Buddhist Goddesses of India

Miranda Shaw is associate professor of religious studies at the University of Richmond. She is the author of Passionate Enlightenment: Women in Tantric Buddhism (Princeton).

Acknowledgments ix Note on Transliteration xi Introduction 1 Part One: Ascent of the Sacred Female in Early Buddhism Chapter 1: Prthiv: Mother Earth 17 Chapter 2: Mayadev: The Buddha's Wondrous Mother and Her Sacred Grove 38 Chapter 3: Yaksins: Voluptuous, Magical Nature Spirits 62 Chapter 4: Sri Laksmi: Glorious Good Fortune 94 Chapter 5: Hariti: Goddess of Motherly Love 110 Chapter 6: Female Buddhas: The Case of Gotami 143 Part Two: Mahayana Mothers of Liberation Chapter 7: Goddesses in the Flower Ornament Scripture 155 Chapter 8: Praj~naparamita: Luminous Mother of Perfect Wisdom 166 Chapter 9: Parnasavar: Healing Goddess Clothed in Leaves 188 Chapter 10: Mairci: Lady of Sunrise Splendor 203 Chapter 11: Janguli: The Buddhist Snake Goddess 224 Chapter 12: Sarasvati: Divine Muse 234 Chapter 13: Vasudhara: Lady Bountiful 247 Chapter 14: Cunda: Saving Grace 265 Chapter 15: Sitatapatra: Invincible Goddess With a Thousand Heads and Hands 276 Chapter 16: Usnisavijaya: Bestower of Long Life and Immortality 291 Chapter 17: Tara: Mahayana Buddha, Universal Savior 306 Part Three: Tantric Female Buddhas Chapter 18: Vajrayogini: Her Dance Is Total Freedom 357 Chapter 19: Nairatmya: Her Body Is the Sky 387 Chapter 20: Chinnamunda: Severed-Headed Goddess 403 Chapter 21: Simhamukha: Lion-Faced Female Buddha 418 Chapter 22: Kurukulla: Red Enchantress with Flowered Bow 432 Epilogue 448 Notes 453 Glossary of Tibetan 521 Bibliography 525 Index 553