and untie the knots at the chakras, and direct it in specific ways to generate subtle realizations and states of bliss. When the energies abide in the central channel, they no longer support dualistic thought. Conceptualiry, deprived of its foundation, automatically disappears, baring the natural essence of the mind and restoring its capacity for direct, intuitive wisdorn.f Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explains that when the energies are gathered in the central channel, "the dualistic conceptualizing mind-the source of cyclic existence-will no longer have any foundation and will therefore disappear .... The myriad of negative thoughts powered by the dualistic view will all vanish automatically, without effort."lo Normally all the energies enter the central channel and dissolve into the heart chakra only at the moment of death, giving rise to a fleeting experience

407

In the yogic interpretation of her iconography, Chinnamunda embodies the central energy pathway of the body, or avadhiiti. The companion yoginis represent the two side channels: Vajravarnanl on her left corresponds to lalana, while Vajravairocani on her right personifies rasana. Several stages of the inner yoga are represented by the image, for the nature of the exchange among the three yoginis changes as the meditation unfolds. The practitioner first envisions the triad on a red or multihued lotus at the navel, where the side channels intersect the central channel. Initially envisioning the three goddesses at the navel chakra draws the energy from the two halves of the body to the place where the three channels meet, in preparation for bringing the energy into the central channel. 12 In the next stage of the meditation, the energy is concentrated into three luminous drops (bindu) at the lower ends of the three channels: a red drop on the right, a white drop on the left, and a blue drop in the center. The two outer yoginis are envisioned as exhaling into the central channel. Their breath pushes the red and white drops into the blue one, accomplishing the transfer of energy into the avadhutt. The unified drop is then drawn up the central channel and absorbed into the heart chakra, where nondual awareness dawns: The two goddesses exhale, which makes The left and right drops dissolve into the middle one .... Envision it merging into the HU¥ at the heart. That (heart drop) is clear and stainless, A non dual drop of intrinsic awareness, Free from all happiness and sufferingPure awareness, emptied of worldly appearances. How wonderful! Practice yoga-attain nondual wisdoml'" This is not the end of the meditation, however. The next step is to kindle an inner fire of psychic heat at the navel that melts the drop at the heart, generating a stream of blissful nectar. The nectarine fluid is then directed in various ways to generate further nuances of insight and bliss. The highest states of transcendent bliss are produced by its upward movement along the central channel, culminating at the crown of the head.14 At this stage of the visualization, the central font of blood that streams upward from Chinnamunda's neck assumes a primary role. The liquid that flows into her own mouth represents the melting drops that rise in the central channel and flood

406

407

CHAPTER 20

CHINNAMU~I?A

interpretation. Elisabeth Benard's comprehensive study of Chinnamunda locates the primary significance of the self-beheading motif in its reference to internal yogic practices, attributing its mysterious, awe-inspiring quality in part to the fact that it is a "magnified depiction of something invisible to ordinary vision."?

of illumination and a vision of the clear light. Inner yoga practitioners seek to replicate this process during life and to integrate the resultant nondual wisdom into daily, waking consciousness. II

ALLEGORY FOR INNER YOGA PRACTICES

Chinnamunda and the rwo yoginis who accompany her offer a visual allegory for advanced yogic meditations known in Buddhist terminology as perfection stage yoga (utpanna-krama) and in the Hindu context as kur.z4alinl-yoga. This inner yoga, which comes at the end of a long course of meditative training and esoteric initiations, involves the movement and concentration of psychic energies within the subtle yogic anatomy of the body. The central energy pathway traverses the body along the spine and continues around the crown of the head to the forehead. Two ancillary channels run parallel to it. The channel on the right is known as rasand, the one on the left is termed laland, and the main, central pathway is the avadhutl. The rwo side channels coil around the avadhiitI at four main junctures, or chakras, at the navel, heart, throat, and forehead. The psychic energies or winds (prar.za) which carry a person's thoughts and emotions normally course throughout the body in a nerwork of seventy-two . thousand psychic veins and in the rwo side channels. The dispersion of the energy corresponds to the myriad thought processes that mire the mind in worldly existence. Underlying the seemingly infinite variety of dualistic thoughts, however, is the fundamental division of the world into self and other, or subject and object. The right channel and subsidiary branching veins support the subjective portion of experience; the left channel and veins carry thought constructions pertaining to external objects. 8 The winds do not ordinarily enter the central channel of their own accord. The goal of inner yoga is to gather all the energy into the central channel, use it to open and untie the knots at the chakras, and direct it in specific ways to generate subtle realizations and states of bliss. When the energies abide in the central channel, they no longer support dualistic thought. Conceptualiry, deprived of its foundation, automatically disappears, baring the natural essence of the mind and restoring its capacity for direct, intuitive wisdorn.f Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explains that when the energies are gathered in the central channel, "the dualistic conceptualizing mind-the source of cyclic existence-will no longer have any foundation and will therefore disappear. ... The myriad of negative thoughts powered by the dualistic view will all vanish automatically, without effort."lo Normally all the energies enter the central channel and dissolve into the heart chakra only at the moment of death, giving rise to a fleeting experience

In the yogic interpretation of her iconography, Chinnarnunda embodies the central energy pathway of the body, or avadhurl, The companion yoginis represent the rwo side channels: Vajravarnani on her left corresponds to lalana, while VajravairocanI on her right personifies rasana, Several stages of the inner yoga are represented by the image, for the nature of the exchange among the three yoginis changes as the meditation unfolds. The practitioner first envisions the triad on a red or multihued lotus at the navel, where the side channels intersect the central channel. Initially envisioning the three goddesses at the navel chakra draws the energy from the rwo halves of the body to the place where the three channels meet, in preparation for bringing the energy into the central channel. 12 In the next stage of the meditation, the energy is concentrated into three luminous drops (bindu) at the lower ends of the three channels: a red drop on the right, a white drop on the left, and a blue drop in the center. The rwo outer yoginis are envisioned as exhaling into the central channel. Their breath pushes the red and white drops into the blue one, accomplishing the transfer of energy into the avadhutt. The unified drop is then drawn up the central channel and absorbed into the heart chakra, where nondual awareness dawns: The two goddesses exhale, which makes The left and right drops dissolve into the middle one .... Envision it merging into the HU¥ at the heart. That (heart drop) is clear and stainless, A non dual drop of intrinsic awareness, Free from all happiness and sufferingPure awareness, emptied of worldly appearances. How wonderful! Practice yoga-attain nondual wisdornl'" This is not the end of the meditation, however. The next step is to kindle an inner fire of psychic heat at the navel that melts the drop at the heart, generating a stream of blissful nectar. The nectarine fluid is then directed in various ways to generate further nuances of insight and bliss. The highest states of transcendent bliss are produced by its upward movement along the central channel, culminating at the crown of the head. 14 At this stage of the visualization, the central font of blood that streams upward from Chinnamunda's neck assumes a primary role. The liquid that flows into her own mouth represents the melting drops that rise in the central channel and flood

408

CHAPTER

20

CHINNAMUNDA

the crown chakra, giVIng rise to supreme bliss.15 Life-giving blood is an apt metaphor for the yogic nectar in which the life essence is concentrated. The term "nectar" (amrta) applies here in both of its meanings, as the ambrosia of bliss and elixir of immortality. Flooding the crown chakra, in essence "feeding oneself' with the nectarine drops, is the psychophysiological basis of transcendent bliss, as well as a source of profound regeneration and renewal. In this respect, the severed head borne aloft in her left hand corresponds to the skull bowl displayed by other female Buddhas. Both attributes reflect mastery of the inner yogic practice in which the concentrated life energy is brought into the crown chakra, turning it into a veritable cranial chalice, overflowing with radiant nectar of bliss and immortality.

PHYSICAL

RENEWAL

AND

SPIRITUAL

REBIRTH

Following this interpretation, the streams of liquid that feed the companion yoginis may refer to a subsequent stage of the meditation, when the energy accumulated in the central channel is spread outward again to purify the right and left channels and peripheral veins throughout the body. The practitioner consciously directs the energy to remove blockages in the network of subtle veins, repair them where they are broken, restore them where they have shriveled or become brittle, and render them smooth and supple. The diffusion of the energy regenerates the body, restoring youthfulness and bestowing perfect health. 16 This yogic purification process accomplishes a profound healing on the metaphysical level, which underlies organic sickness and health. At this final stage of the inner yoga, the crimson liquid that pours from Chinnamunda's headless neck is a Tantric fountain of eternal youth. Thus, the image of self-decapitation, perhaps seemingly gruesome, is actually a dramatic image of regeneration and spiritual rebirth. The associated yogic practice bestows youthful vigor and flexibility on the body and restores the original purity of the heart and mind. One who becomes adept at this yoga is also prepared for a conscious, enlightening death experience. Persons who experience the clear light of mind for the first time at death are not prepared to merge into its engulfing brilliance. The force of egoic attachment compels them to revert to individuated consciousness and continue on the afterdeath journey through realms of terrifying and enticing psychological apparition, until settling in a womb or egg for their next rebirth. A meditator who has undergone this psychic dissolution during life, however, can merge fully into the clear light and experience visionary encounters with enlightened beings in the afterlife, as well as choose the next form of embodiment that he or she will adopt. Chinnamunda's headless condition may be interpreted as a symbol of the introspective and self-sufficient state of consciousness that prevails during this

409

process of yogic purification, as the mind IS withdrawn from sense objects and worldly appearances and immersed in its intrinsic luminosity and blissfulness. Even breath may be suspended during this state, as the entire psychophysical organism becomes self-sustaining. 17 Thus, the dissevered body of Chinnarnunda is really an image of wholeness, proclaiming the possibility of tapping an infinite stream of energy within oneself. She holds her head at arm's length because she requires and receives nothing from outside herself. Liberated from worldly experiences, sense impressions, and even respiration, she drinks perpetually from an inner wellspring of joy and knowledge, the nectar of bliss and wisdom, the elixir of eternal life. Chinnamunda portrays the paradox inherent in the process of spiritual awakening. It is at once a psychic death, insofar as experience of oneself as an individual, permanent self with fixed boundaries is eradicated, and a spiritual rebirth, the dawning of universal awareness and infinite expansiveness of being. The cremation ground in which Chinnamunda is envisioned dramatizes the death of selfhood at the heart of this transformation. The site of the combustion of the physical body is a fitting symbol for the yogic dissolution of the psyche into its purest form as luminous, blissful consciousness. The cremation pyres symbolize the flames of wisdom, kindled within as a yogic fire that incinerates the states of mind that feed the ego. Thus, Chinnamunda's stand upon the charnel ground represents the victory of one who has undergone psychic death and emerged, triumphant, on the other side.

REVELATION

AND TRANSMISSION

The worship of Chinnarnunda was introduced by Laksminkara, a female mahasiddha, or "great perfected one," who may have lived in the ninth century. Laksminkara's biography traces her journey to enlightenment, explaining how she attained the level of visionary insight necessary to receive and impart a revelation of deity. Laksminkara was a princess by birth and a native ofUddiyana, an important Tantric center in northwestern India. She had received training in Sanskrit, philosophy, meditation, and esoteric yoga before leaving home to marry the prince of Lanka. Laksminkara felt revulsion for her fiance when she saw him return from a hunting expedition with piles of slaughtered animals, so she gave away her dowry, escaped to a cremation ground, and fended off search parties by feigning insanity. Laksminkara spent seven years in deep meditation in her self-imposed exile. Her efforts as a solitary yogini were crowned with full enlightenment and a state of visionary attUnement in which she could see and receive instruction directly from Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Laksminkara remained in the forest, residing in a cave, and began to attract and train disciples. One day the king, Jalendra, chanced upon her cave during a

408

CHAPTER

20

CHINNAMUr: