The Five Female Buddhas are a set of figures visualized in meditation. They embody aspects of wisdom, and through visualizing them and reciting their mantras gradually something of that wisdom ‘rubs off’. Most of these five figures have not played a very important role in the Buddhist tradition. They appear mainly in the tantric context as consorts of the five male figures known as the Five Jinas (’Conquerors’ - of suffering) or the Five Dhyani Buddhas (’Buddhas of meditation’).
This neglect of the Female Buddhas perhaps reflects something of the male-dominated ethos of some traditional Buddhism. However, in the West these figures seem to be meeting a need, and they are becoming popular within the FWBO. In 2000 I was asked to provide some materials in connection with these beautiful figures, and I set to work during a year that I spent meditating in the Spanish mountains.
Some of the fruits of this work are pujas (sets of devotional verses) that I wrote for each of the five figures. You can download them here:
I have also written a book about them - The Five Female Buddhas - including a verse by verse commentary on the pujas.
In addition I lead regular weekends and retreats on the Female Buddhas. See my teaching schedule for further details.
As well as what I have been doing, there are many other activities connected with these figures going on in the FWBO. There are several artists painting them; retreats and weekends on them led by other Order members; people including them in their personal practice. There is also currently a fundraising campaign to enable us to commission some rupas (statues) of the figures that can be used on retreats in the UK.
I am always interested to hear of new developments, and to hear about people’s practice with these figures. Feel free to contact me about them.