What does the word dakini mean?
When Buddhism spread throughout India for the first time, the word dakini was no compliment. It had a very negative meaning. It alludes to the notion of “witch” as it was understood in Europe in the Middle Ages. It describes an apparently threatening woman with special abilities. In Indian usage a dakini is a very simple, rather primitive woman. She is a ferocious, carnivorous being who was expelled from society and appeared to be dangerous. The original meaning of the word shows destructive power.
In Tibetan, the word dakini is translated as khandro and describes a tantric transformation. The wild woman from a low caste changes into a wisdom holder. The literal translation of khandro is “sky traveller” or “sky dancer.” It describes the female principle in the sense of the ultimate qualities of space. In classical Tibetan kha is short for namkha and means space or sky. Dro means to move or walk and is also used for normal beings in common Tibetan language.
The word khandro points to the experience of emptiness. This space-like nature can show itself in a female form, but male and female qualities are descriptions of the same nature of mind. We all have both the female dakini wisdom and the male expression of activity within ourselves. The different qualities show aspects of the mind but all share the same essence. In Diamond Way Buddhism we meditate on united buddha aspects to awaken precisely this experience inside ourselves. By opening ourselves to male and female buddhas in union, we strengthen the inseparability of the different abilities of our mind, which we otherwise are not able to experience because of our very strong dualistic concepts. This kind of meditation is one of Buddha’s most skilful methods.
In summary, dakinis are either wisdom energies without a physical form or physically existing women. With respect to our meditation practice today, dakini activity is primarily inspiring and helpful for the practitioner.
What is this activity?
Dakini activity is protective activity. Dakinis are the roots of activity and therefore our refuge in Diamond Way Buddhism. The protective dakini power preserves the living transmission of Diamond Way Buddhist teachings. They protect teachings that may only be practiced under suitable circumstances and ensure their concealment.
You said dakinis are our refuge in the Diamond Way. What exactly does this mean?
If the lama is the root of blessing power, then the light forms of the buddhas (Tib. yidam) are the root of realization, and the dharma protectors—dakas and dakinis—are the root of activity. This is the way the three roots of the refuge show themselves.
Do you see a difference between male and female lamas with respect to their inspiring and protective activity?
The female activity is supposed to be quick, to be very efficient. When you have dakas and dakinis, in the sense of being supporters for practitioners, it has to fit whether you are a man or a woman. Dakinis have the function of supporting male practitioners and dakas inspire female practitioners. On a less physical level, I think, there are not such strong differences between male and female lamas, if we talk about the protective activity of a teacher.
We heard that dakinis are also called “The Mother of all Buddhas.”
When we hear that a dakini was “The Mother of all Buddhas,” this refers to the symbolic meaning of the female aspect as emptiness. This means that all phenomena arise from a space-like nature, in the same way that a mother bears children. Only in this context is a dakini called “The Mother of all Buddhas.”
Many of the historical women in Buddhism are known as companions of great meditation masters. Why are these women mentioned so scarcely in the lineage history if they often were the ones who transmitted special meditation explanations?
There are teachings that were transmitted by dakinis, the so-called ”ear-whispered wisdom teachings.” This happened with respect to the meditations on united buddha aspects, which were not practiced in public. Well, if somebody whispers something into your ear, you really have to listen very carefully (laughs). This happens very privately and the partners have no public function in this process. This kind of practice is and was only of importance to strengthen and consolidate the experience of emptiness.
During the meditation on united buddha aspects, dakinis and dakas have certain tasks. In this context socalled Ganachakra feasts are mentioned time and again.
Here, dakas and dakinis meet and have their feasts in cemeteries. In India there are eight of these special places. Two of them are near Bodhgaya. I do not know the exact geographical location of all of them. Ganachakra feasts are a level of tantric practice; there are other more symbolic practices where you hold a feast in connection with your meditation. Today, Tibetans use a symbolic feast (Tib. tsog) during their singing meditations (Skt. pujas). Here all phenomena are raised to the pure level of experience, and unclean substances like meat and alcohol are transformed into wisdom nectar and blessed objects. On this level, all disturbing emotions become the different forms of wisdom and all activity is transformed into pure energy.
Are these cemeteries still in use?
People who know these places go there and meditate. They are pilgrimage places.
What is the deeper meaning of the exercise of transforming substances that are regarded as unclean, for example blood into nectar, and why are these practices kept secret?
All tantric exercises, which work with outward offerings, are transformations of so-called worldly, unclean substances. This is the general idea; and there is something very concrete behind it, namely that it is meant to dissolve concepts of pure and impure, what tastes good and what doesn’t, and what you can and cannot eat. These substances are things you surely would not want to eat or drink. If you use them for your practice—at least symbolically—the goal is to reach a level where it does not matter, where differences no longer exist. Clean and unclean is only our judgment; it is nothing inherent to the things themselves. One can change one’s whole perception and one’s preferences and aversions.
One of the reasons why tantric practices are not meant for the public is that they are disgusting if you do not understand them. They can be misused, even the sexual part, where you just have orgies where you drink wine and have sex. There is nothing special about it, as you can have that without tantra. That is the reason for the secrecy of tantra, because it has a lot of symbolic meaning.
Are these tsog pujas meant for checking one’s own meditation experience, or do they create positive impressions to keep the pure view of seeing qualities and abilities everywhere after the meditation?
The puja is more symbolic. You create good imprints, and you try to do it at the highest level you can. If you cannot control your mind, it is just a party—but that is not a tsog. Whether it is a true tsog depends on your state of mind, and today there are not so many practitioners who are able to do it properly. But on the ordinary level you can accumulate merit and train your mind.
In what way are you inspired by historical life examples?
For us it is not so important to learn the same meditations, but to use the life stories as motivation for our own practice. The biographies are examples of people who were rather unusual for their times. They all held onto their practice with a strong will and reached full enlightenment. This is a point from which we can learn a lot. If we integrate the Diamond Way view and meditation into our lives, we will receive the corresponding results. This is a very important inspiration for us today, not to feel restricted by our life situation. The teachings on the absolute level are as relevant for us today as they were 2500 years ago during the lifetime of Buddha Shakyamuni.
This means that one can set off on one’s way regardless of whether what one does is politically correct or corresponds to the role a man or woman is expected to play in their society.
There is no difference between men and women, even though most Buddhist teachers were men. Some of Buddha’s teachings sound as if there really was a difference in the potential of men and women. Here, these examples of life stories are important. They show that it is just a question of what you do. In that old form of society, it was much harder for a woman to find the particular circumstances required for practicing. In all these life stories, you find where they talk about their situation, what it is like to be a woman and to be regarded as something of lesser value. They experienced this attitude that we no longer find in the West today.
In the past there were voices that consistently interpreted the life stories of female buddhas in a way that showed how women overcame their “I” illusion by unquestioningly following the man.
And how, then, do men overcome their ego? (laughs) Every human being has an ego. Some have bigger ones and some smaller ones, but they are the ties that bind us all. I think the stories are examples of teacher-student relationships. Men have women as students and vice versa. Maybe it is not so important for women to also have an official function in doing so. These stories are examples; they show a way so others can walk this way, just like the life story of Milarepa or Buddha Shakyamuni. They did it so we can see that it is possible.
We have heard of the Buddhist statement that women allegedly have a disadvantageous starting position for working effectively with meditation. In your opinion, does this statement only refer to outward social conditions or is it also related to inner levels of one’s own willpower and activity to put intentions and wishes into practice?
Physically, women are a little weaker; this is the reason why we find these statements about limited possibilities in Buddhism. It is harder for a woman to survive and this is still true today. It has nothing to do with what is allowed for a woman and what is not. If, for example, you have a female body it is more dangerous for you to walk around in a city than for a man. Even in modern countries, men still earn more money for the same job, and if a woman becomes pregnant, she will more easily lose her job. There are things that make life a little bit more complicated when you are in a female body. One just has to accept it, however many rights one may have or not have.
But this does not mean that you cannot practice or that no results will arise from the meditation practice. Naturally, being a woman also has numerous advantages. It is just important not to let oneself be stopped by the disadvantages. In the Western world today, it is probably mainly a difference in physical strength. But in the Eastern countries, the social differences between the life situations of men and women are very large.
Generally speaking, men and women have a quite similar mindset. You can say that women are generally more intimate. Whether this is seen as a disadvantage depends on the prevailing society and time and has nothing to do with the timeless values as Buddha taught them.
What are your experiences with the social role of women in Asia?
In Asian society, the roles of men and women are much more rigid than in the Western world. A woman’s role is regarded as being of lesser value than that of a man. She does all the work but usually gets no credit for it. At the same time women have a lot to say within the family, they only are not active outside the family.
Tibetan society also knows differences between men and women, but at the same time, historically, Tibetan women were more individual. If a woman decided to practice Buddha’s teachings, nobody would keep her from doing so. This was generally accepted. So it was more the woman’s own choice. It was for her to decide whether she started to meditate or not and whether she gave teachings. There were no firm rules like in Christianity, where women were not allowed to act officially in the name of religion. On this level, Tibet offered more freedom. It was a completely different system where one woman could have several men or vice versa. It depended on the personal wish of the woman if she meditated or not. This is also reflected in the Tibetan life stories.
Have you ever met a Dakini?
Ole and I met Drikung Khandro in the western Himalayas; she lived together with Kunu Lama for a long time and was very special. Her strong charisma impressed us deeply. But Drikung Khandro had already been a little ill at that time. She suffered from tuberculosis and did not live much longer. She and Kunu Lama were both born as siblings in Copenhagen and were later officially recognized as incarnations.
But much more important than the task behind the title of a being is the meaning of dakinis on the absolute level. The meaning of the teachings on emptiness is essential, whether it is in connection with meditation or whether female buddhas express the space-like nature of mind. When I assume we are all bodhisattvas, then I am surrounded by male and female buddhas and, naturally, also by dakinis. I can meet dakinis in my meditation but also as outward teachers or in every woman I meet. It is all a question of view.
