Senge Dongma — the Lion-Faced Dakini — is a fierce female wisdom-deity of Tibetan Buddhism: a powerful dakini with the head of a snow-lion, invoked especially for protection against curses, black magic, and the most dangerous negative forces, her lion’s roar dispelling all harm. She is among the most important of the protective dakinis.
The Lion-Faced Dakini
Senge Dongma (Sanskrit Simhamukha, “Lion-Face”) is depicted as a fierce, dark-blue (or red) female deity with the snarling head of a snow-lion, wreathed in flames, dancing in a wrathful posture, holding a curved knife and a skull-cup and a skull-staff — the attributes of a wrathful dakini. Her lion-head is her defining feature, and her roar is held to be tremendously powerful, scattering and destroying the forces of evil. She is a dakini — a female embodiment of enlightened wisdom-energy — in her most fierce and protective aspect.
The Destroyer of Curses
Senge Dongma is invoked above all for protection against curses, black magic, malevolent spells, and the harmful intentions of others — she is the supreme protectress against these dangers, holding the power to turn back and destroy any curse or magical attack, returning the harm to its sender. In a world where curses and sorcery were genuinely feared, her practice was — and is — among the most important for protection against such psychic and magical dangers. Her lion’s roar and her fierce power dispel the most stubborn and dangerous of negative forces. She is associated with [padmasambhava], who is said to have used her practice to overcome the curses and obstacles set against him.
The Fierce Protectress
As a wrathful dakini and a powerful protective deity, Senge Dongma embodies the fierce, dynamic, transformative wisdom-energy of the enlightened feminine turned to the destruction of harm and the protection of practitioners. Her practice is undertaken to dispel curses, remove obstacles, and protect against all malevolent forces. In Senge Dongma, Tibetan Buddhism gave form to the protective power of the wisdom-dakini — the Lion-Faced Dakini whose roar scatters all evil, the supreme protectress against curses and black magic, the fierce female wisdom-deity who turns back every harm with the power of enlightened wrath.