Preliminary Investigation of Prajna Paramita

I truly love the Internet. Like I want to marry it. It's so fun to learn new things and be able to find so much out about them.

My friend Chandra Easton, a Tibetan Budhist Scholar and yoga teacher in Berkley, pointed me in the direction of Tsultrim Allione's site. From there I learned of Prajana Paramita, The Great Mother.

This from Tsultrim Allione's site:
The Prajna Paramita, or “Great Mother,” is a profound philosophical doctrine that began in India around the time of Christ. The Prajna Paramita sutra is the most important text of Mahayana Buddhism, which emphasizes the doctrines of emptiness and compassion. It formed the foundation of Mahayana Buddhism, which spread to China, Tibet, Japan, and Korea. The teachings were given to the great Buddhist scholar Nargajuna, who lived in approximately 100 AD and came from an area of southern India whose people were descendants of the dark-skinned ancient Dravidians. The text, its doctrine, and the virtues represented by it were personified by a female deity, a female Buddha who had been with humanity from its inception in the Paleolithic period. Statues of this Prajna Paramita were observed in India by the Chinese pilgrim Fa-shien in 400 AD. Read More.

My practice lately has been focused on creating more space for the tightspots. Tsultrim Allione is teaching a practice called "Feeding Your Demons" based on the teachings of Machig Labdrön (1055 - 1145). The practice is offering tender love and affection to your suffering.

Machig Labdrön offers this advice:

"With a loving mind, cherish more than a child
The hostile gods and demons of apparent existence,
And tenderly surround yourself with them."

The Mantra to help calm the suffering is:
GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA

I have not been able to find out what that mudra means. This reproduction of the statue shows the hands more clearly.


I totally dig her!