2-999-939 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Raktayamari and Vajravetali, early 14th century. The Buddhist deity Raktayamari embraces his female partner, Vajravetali, their union symbolizing the bliss of enlightenment. As the red ("rakta") enemy ("ari") of Yama, the god of death, Raktayamari conquers death itself. By defeating death, he also ends the cycle of rebirth and the suffering it causes. With Vajravetali, he tramples the buffalo of Yama, along with figures associated with the attachments that trap us in a state of ordinary existence. By meditating on Raktayamari, and by identifying with him as he destroys these obstacles, the Buddhist practitioner comes closer to spiritual liberation.