The Tree of Enlightenment

deities, too, knives are instruments symbolizing the wisdom
with which they cut through ignorance and delusion.
In Vajrayana iconography we also find deities drinking from
skull cups filled with blood, which represents the afflictions. By
drinking this blood, the deities symbolically show their ability
to assimilate and neutralize the afflictions.
We find Vajrayana deities commonly holding a vajra and bell.
e vajra is a symbol of skillful means, and the bell is a symbol
of wisdom. eir holding the vajra and bell stands for the unity
of skillful means and wisdom, appearance and emptiness, samsara
and nirvana.
Many Vajrayana deities, too, have crowns of five skulls on
their heads. ese five skulls stand for the five transcendental
knowledges, or wisdoms, that belong to the five celestial
Buddhas: (a) the knowledge of the Dharmadhatu, (b) the mirror-like
knowledge, (c) the knowledge of equality, (d) the knowledge
of discrimination, and (e) the knowledge of accomplishment.
Many of their bodies are adorned with six ornaments of
bone – bracelets, anklets, girdles, and so forth. ese six ornaments
stand for the Six Perfections of generosity, morality,
patience, energy, concentration, and wisdom.
e fact that we find such objects prevalent in Vajrayana iconography
does not merely indicate some kind of fascination with
the bizarre and macabre. Rather, these objects are very closely
connected with several levels of meaning: (i) a very deep unconscious
(or subconscious) level of meaning, (ii) a level of meaning
that has to do with cultural archetypes, and (iii) a level of meaning
that is very specifically and precisely related to particular elements
of the Buddhist path.
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