• Welcome
  • Latest News
  • About Pema Khandro
  • Upcoming Events
  • Links
  • DONATE

Buddhist Yogis News

Pema Khandro and Buddhist Yogis News Archive

She holds a curved knife and a skull cup

Upcoming Events

Bardo Teachings – Self Paced Course

With Pema Khandro, Father Francis Tiso, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, Shugen Roshi, Julie Rogers, Jim Tucker, M.D., Koshin Paley Ellison and Dr. William McGrath

Open Dates
Teachings on Death and Dying Facing realities of dying, death, and grief are central to our human experience. This program offers practical instructions for helping others in the process of dying and an overview of essential knowledge on death, bardo, and rebirth. This includes self-paced lectures on dying, loss, grief, and illness from Lamas and scholars of Buddhist Studies.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Buddhism & Sexuality – Self Paced Course

With Dr. Nicole Willock, Julie Regan, Ph.D., Pema Khandro, Lama Willa Miller, Amy Langenberg , Dr. Ann Gleig, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jim Hopper, Dr. Elizabeth Call and Damchö Diana Finnegan

Open Dates
Join Pema Khandro and a group of esteemed Buddhist Studies scholars for an exploration of the history of Buddhist Sexualities from celibacy, to sacred sexuality in Buddhist Tantra and a simple approach to embodied integration with nature in Dzogchen.   Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for these precious teachings. Your contribution, big and small, helps makes in-depth Buddhist training and education more accessible for all. May the teachings spread and flourish!
Register Now

Women in Tantric Buddhism – Self Paced Course

With Holly Gayley, Judith Simmer-Brown, Sarah Jacoby, Amy Langenberg , Damchö Diana Finnegan, Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo and Pema Khandro

Open Dates
This is the missing history of women in Tantric Buddhism. This course addresses the fascinating story of nuns, mothers, teachers, consorts, prophets, and disciples. Taught by scholar-practitioners whose groundbreaking research on women and Buddhism has changed the way we think of Buddhist history. This course will address the history of women in Buddhism, the history of yoginis and dakinis in India and Tibet, the stories of important Buddhist women, Buddhist philosophy on gender, sex, and sexuality, and the role of the consort in historical Tibet, and contemporary manifestations and so much more. Support the Buddhist Studies Institute by donating for…
Register Now

September 30, 2026 by Buddhist Yogis






*|MC:SUBJECT|*




*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­


Buddhist Studies Institute

When students first meet Vajrayogini in iconography, they often ask me the same question.

Why is she holding those objects?

She stands on a red lotus in the midst of a ring of flames. Her body is red, translucent, radiant. She dances in the posture of a yoginī, one leg lifted, one foot planted. In her right hand she holds a curved knife. In her left hand, a skull cup filled with amrita. A khaṭvāṅga staff rests in the crook of her elbow.

The tradition’s answer is precise, and it is not what most people expect.

The curved knife is not a weapon. It is the instrument the tradition uses to cut through what she is here to cut through: dualistic perception, the ordinary mind’s habit of seeing subject and object as separate. She holds it because she is the one who awakens the seeing beyond duality that allows this cut to happen, not as a matter of rupture, but as a matter of liberation.

The skull cup is not macabre. It is the vessel that holds the amrita of great bliss, the wisdom nectar that arises when grasping to the fictive self has been cut. She holds it because she is the one who offers what remains when the cutting is complete.

She dances rather than sits because her wisdom is active, dynamic, and agile. She is red because her practice awakens the subtle body’s inner fire. She stands in flames because the flames are the altruistic wisdom that burns through obscuration.

Every element of her iconography is a teaching. When you receive her empowerment, you receive her as this specific configuration of enlightened activity: the wisdom that cuts, the bliss that arises, the fire that transforms, the dance of wisdom that never stops.

This is why she is called sarva-buddha-ḍākinī, the ḍākinī of all buddhas. She is not one deity among many. She is the energetic sambhogakāya form of enlightened activity itself, appearing in female form because the tantras understand this quality of active wisdom as feminine at its source.

To take up her practice is to be brought into this lineage, this specific configuration of wisdom and activity, this ancient dance of profound care for appearance and emptiness.

The Vajrayogini Empowerment Retreat and Program —>

My best to you always,

The Vajrayogini Empowerment, Retreat and Program

Empowerment Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, 2026

Monday Evenings
5-6:30pm PT
October 12, 19, 26, November 2

Online via Zoom
with recordings for all sessions

Learn More about Vajrayogini

 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS 

Daily Meditation Online
with BSI Certified Meditation Teachers

Vajrayana Training
1st & 2nd Wednesdays with Pema Khandro

Vajrayogini Empowerment, Retreat & Program
The Fierce Joyful Ḍākinī and the Yoginīs of Tibet
Weekend Empowerment Retreat: Sat–Sun, October 10–11, 2026
Monday Evening Sessions: Oct 12, 19, 26, Nov 2
Vajrayogini Empowerment with Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche
and Teachings with Tulku Pema Khandro

The Lion-Faced Ḍākinī Retreat and Program
The Wrathful Sacred Feminine and the Great Perfection
Weekend Transmission and Retreat: Sat–Sun, Nov 7–8, 2026
Monday Evening Sessions: Nov 9, 16, 23, 30
with Tulku Pema Khandro

SAVE THE DATE – Dzogchen and the Body
Longchenpa’s Treasury of Words and Meanings
Sat & Sun December 5-6, 9am-1pm PT
with David Germano, PhD and Pema Khandro, PhD

 

Logo

Copyright (C) *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*. All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|**|LIST:DESCRIPTION|**|END:IF|*

Our mailing address is:
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|**|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|**|END:IF|*

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe


Filed Under: Buddhist Yogis Newsletter Archive

Recent Posts

  • She holds a curved knife and a skull cup September 30, 2026
  • The fierce joyful sacred feminine September 21, 2026
  • The fierce joyful sacred feminine September 18, 2026
  • Final Call for White Tara Retreat – Starts in 1 Hour September 12, 2026
  • Why the Yogini’s Teachings now? September 11, 2026

Recent Posts

  • She holds a curved knife and a skull cup
  • The fierce joyful sacred feminine
  • The fierce joyful sacred feminine
  • Final Call for White Tara Retreat – Starts in 1 Hour
  • Why the Yogini’s Teachings now?
  • White Tara Retreat & Program
  • Why the Yogini’s Teachings now?
  • A Teaching, Yeshe Dawa’s Vow
  • A Teaching, Yeshe Dawa’s Vow
  • Letter from Pema Khandro: The peaceful face of the sacred feminine
  • Letter from Pema Khandro: The peaceful face of the sacred feminine
  • Starts Today: Ngondro – Intrinsic Wisdom
  • Starts in 2 Hours – Buddhist Fasting Retreat
  • Buddhist Fasting Retreat
  • Buddhist Fasting Retrea
  • Starts Today – Ngondro: Purifying the Mind
  • Finding Wisdom Awareness – Starts tomorrow
  • Letter from Pema Khandro
  • Letter from Pema Khandro
  • Finding Wisdom Awareness — April 17–19
  • Finding Wisdom Awareness — April 17–19

News Archives

Share the News

Search this Site

Contact

Email: info@BuddhistYogis.org

return to top of page

Copyright © Pema Khandro · 2026