“Yamāntaka” was created for the ‘Gods & Monsters’ exhibit here at Pale Horse Gallery and is available as a 22×28 in. framed archival canvas print for $450. Please inquire for purchasing details. This illustration is also available in T-shirt form in the Pale Horse online store.

Yamāntaka is a Sanskrit name that literally means “Slayer of Death”. This Yamāntaka is a fear-inducing, violent, and intimidating diety who has conquered all evil spirits, including the Lord of Death, Yama. Within Buddhism, “slaying death” is actually a quality of all buddhas as they have stopped the cycle of rebirth. Yamantaka represents the goal of the journey to enlightenment. There are three types of death spoken of in the Yamāntaka Tantra: Outer death is the regular end of life, which is embodied by Yama, Lord of Death. The inner death is ignorance of the true nature of non-dual reality. Instinctive habitual grasping and aversion to real objects and subjects arises from this ignorance. The secret death is dualistic appearance on the subtlest level of clear light mind and illusory body. With the practice of Yamāntaka one overcomes those types of death and gains immortality as a Buddha.