Pastel on paper

41 x 30 inches (frame)

003

Vajravarahi is a wrathful deity from the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhist gods. She is a cow goddess, which is shown by the head of a cow emerging from the side of her head. She symbolizes triumph over ignorance as she dances on the corpse of the defeated ego, and wears a garland of severed heads symbolizing the severed ego passions. The warriorlike, fearsome implements that she holds represent her ability to assist the devotee in overcoming evil. This image was taken from a 13th century Tibetan painting (thanka).