Sexual Imagery in Tantric Buddhism

There are many images of Buddhas with consorts embracing in sexual union - what is the meaning of this? How are we to take it?

Tantric Imagery is very symbolic. In fact, Rinpoche said that if you don’t understand this then you will miss the meaning of Buddhism all together - and further, everything that exists as a symbol. When the mind labels and ‘understands’ an object, it is actually only understanding an abstract concept - the mind’s projection. The reality itself is not touched through concept. Concept can point us to the truth. If we understand this then we won’t get off track and attached to our thinking.

For instance, we talk in Mahayana Buddhism about emptiness. Emptiness is expounded on in the Prajna Paramita Sutra like this:

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness form.

So everything is empty, but that thing that you would call emptiness is actually form, just a concept - so where are we? The words themselves can not ultimately help. We must come to understand emptiness through non-cognitive meditation - we must experience it directly. A symbol for emptiness can be a diamond. It is clear, relatively indestructible, very rare, very valuable. So the experience of emptiness can be looked at like this. A diamond though is not the same as emptiness, it points us to some aspects - but because emptiness is free of aspects, it necessarily falls short of the experience - which would have ‘no diamond’.

So in Tantra - we use joy as a path. We connect with our own bliss energy in a completely non-dual way. It is not that we seek out things to bring us joy - we identify the innate joy that exists in the mind. That joyful mind is very subtle and able to more easily experience emptiness directly - a clear, open, infinite awareness with no boundaries - no center, no edges. In that reality there is no differentiation, no form. It is unknowable and un-teachable - it must be experienced directly. But how to point people in the right direction? We have to use symbols. Many consider sexual union to be the highest bliss - the greatest happiness comes at that time. So the Buddhas in union are a symbol for some high bliss - something we can relate to as ordinary people still on the path. But ordinary sexual union is not what is going on there. Our ordinary sexual union becomes a symbol for the incredible bliss of enlightenment. The union is like the union of opposites - when two become one. Black can not exist without white - so we have Black/White. Male can not exist without female, so we have male/female. From that perspective, male and female are not two different things. So when you see a Buddha in union, it can bring to mind the union of two things - bliss and emptiness. That is transcendental bliss. Bliss for its own sake, one can become bliss iteslf.

I do not have a deep or proper understanding of these teachings, I am only just beginning, so please don’t take this as authorative and I welcome any corrections or refinements.

May all beings have love, compassion, bliss and equanimity.