YAB YUM | THE BUDDHA AND CONSORT

hemp, hemp satin, brazilwood, chestnut bark, fustic, iron, logwood, madder root, osage orange, turmeric. Niki & Yusuke Tsukamoto, 2018 22” x 29.5” 

Yab-Yum is a Tibetan term meaning father-mother

In Tibetan Tantra it is the union of Compassion and Truth/ Wisdom. Indian Tantra presents the masculine as a passive meditator with the feminine as a dancing shakti in his lap as pure awareness meeting pure energy. Buddhism sees the masculine form is active, representing the compassionand skillful means (upaya) that have to be developed in order to reach Enlightenment. The feminine form is passive and represents Wisdom (Prajna), which is also necessary to Enlightenment. The figures symbolize the union necessary to overcome the veils of Maya, the false duality of object and subject.