Prajñāpāramitā – The Great Mother of all Buddhas. A doctrinal Analysis of the Divine Female in Tantric Buddhism

10.05.2019 15:15 - 16:45

Andrea Loseries | (Former) HOD, Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies, Director, Centre for Buddhist Studies, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, Westbengal

The Perfection of Wisdom is symbolized in form of the feminine divinity Prajñāpāramitā. She is herself the supreme truth of the void (śūnyatā). Prajñā in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna means the realization of all phenomenal existence as the void.

Mainly based on the Heart Sūtra, the Guhyasamājatantra and the Hevajratantra this presentation aims to clarify the Vajrayāna notion of the “two-in-one” (zung ʼjug), the realization of the essential sameness of female and male, of the absolute and conventional truth, of nirvāņa and samsāra, experienced by the enlightened mind in the ineffable dharmadhātu, the “Great Mother’s Womb”, as great bliss (mahāsukha).

Organiser:
Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde
Location:
Seminarraum 1, Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde, AAKH, Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2.7 1090 Wien