Glossary

A harmika is an architectural element that forms a square balustrade section on top of the dome (Sanskrit: anda) of a stupa, and encloses the spire (Sanskrit: yasti) that rises above it. The harmika represents a divine abode.

In Hinduism, Hayagriva is a deity said to be an avatar of Vishnu, recognizable by his human body and horse’s head. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Hayagriva sometimes appears as a dharma protector, a meditational deity, a heruka, or an attendant to Avalokiteshvara. In Buddhist images he is recognizable by the small horse head(s) protruding from his hair on the top of his head.

In Buddhism, the hell realms are the lowest portions of samsara, or the wheel of reincarnation. Different texts give different accounts of these realms, but a standard list says that there are eight cold and eight hot hells. Beings are reborn into these realms due to their negative karma, and although they may spend many eons there, eventually they will die and be reborn elsewhere.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, heruka is a designation referred to male wrathful deities, often associated with the sexual practices of the Highest Yoga Tantras, and specifically mother tantras such as Chakrasamvara and Hevajra in the Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk traditions. Vajrakila and Hayagriva are considered herukas, as well as other male deities of the Nyingma tradition such as Chemckchok and Yangdak Heruka.

The Hevajra tantra is one of the most important texts of the Highest Yoga Tantras. The Lamdre teachings of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are mostly based on the Hevajra tantra. Hevajra is also the name of the central deity of the tantra, who is usually depicted in union with his consort Nairatmya. The deity is recognizable by the series of skull cups containing various animals held in his hands.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Highest Yoga Tantras are the highest category in the fourfold division of tantras. These tantras often involve images of male and female deities in sexual union, symbolic of two aspects of wisdom and method necessary for the awakening. Such practices are sometimes literally carried out by the initiated practitioner and a consort. Most Tibetan traditions also divide Highest Yoga Tantras into “father” tantras, which focus on male deities and the subtle body, and “mother” tantras, which focus on female deities and the enlightened mind. The Later Diffusion traditions add a category of “non-dual” tantras, the most important of which is the Kalachakra tantra. The Nyingma tradition understands Dzogchen as the ultimate form of the Highest Yoga Tantras.

Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs and practices comprising a major Asian religion, practiced principally on the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Although certain practices may have their roots in the ancient Indus Valley civilization (~3300–1300 BCE), the earliest decipherable texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, ritual-mythological hymns and instructions for fire-sacrifice from around 1500–900 BCE. From around 800 to 300 BCE, new thinkers emphasized philosophical ideas like ritual union with the deity Brahman, or meditation and asceticism in the forest. One of these thinkers was Siddhartha Gautama, the founding teacher of Buddhism. Hindu temples appeared from the medieval period onward, dedicated to gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Mahadevi. There are also tantric forms of Hinduism, which emphasize transgressive practices and yogic ritual.