Heruka, in the Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet and Central Asia, a fierce protective deity. He is an emanation of the buddha Aksobhya, whose figure is incorporated in his headdress. He is depicted as blue in colour with two arms, which hold a vajra (thunderbolt) and a kapala (skull cup) full of blood. When represented in union with the female consort Vajrayogini, he is known as Hevajra, and he is widely worshipped in this form in Tibet.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon.
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yi-dam

yab-yum, (Tibetan: “father-mother”), in Buddhist art of India, Nepal, and Tibet, the representation of the male deity in sexual embrace with his female consort. The pose is generally understood to represent the mystical union of the active force, or method (upaya, conceived of as masculine), with wisdom (prajna, conceived of as feminine)—a fusion necessary to overcome the false duality of the world of appearances in the striving toward spiritual Enlightenment. The use of sexual union as a symbol of mystical union evolved from Indian Tantric thought. It was never fully accepted by the Buddhists of China and Japan. Even in Tibet the yab-yum images are not intended for general use but are meant to be viewed only by those who have received proper instruction concerning their esoteric significance. In Tibet, entreaties are considered more efficacious when made to a deity in the company of his consort, and the tutelary deities (yi-dam) adopted by monks and priests are invariably represented in the yab-yum attitude.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.
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