Chakrasamvara

Chakrasamvara

Chakrasamvara is also known as Samvara, a potent form of Heruka, which is one of the principals Yidam meditation deities of the Sarma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Samvara is most often depicted with a blue-colored body, four faces, and twelve arms.

In western translations of meditation texts Samvara’s name is often translated as “Highest Bliss”. Meditation on Chakrasamvara is an advanced meditation practice that is transmitted by one’s lama and effectively binds the mind of the meditator to the state of enlightenment. As a result, these types of meditations should not be entered into lightly, and it is strongly advised that such advanced Tantric meditations be conducted with the guidance of an authentic lama, meaning one who is clearly within the lineage.

The archetypal nature of Chakrasamvara empowers us to use our inherent enlightened ability to simultaneously operate both within the worlds of Samsara (illusion) and nirvana (absolute truth and bliss). This capacity allows us to be of greater service to other sentient beings since we gain greater insight into the circumstances of Samsara and thus know how to deal with difficult situations more effectively.