Red Wisdom (Skt. Vajravarahi, Tib. Dorje Pamo) is a wrathful form of Vajrayogini. In union with Highest Bliss (Skt. Chakrasamvara, Tib. Korlo Demchok) she is the main yidam of our Kagyü tradtion.

She has one face, (usually) two hands and two legs, is usually red in colour, and standing in a dancing posture on a human corpse. The distinguishing iconographic attribute is a sow head (varahi) placed either on the right side of her head or on the top of her head, which gives her the name Diamond Saw.

Sarasvati is one of the 21 Taras.

White in colour, peaceful and smiling, she holds a lotus upon which is a mirror marked with the syllable Hri.

In the tantric tradition Sarasvati is classified as a wisdom generating buddha aspect, also the goddess of art (literary, poetry and music).

She is often depicted as the consort of Wisdom Buddha, Manjushri.

Shingkyong Yab-Yum is a male protector with a lion face, wrathful, blue, wearing a heavy black coat.
He is often depicted with his female consort Sengdongma, representing primordial active compassion and skillful means on the one hand and wisdom, space and emptiness on the other.

Shingkyong is described as the protector of the Pure Land of the Buddha of Limitless Light (Amitabha) Dewachen/Sukhavati. He is mainly represented in the Kagyü and the Nyingma Schools.

Sin Gön is blue in color with a consort red in color. Both Ngag Dag and Sin Gön belong to the mandala of Mahakala Bernagchen (as well as Vaishravana riding on a Lion; Palden Lhamo; Rangjung Gyalmo, dark blue in color, with four arms, riding atop a mule; Shingkyong Yab-Yum, a couple, both with lion faces, riding atop horses; Tashi Tseringma, riding on the back of a white and green snow lion; Kharnag, a naga, blue in colour riding atop a white elephant)

The Six-armed Mahakala is the main protector of the Shangpa Kagyü lineage. He is like all Mahakalas an emanation of Loving Eyes.

His six arms symbolize the Six Liberating Actions. The practice on Mahakala keeps the mind of the meditator from deviating away from the bodhisattva path.

Tara (Skt., Tib. Dölma) appears in 21 different forms, known as the “mother of liberation”.

Examples include Green Tara, known as the Buddha of enlightened activity and love and White Tara, also known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity.

Thousand-Armed Loving Eyes is a form of Loving Eyes, the Buddha of Compassion, with
1,000 arms and 11 heads. Each hand has an eye in the middle of the palm.

The diversity of hands, heads, and eyes symbolizes the countless ways that Avalokiteshvara (Loving Eyes) can perceive, hear, and assist all sentient beings.

Tseringma ist he auspicious goddess of long life. In the Himalayas she is also worshipped as a protectress oft he human beings.

She is the oldest of five sisters. The legend tells that Guru Rinpoche has tamed her by convincing her that the dharma teachings about wisdom and love are superior to all other teachings.

It is said that the five sisters confronted Milarepa to check out whether his realization proved Guru Rinpoche’s statements.

Vairocana (Skt., lit. “from the sun“) is a primordial buddha from the Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism and associated with the Dharmakaya, the buddha body.

He is depicted with the gesture (mudra) of teaching or “Turning the Wheel of Law.”

Vajraghanta refers to the goddesses around the Tara Mandala at the Northern gate.

Vajrakilaya (Skt., Tib. Dorje Phurba, lit. “Diamond Dagger“) is a wrathful buddha aspect, who embodies the enlightened activity of all buddhas.

His practice is known for being the most powerful for removing obstacles.

Vajramala (Skt.) is another name for Wisdom Buddha (Skt. Manjushri) > see Wisdom Buddha.

The name goes back to Buddha’s Shri Vajramala Tantra (Diamond Mala Tantra), which is about how to overcome 108 energies that keep us in samsara.

Vajrayogini (Skt., Tib. Dorje Naljorma) is the red dakini we use to meditate on in her form of Vajravahari (Tib. Dorje Phamo, lit. “Diamond Saw”or “Red Wisdom”) in union with Chakrasamvara, (lit. “Buddha of Highest Bliss”). See also "Red Wisdom"

She can appear in many forms – from very peaceful with a double drum and bowl of nectar
to wrathful with chopping knife, stick, and with long sharp canine teeth.

Vetali is a mahakali who has been a traditional protectress of the practice lineage since the time of Naropa and Marpa.

She is the consort of the wrathful form of Wisdom Buddha, Yamantaka (lit. “the conqueror of death”.)

White Amitayus is a special form of Amitayus (Skt., Tib. Tsepame) that is known in red color from our Conscious Dying Practice.

There exists a Nirmanakaya Amitayus lineage (including Rechungpa) which refers to the white form of the Buddha of Limitless Life, Tsepame (Tib., Skt. Amitabha). The white form emphazises compassion and peaceful activity for the good of all beings as a tulku.

White Tara – also see Tara (Skt., Tib. Dölma)

Tara appears in 21 different forms, known as the “mother of liberation”.

Examples include Green Tara, known as the Buddha of enlightened activity and love and White Tara, also known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity.

The Wisdom Buddha (Skt. Manjushri, Tib. Jampe Yang, lit. “The Youthful One”) represents the perfect wisdom of a buddha both for those who still work with concepts and terms, but also the highest primordial wisdom.

He is associated with Prajnaparamita and, like Loving Eyes and Diamond in (his) Hand, is to be counted among the most prominent and influential figures from early Mahayana Buddhism onwards.

Appearing orange, his main attributes are a book (Prajnaparamita wisdom texts) and a sword.

Yamantaka (Skt., Tib. Vajrabhairava, lit. “the destroyer of death“ or “terminator of Yama (=God of Death and Justice)“) is a wrathful expression of Manjushri, often depicted in blue or black, holding a sword in his right hand or riding a buffalo or with a buffalo’s head.

Through the form of Yamantaka, Manjushri exposes the illusory nature of the fear of death, as well as the unreality of death itself.