Dakini (Buddhism)

The Dakini (lit. Sky Dancer) is a Buddhist Tantric concept particularly upheld in Tibetan Buddhism. The Dakini is a female being of generally volatile temperament, who acts as a muse for spiritual practice. Dakinis can be likened to elves, angels, or other such supernatural beings, and are symbolically representative of testing one's awareness and adherence to Buddhist tantric sadhana.

Many stories of the Mahasiddhas in Tibet contain passages where a Dakini will come to perturb the would-be Mahasiddha. When the Dakini's test has been fulfilled and passed, the practitioner is often then recognised as a Mahasiddha, and often is elevated into the Paradise of the Dakinis , a place of enlightened bliss. It should be noted that while a Dakini is often depicted as beautiful and naked, they are not sexual symbols, but rather natural ones. There are instances where a Dakini has come to test a practitioner's control over their sexual desires, but the Dakini itself is not a being of passion.