The University of Nalanda c10.223

c10.223

As has been pointed out by Avalon, Vajrayāna often speaks of the Union of Prajñā and Upāya which is nothing but Karuṇā. The former is represented as a female in close embrace with the Upāya as male. Now this is nothing but symbolism as we shall show by citing a Tantra MS. But the want of correct knowledge on the part of some of the critics, thus conveyed that Tāntrism taught nothing but sex worship. And they were right to some extent in their interpretation, because this very symbolism, in later days of Tāntrism, in the hands of baser and degraded minds, connoted nothing but the apparent meaning with the most serious consequences that they did and preached as they thought. Now before passing on to the discussion of other means we shall just refer to what the true meaning of this symbolism is.